Many pet owners take it for granted that cats like to meow a lot. However, wild cats are not nearly as vocal as domesticated cats, which indicates that meowing in cats is not necessarily linked to biological demands. Cats have many reasons for meowing, and some cats are more talkative than others.
If you have ever wondered what your cat was trying to tell you when they were meowing at you, you will want to check out this article. There are various reasons that your pet might be making noise at you, and you might need to know the common reasons for a cat meowing to better understand your pet’s needs.
Why Cats Meow
Cats can meow for lots of reasons. Pet owners are familiar with some of the most common reasons that their pets might meow. Cats that are hungry, cold, or worried can meow to try to express their discomfort to their owner. However, kittens also make a lot of noise meowing when they are young, and kittens meow at one another much more often than adult cats meow at other cats.
Your cat might also meow at you when you get home or to get you to pay attention to them. Cats also tend to meow to be let in or out the back door, for example. Cats can also express anger or dominance toward other animals with meow-like sounds and aggressive behaviors.
There have also been studies that indicate that cats that live with people who make meowing noises back at them are more likely to chat with their human friends. It is thought that cats are aware that their meowing noises can elicit responses in their human owners, which is why cats who are pets are so talkative.
Other Reasons That Cats Meow
There are some other reasons that cats might meow:
Loss of Senses While Aging
Older cats can become more talkative as they lose their other senses. Blind cats might meow to try and help tell other animals they are in distress or to communicate that they are headed toward the other animals they can hear but not see. Likewise, cats that are going deaf might meow more often and more loudly since they are losing their ability to hear their own voice.
In Heat
Cats that are in heat can also meow a lot and be very loud as well. This is to signal their receptivity to mates. This is a behavior that is also displayed in wild cats during mating season. This is one of the only times that wild cats are as talkative as domesticated cats.
Feeling Pain
Cats might also meow a lot if they are suffering from some kind of medical condition or they are in pain. Cats are not great communicators in the way that dogs might be, but cats that are suffering from painful conditions or that are feeling scared or distressed can often be quite talkative. If your cat is walking around and meowing while also acting upset or distressed, it might be time for a visit to the veterinarian.
Teaching Your Cat to be Less Vocal
Sometimes it can be difficult to live with a cat that talks a lot. If you live in an apartment or a shared living arrangement, your cat’s meows might also be an issue for others. In these cases, you might want to be sure that you discourage your cat from meowing.
Talk to Your Vet
The first order of business is to make sure that your cat sees the vet. You will want to be sure that you are not accidentally ignoring a medical condition that is leading to your cat’s noisy chatter. Once health problems have been ruled out, you can move on to training your cat to be quieter.
Reward Your Cat at the Right Time
If your cat is meowing when they want love, or when they want food, you can discourage this behavior by only feeding them or petting them when they are being quiet.
Is Your Cat Lonely?
If your cat is lonely, you might need to get them a friend so that they are not feeling worried enough to shout their distress all the time.
Change of Routine
Cats that have been placed on a diet or have had a change of routine might be noisy for a few days but then get used to their new routine and stop being so noisy.
Cat Door
For those whose cats are indoor/outdoor cats, you might want to install a cat door so your cat can come and go as they please. This can be a lot more peaceful for both of you for a variety of reasons, and it is a small installation process to secure this kind of solution for you and your pet.
Spay & Neuter
Lastly, spaying and neutering your cat can be a great way to prevent them from getting pregnant when you do not want them to, and it can prevent noisy periods while they are in heat. This is usually a good rule of thumb for many reasons related to your pet’s health in their older age as well. Cats that are intact can be quite noisy during various periods of the year, and this issue can be eliminated entirely once they have been fixed.
Cats Meow for Many Reasons
If you have a cat that is really talkative, you might love this and be happy to chat with your cat all day long. However, if you want to make sure that your cat is not as talkative, you can use some of the solutions in this article to discourage their meowing behavior. Cats that live with humans are much more likely to be talkative than wild cats, but not all pets are talkative.
Cats might meow for health reasons, due to stress, or because of being worried or lonely. You might need to get the help of a vet to explore the reasons behind your cat’s noisy behavior if you think that something is wrong. Taking care of a talkative can be enjoyable, and many cat owners love that their cats are happy to speak to them about various things throughout the day.
Give Live Oak Veterinary Hospital a call at 209-432-9437 or book an appointment online to talk with a veterinarian about why your cat is meowing.