Cat meowing: the reasons and meaning of the sounds that pets make

05/04/2020 34,695 Interesting things about cats

Author: Olga

Communication is an important component of our mutual understanding. This is true in the situation with pets as well. Many people consider a cat's meowing as a way to talk to its owner. But what does she want to say? How to determine what a cat’s meow means and what a cat’s meow “says”?

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Why do domestic cats “talk”?

By making certain sounds, animals want to tell you some information about their desires. One of the main reasons why you hear a cat meowing is because it wants to get its owner's attention. But these are not all the reasons why pets make certain sounds. Sometimes, a cat's meow speaks of her desires, sometimes of worries and fears, and in some cases it can indicate a disease. Therefore, it is important to figure it out in time and understand what the cat’s meow “tells” you.

Night conversations

Probably the most annoying cat ringtone is the cat's night meow. Breeders claim that their nocturnal activity is completely natural. Many pets, not being able to realize their hunting instinct, still try to feel like masters of the territory. They can run around the apartment, play, and, of course, scream loudly and make other “hunting” sounds. Then they prefer to sleep during the day.

And it is precisely at this time that the domestic “hunter” wants her owner to pay more attention to her. At night she is brave and resilient. She really wants to show these qualities to her breadwinner. You can calm a cat's meowing simply by petting your pet or answering it with kind words. Most often, if your cat's meowing is caused by a lack of daytime attention, after you answer her, she will become silent.

Another cause of cat meowing at night is stress. Moving or the appearance of a child in the family, i.e., any changes in the life of an animal, causes stress. When experiencing stress, the pet walks and meows pitifully at night, because then she experiences greater anxiety and an acute lack of attention.

The nightly meowing of a cat in the spring is also a common occurrence. Males attract females with their loud voices, and cats communicate their needs with long meows. Castration or sterilization usually helps to get rid of constant “talks” of this kind.

However, if the above reasons are not present, and your pet still constantly and restlessly turns on his night ringtone, and does not sleep well during the day, this may indicate that he is sick. In this case, the cat's meowing will be strange, it will be sounds such as yapping, wheezing and meowing with an intonation that is not typical for it. In this case, it is best to take your pet to the veterinarian.

Postpartum meowing in cats

After giving birth, a healthy mother will not simply waste her voice on you. After all, all her attention is now focused on the cubs. Therefore, pay special attention to the cat’s constant meowing after giving birth.

If the kittens are with their mother and she is acting restless, she may not be getting enough food or drink. But if the tray with food and water is full, or you just recently fed her, then you should check why she has cause for concern.

A mother's concern is usually about the illness of one of her babies or her own health. Check how the kittens look and feel. How long do they sleep, and does mom get enough rest? If they are okay, pay attention to the mother. The cat's unreasonable meowing and whining, combined with trembling, frequent urination, rapid breathing and other behavior that is unnatural for her, signals to you that the former mother has postpartum complications. Don't guess what to do, she urgently needs to be shown to a veterinarian!

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How do cats love each other? The cat is often spoken of as a symbol of adultery, and of cats as sexual maniacs. But in reality, the range of love relationships in the feline environment is very wide - from cruel manifestations to romantic love. Experts say that love relationships among these cute pets look like this. The courtship process takes up most of the time, while sexual intercourse itself turns out to be very short and in most cases is unsuccessful. As soon as a cat enters a “free” territory, she immediately begins to attract many males with her scents and calls. After short, usual threats, the rival cats are positioned at a certain distance from the female. Letting her make a choice.

The cat continues to provoke them, but beware of those who dare to show impatience with her at this moment - she will immediately use her claws and teeth. Other cats are not deterred by this behavior, and one after another they try to approach the cat, who invariably fights them back. The most reserved (cunning?) cat is in the most advantageous position. He uses each new fight with the next contender to quietly creep as close as possible to the object of his attention. In order not to irritate the cat, he freezes in a pose of complete indifference every time the female fixes her gaze on him. Finally, he appears nearby and emits a quiet, questioning “meow.” If the cat does not receive a contemptuous hiss in response to this, the game can be considered won.

And if the cat waits calmly, lying on its paws and throwing its tail to the side, the happy chosen one understands such a sign as an invitation to an act of love. The latter begins with the cat grabbing his girlfriend by the scruff of the neck with his teeth and trying to hold it tighter. The act of love is usually very short and sometimes ends... in a fight. The cat suddenly begins to purr angrily, turns over on its back and digs its claws into the face of the chosen one, who has no choice but to quickly run away.

For a long time, biologists were unable to unravel the reason for this behavior. Now she is famous. The fact is that the cat's penis is covered with sharp, prickly growths. They, like the barbs of an arrow, easily penetrate inside the cat, but straighten out and cause severe pain when trying to “exit”. This pain causes severe irritation of the cat, and at the same time... the process of ovulation. Ovulation occurs with each mating, and a cat can have kittens from different fathers in the same litter. The gestation period lasts from 58 to 64 days, for 20 days the cat is exclusively concerned with her babies, and then she again indulges in love affairs, announcing this with a kind of cry. As a rule, one such cry is enough for all the cats in the area to come running to it.

