Saturday, 12 September 2015

Sounds That Cats Make — and What They Mean



You and your cat might speak different languages, but you can still communicate with each other if you try hard enough to understand your cat. Cat meow for many reasons—to say hello, to ask for things, and to tell us when something’s wrong.

The following vocalizations are fairly common to most cats:

Meow: Meow is an all-purpose word. Kittens are much likely to meow a lot more than adult cats because they are born unable to hear and see. As for kittens, they make this noise to alert their mother that they need attention. Adult cats rarely meow at each other, but they may meow at us for the same reason such as a greeting, (Short meow — “Hey, how ya doin'?")




Purring: is a sign of contentment (usually). Cats purr whenever they're happy, even while they’re eating. They also purr as a way to comfort themselves when they’re sick, anxious or injured, like a child sucking his thumb.




Growling, hissing or spitting: Just like a warning, cats grow, hiss or spit to indicate they’re annoyed, frightened, angry or aggressive. It is the cat’s way of saying “Steer clear. I’m angry and I’m not afraid to draw blood.”





A yowl or howl (Drawn-out meows): This tells you your cat is in some kind of distress or trouble—stuck in a closet, feeling hungry, looking for you or generally in pain. However, these sounds are part of mating behavior for unneutered and unspayed cats. And if your cat is elderly, he may be suffering from a cognitive disorder (dementia) and may howl because he's disoriented. Or maybe they just need your attention. 



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