Why Do Cats Meow Back At You? Cat Chat Explained!
Does your cat ever meow back at you when you talk to him? If he does, it’s likely he’s trying to communicate with you.
In the 10,000 years or so cats have lived alongside humans, they have cleverly crafted an extensive repertoire of unique vocalizations. As a result, today’s pet felines have an entire “language” of mews, trills, and squeaks at their disposal so they can tell us exactly how they feel or what they need.
So take note next time your feline friend talks back at you – he’s likely trying to get an important point across.
Why do cats meow?
From the moment they are born, kittens meow to get their mom’s attention and let her know when they feel uncomfortable or need something.
Typically, the behavior carries over to their human caretakers as the kittens mature.
Interestingly, feral cats who live independently (outdoors and without human “owners”) often outgrow using the meow as a means of communication.
Even domestic cats, or house cats, rarely use it as a form of communication with each other, relying instead on scent and body language.
Studies suggest cats may have evolved to use meows on humans because we were more likely to respond to the sound. And if we did, there was a good chance we’d feed and take care of them, increasing their chances of survival – all with less effort on their part (Tavernier et al., 2019).
Cats are certainly pretty smart in the way they use meowing to get their owners’ attention and have their every need met.
I’m sure many pet owners can relate to the endless cycle of letting their cat out, then back in five minutes later, only to have him demand to be let out again soon afterward!
It’s also not uncommon for cats to have an assortment of meows in their vocabulary that serve different purposes, so let’s take a look at some of those now.
Different types of cat meows
According to feline vocalization expert Susanne Schötz, the feline meow is a versatile vocalization and cats use it in many contexts, ranging from assertive, plaintive, friendly, bold, or welcoming to attention-seeking, demanding, complaining, or sad.
That trademark meow sound is produced through an opening and closing of the mouth.
At the same time, cats can create different vowel sounds, depending on whether the tongue is retracted or protruding.
Meows can contain one, two, or three syllables and last anything from half a second to over a second.
Cats can also vary the pitch and sound quality of their meows, depending on how they feel and the reason they are meowing in the first place.
Schötz summarizes the different types of meows as follows:
- Mew: High-pitched short meow with [i], [ɪ], or [e] quality – typically used by kittens to solicit attention from their mother and adult cats when they are sad or distressed.
- Squeak: Raspy nasal high-pitched mew-like call – used in friendly situations to gain attention.
- Moan: Vocalization with [o] or [u] vowel – often used when sad, demanding, or asking for help.
- Meow (or miaow): a combination of vowels resulting in the characteristic [iau] sequence – often used to get attention or food, or to pass an obstacle such as a closed door or window.
- Trill-meow: Combination of trill (chirrup, chirr, murmur) and a meow – often used when cats want something quite urgently.
- Howl/yowl/moan/anger wail: Long repeated warning signals produced by gradually opening the mouth wider and closing it again – used in agonistic or threatening situations and often combined with growls.
- Mating call (mating cry): Long sequences of loud meow-like sounds similar to howling – used by entire cats during mating season. A female cat will yowl to advertise her receptivity to males, while a male will yowl to gain access to a female.
If you’re in any doubt as to how any of these sound, Schötz has audio-visual samples of every conceivable type of cat meowing sound on her website. She also discusses the cat meow in greater detail in this video:
Why do cats meow at humans?
People often joke that cats meow only to get food but in fact, they use the meow to communicate a variety of needs and feelings.
Research shows that both context and the cat’s emotional state affect how his meows sound (Schötz et al., 2019). For example, if kitty is in a positive emotional state, the sound of his meow will go up (sound higher) at the end. If he is in a negative emotional state, his meow sound will go down (sound lower) at the end.
Bearing this in mind, let’s now explore some of the different ways cats use their meows to communicate with us.
Attention
We’ve already established that cats meow when they are looking for attention. And we are pretty much programmed to provide it on demand, apparently.