As time goes on, cats become less and less interested in the cat, which becomes increasingly difficult to find a partner. The roles change completely. Now she doesn’t scare away suitors, but tries in every possible way to attract them: with screams, purrs, smell. Finally, the time comes for the last love. The cat's cries become plaintively hoarse and no longer attract anyone. It is absolutely true that cats spend a significant portion of their time making love. In general, they are unhappy and inexperienced in love, which causes them a lot of suffering. Perhaps the tenderness that they show to people, the caresses that they gladly accept from their owners, compensate them for their suffering. After serious observations, French scientists came to these conclusions. (C) Tatyana Shuvaeva

The sounds a cat makes and their meaning

Let's look at how pets "talk" and what it most likely means.

“Moor-meow” pronounced briefly. If you heard these sounds when you appeared in the apartment, it means your pet greeted you like that. But if you have been sitting at home for a long time, and the animal does not need to greet you, but it still makes such sounds, this means disappointment, because there is no opportunity to get any prey.
The pet will announce a lack of attention on my part by meowing pitifully and by following me around the house.
A loud "rattling" sound means your pet is demanding food or other attention. When the animal demands food, it will also make a loud, clear “meow” at the top of its voice.
A short, single, sometimes quiet, “meow” indicates that the pet cannot contain its emotions. In this way he is similar to people, when something happens in between, we unconsciously say something like “oh my God!”
The meowing of kittens is usually plaintive, drawn out and loud. With this ringtone, kittens are looking for their mother. This cannot be confused with anything.
A cat's meow in spring is more like a scream. This is how a cat looks for a sexual partner. The same thing can mean the prolonged meow of a cat in the spring.
Hissing and snorting indicate that your pet is irritated. And during a fight he will sort of howl. It is better not to approach him at this time.

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How to prevent your cat from eating kittens

To prevent your cat from eating her kittens, you should begin preparing for birth two weeks before it occurs. There are a few simple precautions you need to take to help keep newborns safe:

Prepare a place for childbirth in advance. Dark, quiet, away from other animals and people.
Competently and correctly choose a diet during pregnancy and after childbirth.
Observe the pet during and after childbirth, isolate the babies if the mother behaves aggressively.
Food during and after childbirth should be kept in close proximity to the mother.
Isolate other animals from the laboring or nursing mother.

Cat cannibalism is an unpleasant and dangerous phenomenon, but it is worth remembering that it is often just a manifestation of instincts. The right approach to organizing the place of birth, proper care and quality nutrition will reduce the risk of killing kittens to a minimum.

If your cat won't stop meowing

As discussed above, when a cat meows, it is not a simple ringtone. This is how the animal asks you for something. But it happens that you have already done everything that she could want, and the cat’s meowing does not stop. There are two diametrically opposed reasons why this happens.

You could have spoiled her. Every time your pet gave a voice, you stroked her or picked her up. And she is accustomed to the fact that this is the only way she can get your affection. In this case, it is better to teach her what to do is bad (for example, splash water on her when she screams). And start petting only after the cat’s meowing stops.

The second reason why a cat can be heard meowing may be hidden in its restless state due to its own ill health. As discussed above, this will be an uncharacteristic meow, combined with other signs of illness. If your animal behaves this way, do not delay going to the veterinary clinic.

Signs of completion of labor in a cat

The interval between newborns ranges from 15 to 120 minutes, but there are exceptions; sometimes the duration of labor lasts up to 36 hours, and then the process resumes.

Signs of labor:

active pet care;
The cat’s breathing is even, the heartbeat is rhythmic, there is no reason for concern;
the cat shows appetite and can get up from the nest, leaving the brood for a few minutes;
The mother's belly is soft on palpation, there are no compactions;
after 40 minutes you need to check the cat’s stomach, but do not press, but place your palms on the sides and run along the hips;
calm behavior of the woman in labor.

The uterus retains its tone after a day, and therefore this seal should not be confused with a kitten. If you have any suspicions, you can inject the cat with 0.3 ml of oxytocin, which stimulates the uterus and helps unborn kittens emerge.

Even if the delivery process is completed successfully, in any case such an injection will be beneficial - it will remove the remaining mucus from the uterus. It is not recommended to use drugs without a veterinarian, so as not to harm the pet.

Attention! You should be concerned when your cat's temperature exceeds 39 degrees and dark mucus with an unpleasant odor comes out of the genitals. In this case, you cannot do without a specialist.

Problems with delivery may arise if the cat has already given birth to 5-6 kittens, and new contractions are slow and can drag on for a day. It is important to closely monitor your cat to prevent serious complications.

Temporary separation

Despite their apparent serene indifference, cats become attached to their owners. Many owners of furry pets can remember how, when going on a business trip or vacation, they left their pets in the care of friends or acquaintances. It seems that the people were familiar to the cat, and the care was good, and the food was good, but the animal was sad, scratched the door with its paws and refused a delicious dinner.

As a living answer to the question of whether cats remember their owners, this is a meeting even after a slight separation. The animal often rubs against its legs, does not leave its owner’s side, purrs loudly and tries to fall asleep in its arms. Although the pet may be offended by the forced loneliness and demonstratively offended.

By their behavior, most domestic cats of all breeds prove that they remember and love their owners.