The cat’s meow

Cats lack the facial expressiveness of dogs, they’re generally quieter and their behaviors can be harder to interpret—but this doesn’t mean that the feline mystique is impenetrable. You can better understand your furry friend by paying attention to their vocalizations, body postures and daily routines. In time, you may become so attuned to your kitty’s personality and habits that you’re able to detect subtle changes in their mood and even recognize health problems before physical signs of illness appear.

Vocalizing

You’ll learn a lot when you can interpret your cat’s wide vocabulary of chirps and meows. They’ll tell you when they’re hungry, when they’re feeling affectionate and if they’re feeling threatened or in pain.

While some cats rarely make a peep, others won’t let you get a word in edgewise. Kittens who are handled often and well socialized may turn into more vocal adults and certain breeds, like Siameses and Abyssinians, are loquacious by nature.

Cats can also become increasingly vocal as they age. Two possible reasons for this are age-related dementia and deteriorating eyesight. A cat who feels anxious or confused may meow to seek reassurance. Hearing loss can also cause a kitty to vocalize louder than usual because they can’t determine their volume. (Any pronounced behavior change should trigger a trip to the vet to make sure your cat isn’t ill or in pain.)

• Meowing is all-purpose; your cat may be using “meow” as a greeting, a command, an objection or an announcement. Some people have observed their cats walking around the house meowing to themselves.
• Chirps and trills are how a mother cat tells their kittens to follow them. Aimed at you, it probably means your cat wants you to follow them, usually to their food bowl. If you have more than one cat, you’ll often hear them converse with each other this way.
• Purring is usually a sign of contentment. Cats purr whenever they’re happy, even while they’re eating. Sometimes, however, a cat may purr when they’re anxious or sick, using their purr to comfort themselves, like a child sucking their thumb.
• Growling, hissing or spitting indicates a cat who is annoyed, frightened, angry or aggressive. Leave this cat alone.
• A yowl or howl (they sound like loud, drawn-out meows) tells you your cat is in some kind of distress—stuck in a closet, looking for you or in pain. Find your cat if they’re making this noise. However, in unaltered cats, these sounds are part of mating behavior. If your cat is elderly, they may howl because they’re disoriented, especially if suffering from a cognitive disorder, such as dementia.
• Chattering, chittering or twittering are the noises your cat makes when they’re sitting in the window watching birds or squirrels. It usually translates to excitement … or they may be contemplating snack time.