Some people seem to believe that there are two kinds of people in the world: Cat people and dog people. Those who prefer cats to dogs and those who like dogs more than cats.
The latter often believe that cats are a little antisocial and generally untrustworthy. Winston Churchill once said: “Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us.”
Well, the exact opposite is true. According to a study by Oregon State University, most cats prefer interaction with their humans over food, toys and scents. The better we know our cats, the better we get along. So does your cat have a secret language that we humans simply misinterpret?
What is your cat trying to tell you?
Just like dogs have different barking sounds, cats also have different meows. We’ve already talked about how cats communicate through body language, but what are they trying to tell you through their sounds?
What does the meowing mean?
You may have seen your cat communicating with other cats without using its voice and using its body instead. Some believe that cats meow to manipulate people and their owners to get what they want. And it works!
They meow to be let out, to be let back in, to get attention, to get food, and this can happen during the day or while you sleep. So what do all the different pitches and rhythms mean?
The cat growl
Cats growl too! It is quite quiet compared to our canine friends and is used as a warning. Your cat is not happy. You may hear this growl when feeding your cats if you have more than one. They don’t want to share and a fight might break out.
Make sure that the bowls are not too close together.
The creaking door meow
You may hear this sound when your cat is hungry. There may be more than one meow at a time as they communicate their impatience and hunger. All cats have a different way of telling you it’s time to eat, but as a cat owner you should be able to recognize this meow.
The monosyllabic meow
This meow is often recognized as a greeting you might hear in the morning or when you come home from work. These are short and sweet and often sound like “meow”, “eh” or “meow”.
Meow after meow
Your cat is probably excited about something if it keeps meowing. Maybe she’s happy to see you, or she’s looking forward to a treat when she hears the package crinkle.
If you hear this call once, you know it, and you will enjoy hearing it again and again.
The predator’s howl
If your cat is not yet neutered and you hear her making that shrill, whining noise, she may be trying to let cats of the opposite sex know it’s time to mate. Uh-oh!
Pay attention to the noises your cat makes and what they mean to find out what your feline friend is trying to communicate. Every cat behaves differently and not every meow means the same thing, but in time you will recognize them.
Cats are funny creatures, and their enigmatic behaviors have long been illustrated in children’s books and detailed in novels. You can see some of the most famous examples (link to “Cats in Fiction” blog) for free in the “Cats on the Page” exhibition, which celebrates all things literary and feline and which we are currently sponsoring at the British Library.
