The fact of the matter is that the answer to your question of why do cats meow could be a variety of reasons and it might simply depend on the personality that your feline child has.
Believe it or not, cats actually make a wide range of vocalizations, most of which can be distinctive sounds that will have different meanings for a variety of occasions. As a matter of fact, felines are able to make roughly 30 different sounds with their vocal chords, with about 20 of them being variations that are quite similar to a simple meow. Why could it be that your cat is meowing? Is he or she meowing at you and trying to tell you something? Or could your cat simply be expressing the feelings of the day or moment? These are some of the top reasons why your cat may be meowing day to day?
Pay Attention To Me
Many cats will start to become very vocal because they are either bored or they want to get attention in some way. As a pet owner, you never have to respond to your cat each and every time that a meow is let out. Instead, you can work on providing attention when your cat becomes quiet. Some pet owners will often walk away until their cat starts to calm down and the meowing stops.
However, you want to keep in mind that walking away is best only when it is done in the case of excessive meowing. You need to make sure that you are still spending a good deal of time with your cat each day. After all, your cat is part of your family and he or she needs to feel as such. Playing with your cat is a great way to give him a sense of connectivity while also allowing for exercise that is beneficial for overall well being.
You can also be sure that you reward your pet when he is quiet while you work to ignore constant meowing. There are times when a reward is a nice break that will stop the meowing, however you need to be strategic and realize that it can be a long training process. For reward training, you may even want to think about reaching for pieces of kibble over cat treats. The last thing that you want to do is add in too many snacks that can ruin their diet.
I’m Hungry
There are many cats that will only meow when they are hungry. If your cat has an empty bowl, the chances are she is going to let you know in one way or another. Depending on the feeding schedule that you have for your cat, you will start to notice that meowing can start close to the time that she is used to being fed. You can almost look at this as a sort of ritual where she knows that is coming and she will even start to wait around the food dish area waiting for her special meal and meowing.
She Is In Heat
If you happen to have a female cat that is around the age of five or six months and she is starting to meow and carry on all of the time, the chances are good that she is in heat and she is looking for a mate. The cry of a cat that is in heat will often range from meowing all the way up to an eerie sound that is similar to that of being in pain. You will usually see that a cat in heat will also be very affectionate to humans and other animals alike, often rubbing their back end on objects or swaying back if you pet near the rump area.
Hyperthyroidism
There are some older cats that may be developing hyperthyroidism who sill start to show a number of symptoms. In addition to an excessive amount of vocalization, cats with hyperthyroidism will start to show weight loss even though they may be eating often and there can be an excessive amount of activity. If you have a cat that seems to be showing all of these symptoms, you will want to make a vet appointment right away. A blood test and check up will be done to determine whether or not your cat has hyperthyroidism and you can then start in on a treatment program.
Hearing Or Vision Loss
A cat will often act almost like a lost child if he or she is experiencing either a loss of hearing of vision. When you start to notice that your cat has an inability to hear you calling to her or if she does not see certain things, there could be something wrong or she is simply starting to lose these things due to age. Again, if your cat is showing the signs of hearing or vision loss, you can make an appointment with your veterinarian to make sure that there is no other issue besides old age that could be addressed.
Feline Hyperesthesia Syndrome
This is a condition where a cat would normally become very hyper, get wild in the eyes and almost act as though he or she is hallucinating at times. Cats with this disorder are known for meowing often or crying loudly. Some cats may also have distinct mood swings while presenting symptoms that their skin is bothering them, the skin may almost ripple at times and it can seem as though they need to constantly groom, which could lead to eventual hair loss. It is recommended that you bring your cat to the vet if she shows signs of feline hyperesthesia syndrome.
Your Cat Is In Pain
Why do cats meow when they are in pain? Quite often, a cat will now show that he or she is in pain. However, if a cat is really hurting a lot, they will begin to cry out for your attention so that you know something is wrong. A cat that has a paw that is bothering them or even something internal, such as a urinary tract infection, will cause a cat to meow. Take the time to look at the times when your cat is meowing so that you can rule out issues that he may be having. Look at the ways in which he grooms himself, how he acts when he uses the litter box and try to take note of any changes in eating habits. If you feel as though something is wrong and your cat is in pain, which is causing the meowing, you need to make a veterinarian appointment.
Pure Boredom
The life of a cat is surely one that can seem luxurious to those of us who are often caught up in our busy day to day activities. Because a cat is not on a set schedule like we are as humans, there can often times be portions of the day where he will become bored or feel lonely. Separate from any attention that you are paying to your cat, he will more than likely look for things to do during the day. If he becomes bored, it is normal that he will start to meow or cry out to try and find things to do to pass the time.
Cats are well known for being independent, so think about having a number of distractions for your cat around the house that are available for play time whenever he is ready. This could be a scratching post or two in different rooms or even a few strategically placed mouse toys or cat nip mats. Once you place some toys that your cat loves around the house, you are sure to find that the meowing may be cut back to a minimum.
Stress
There can actually be a number of things that may stress out a cat, just as there are stressful situations that bother us as humans. Maybe there is a change in the home environment, you have moved to a new location, new people are living in your home or you added in a new animal. These are all things that can cause stress for your cat.
Whenever there are changes and your cat seems to respond with a lot of meowing, they could be telling you that they are mad or they are simply letting you know that they are aware of what is happening. Because your cat is unable to tell you how he is really feeling, you want to keep your eye out for certain behaviors and make sure that you are interacting with your pet as much as you can. When introducing a new pet, be sure that you put in the extra work to socialize the two of them so that you can avoid some of the common behavioral issues that can arise.
Just Wanting To Say Hello
Instead of trying to make a full analysis of each meow, you may simple have a cat that is just trying to say hello to you. Does your cat often meow when you are waking up in the morning or you are walking into the room he is in? This is a common greeting that a cat will give a pet owner. After a greeting, if your cat starts to quiet down, you can take it as a simple hello and he was just letting you know that he acknowledges you. It will be times when the meowing starts to get excessive when you want to worry that there may be more issues under the surface.
The Angry Cat
You will also start to notice a difference in the type of meow that your cat has when it comes to mood. If you have a cat that gets agitated and meows before lashing out, this is a common warning to humans to back off. It is important that you know the difference between a normal meow and an angry meow that can sound much more like a yowl. If any meow is accompanied by a hiss, you know that your cat is angry and it is time to allow him some space to calm down.
Why do cats meow at times? It goes to show that there can be a number of reasons why any cat would be vocal at one time or another. The longer that you are around your cat, the easier it will be for you to be able to make distinctions from one meow to the next. It is not all that uncommon for a cat to distinctive sounds for each one of their behaviors or for a variety of situations from moving to a new home or a change in food, to being bored or even having something wrong that they feel the need to warn you about.
The fact of the matter is that the more that you look into the question of why do cats meow, you are going to learn that there are even some differences from breed to breed that will lead to one meowing more than the other. Believe it or not, some cats really like to hear the sound of their own voices when they meow. Each cat comes with his or her own personality and that is part of the beauty of being the human counterpart to a vocal feline. It is all a matter of learning your cat’s personality and paying attention to any hints that she may give you day to day.
Source: http://www.catsincare.com/why-do-cats-meow-at-humans/