Our rescued Dubai street cat Jasmine sits on the kitchen window sill and meows for no apparent reason. She doesn’t want anything, other than for you to go and pet her for a while.
And in that typical feline way, she’ll just walk off and leave the room when she’s had enough.
Bye Jasmine, you’re welcome!
He wants something
Cats meow when they want something from us. It could be to fill up their food bowl, to open the door so they can go outside, or because they need help with some other kind of problem.
“There is a high-frequency component in the solicitation of food sound that matches the frequency of a human infant distress call, says professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, Barbara Blatchley.
No wonder we respond so readily to it!
Schötz points out that, when cats want something, they also give you clues through their body language. Usually, the ears would be forward and the cat would make eye contact, she says.
This type of cat’s meow can also indicate distress. For example, if the cat is stuck somewhere and can’t get out.
Another of our rescued Dubai street cats, Jeffrey, used to meow when he was on top of our 8-foot-high garden wall (or anywhere else high up) and needed help to get down.
He’s feeling playful
When cats are feeling playful, they can sometimes meow as a sign of their good mood.
Additionally, they may vocalize when they are out stalking their prey. It doesn’t have to be real prey either – cats are just as likely to meow when they’re chasing a toy or piece of string.
Our cat Loulou used to “catch” her toy furry mouse and carry it into the bedroom at night, dropping it at the side of the bed and meowing deep, guttural, drawn-out meows the entire time.
He’s naturally chatty
Contrary to popular belief, cats can be social creatures and may meow more than other cats simply because it is their personality.
Such cats may just be talkative and vocal by nature, almost as if they’re trying to engage in a conversation with you.
For these chatty cats, it’s just another way to show that they trust you and feel a bond with you.
He’s in pain
If your furry friend is restless, pacing up and down and meowing constantly, it could be a sign he’s feeling unwell or in pain and can’t get comfortable. It’s also possible he’s been injured somehow, even if it’s not immediately obvious.
If he meows when he’s in the litter box it may also be a sign of pain – and could even be an emergency.
So make sure you seek medical assistance if you think your cat may be suffering from pain or discomfort.
He’s ill
Numerous diseases can make cats feel physical pain, hunger, or thirst – prompting them to meow more than usual.
Additionally, medical problems like an overactive thyroid or kidney disease can leave cats feeling uncomfortable. Hyperthyroidism in particular can cause cats to be restless and agitated at night, leading to an increase in vocalizations.
He’s getting older
Older cats may experience physical deterioration and mental confusion with age, leading to an increase in meowing.
Cognitive dysfunction or decline can cause confusion and disorientation in senior cats, while joint pain or discomfort could be another possible reason for meowing.
If you’ve noticed a sudden behavior change or a sudden increase in the amount of meowing, or you think your cat may be ill or suffering from a medical condition, it is important to seek medical attention for him as soon as possible.
He’s feeling anxious
Sometimes cats meow because they feel anxious or stressed.
A newly adopted or rehomed adult cat may meow a lot because he doesn’t yet feel safe in his new environment. Kittens may meow because they miss their mom and littermates.
Other potential triggers for anxiety-induced meowing include loud noises, surprise visitors, or abrupt changes within the home or family unit.
Sometimes cats meow as a way of calling out for their humans, especially if they are worried or feel like they have been left behind.
I’ve often had our cats follow us on dog walks (luckily we live in a rural area), meowing their heads off as they try to catch up with us. It’s almost as if they’re saying, “Wait for me!”
I’ve also seen this when two cats share a deep bond and suddenly one of them dies.
When our cat Spencer’s brother Finlay died suddenly and unexpectedly, Spencer spent several days going around the house meowing and searching for him, which was heartbreaking to watch.
Is it okay to meow back at your cat?
Meowing back at your pet cat can be a fun way to communicate, depending on the purpose and context.
It’s probably better to avoid making your meow sound too aggressive or harsh if you are trying to interact with your kitty – cats usually respond better when there’s more of a friendly “vibe.”
“If you meow back at your cat, he will increase his vocalizations to you,” says Blatchley.
And emulating the same pitch and rhythm will make him more likely to understand that you are responding in kind.
Having said that, if your cat is already meowing excessively and you want him to stop, then it’s probably best not to encourage him!
Why does my cat only meow at me and no one else?
It’s pretty common for us cat parents to talk to our animal companions.
Many of us speak to them in the same way we would to a baby or child, rather than in the normal tone we would use when conversing with other adults.
To explore this “baby talk” phenomenon, researchers looked into whether there is a difference in how cats respond to what they called “cat-directed speech” (CDS), as opposed to more regular “adult-directed speech” (ADS).
They also wanted to know if a cat’s responses would be different depending on whether it was his owner or a stranger doing the talking.
Results showed that cats can make the differentiation between when their owner is talking to them specifically, as opposed to just talking in general. When they hear strangers talking, however, they do make the same distinction.
The researchers concluded that cats and humans who are known to each other might be able to develop a special way of “talking” to each other that is based on shared experience (de Mouzon et al., 2022).
Which is quite fascinating, when you think about it.
Do cats understand human meows?
Although cats may not understand what we mean if we try to meow at them, the research by de Mouzon et al. shows they are more responsive to their owners’ voices than those of unfamiliar people. So that’s a start at least.
I don’t mind admitting that I’ve occasionally tried meowing at my cats if I want to distract them.
Say there’s a conflict over a coveted sleeping spot and neither cat wants to back down, I’ve found that if I start meowing in the background, it causes a sufficient diversion (and probably total confusion) for them to stop what they’re doing.
Whether they understand what I mean or not is another question. Truth be told, even I don’t understand what I’m saying in cat language!
One thing is for sure though, one-to-one relationships with their humans are important for pet cats and the two species have an incredible ability to form strong bonds.
Final thoughts
Meowing is one of the primary ways our cats communicate with us and make their wants and needs known.
By recognizing the range of different meows our cats make, we can better understand what they are saying and how they feel.
So whether your cat wants more food or just a spot of attention, take a moment next time he meows back at you to try to figure out what he means. He just might be trying to say something important.
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Resources
- Cat Sounds: Cat Vocalisation Types – Susanne Schötz
- Cat Sounds Explained: The Meow [Video] – Cat Lady Sweden
- Cats and Excessive Meowing – Sandy Eckstein / Fetch by WebMD
- Differences between vocalization evoked by social stimuli in feral cats and house cats – Seong C. Yeon, Young K. Kim, Se J. Park, Scott S. Lee, Seung Y. Lee, Euy H. Suh, Katherine A. Houpt, Hong H. Chang, Hee C. Lee, Byung G. Yang, & Hyo J. Lee
- Discrimination of cat-directed speech from human-directed speech in a population of indoor companion cats (Felis catus) – Charlotte de Mouzon, Marine Gonthier, & Gérard Leboucher
- Feline vocal communication – Chloé Tavernier, Sohail Ahmed, Katherine Albro Houpt, & Seong Chan Yeon
- Melody Matters: An Acoustic Study of Domestic Cat Meows in Six Contexts and Four Mental States – Susanne Schötz, Joost van de Weijer, & Robert Eklund
- Meowing and Yowling – ASPCA
- Meowing Sounds [Video] – Meowsic
- Social referencing and cat–human communication – I. Merola, M. Lazzaroni, S. Marshall-Pescini, & E. Prato-Previde
- Talk to animals, and they may talk back – Barbara Blatchley
- The signalling repertoire of the domestic cat and its undomesticated relatives – John Bradshaw & Charlotte Cameron-Beaumont
- What’s in a Meow? A Study on Human Classification and Interpretation of Domestic Cat Vocalizations – Emanuela Prato-Previde, Simona Cannas, Clara Palestrini, Sara Ingraffia, Monica Battini, Luca Andrea Ludovico, Stavros Ntalampiras, Giorgio Presti, & Silvana Mattiello
- Why do cats meow? – Isobel Whitcomb
