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ed11563


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Complaining Cat or Just Saying “Hi”? Understanding Why Cats Meow
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Complaining Cat or Just Saying “Hi”? Understanding Why Cats Meow

There may be times when it seems like your cat is complaining. He or she meows incessantly and you find yourself asking, “What’s wrong? What are you trying to tell me?”

Meowing is how cats communicate with people. Excessive meowing doesn’t necessarily mean there is a problem or that your cat is trying to sound a complaint. On the other hand, it could mean there is something serious going on. If your cat is a little more vocal than usual, the first step is to determine the cause.

Once you figure this out, you can focus on how to get your cat to quiet down.

What is my cat meowing about?

There are many reasons why your cat may be vocalizing more often than usual. Below are some possible explanations and what you can do to remedy the situation.

Medical Attention Meowing

Certain diseases or conditions can cause your cat to meow frequently. Could your cat be in pain? Is there something going on that you can’t see? You know your cat’s normal needs better than anyone else. But if you’ve ruled out all the typical reasons for extra meowing, a trip to the veterinarian for an examination can help determine if the cause is a medical one.

Me-Time Meowing

Some cats want to play, be petted, groomed or talked to, and they may complain if they aren’t getting the attention they want. Simply spending more time with your cat, or engaging in different types of play can often keep this type of meowing at bay.

Mealtime Meowing

Ever notice that your cat starts meowing when it’s time to be fed? At mealtime, try feeding your cat when it’s not meowing so there is no direct correlation.

Play-with-Me Meowing

Many people think that cats are loners and on the antisocial side. But if your cat spends the day alone in the house, try leaving out toys for stimulation or solo play. Or have someone come in during the day to give your cat some attention.

Adjustment Meowing

If things are different around your house—there’s a new pet/baby, you’ve recently moved, the kids went back to school or some other substantial change has taken place — your cat may have anxiety about it. Again, spending some extra time with your cat may help ease the adjustment and reduce stress.

Maturity Meowing

Like people, when cats age, some suffer from a decline in cognitive function. Your veterinarian can prescribe medications that may help with this condition and the behaviors associated with it.

Mating-Cycle Meowing

If your cat has yet to be spayed or neutered, there will be a lot more meowing going on when a female is in heat and when the male senses this. A spay/neuter will help eliminate this sometimes annoying problem on both sides.

Beyond these scenarios, some cats are merely saying hello when they meow, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. They’re simply greeting you, and who wouldn’t want to hear their melodic voices anyway?

Need more information on your cat's meow?

However, if you have any concerns about your cat’s meowing, we encourage you to err on the side of caution. Visit your neighborhood Banfield and talk with your veterinarian to discuss any potential medical issues and get advice on correcting unwanted behaviors in your pet.



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weltschmerz


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I have an Oriental. They never shut up. Ever.
They sound like a baby being butchered with a set of bagpipes.

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I had a cat once that was evil beyond belief. No lie. He tore two huge holes in my kitchen sheet rock. He once jumped into a pan of boiling soup to get a bone. He ate a branch off my artificial Christmas tree. He ate keys off my computer. He ate tin foil. He ate two pounds of raw bacon and the plastic wrapper it came in. He ate rat poison. He ate rubber bands. I can't tell you how many napkins and paper towels he ate. And he had the most horrendous wailing meow I've ever heard. When I met DH the cat started peeing in my SS's suitcase of clothes whenever he would come for the weekend. We ended up giving him away. The cat. Not the SS. I swear that cat had some psych problems.

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Lawyerlady


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My cats are PO'd right now. We've decided to keep all animals in the basement in the new house. The family room is down there and we are with them most of the time - but they are not happy when we come upstairs to bed and they don't get to come.

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ed11563


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I wonder how many cat guardians actually play with their cats, by having them chase something (red dot, feather bundle attached by string to a fishing rod, etc) at least once per day,

to the point of exhaustion? Like, play until the cat is panting hard, then let it catch the toy?

 

Strongly recommended by Jackson Galaxy on "My Cat From Hell".



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weltschmerz


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Let him catch the red dot? That's going to be difficult.

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Ohfour


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Reminder: I hate my cats.

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ed11563


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weltschmerz wrote:

Let him catch the red dot? That's going to be difficult.

Yes, you have to replace the red dot with another toy at the end of play time, so Cat can catch and kill something. 

Generally, cats hunt (play) then eat then sleep.



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weltschmerz


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ed11563 wrote:
weltschmerz wrote:

Let him catch the red dot? That's going to be difficult.

Yes, you have to replace the red dot with another toy at the end of play time, so Cat can catch and kill something. 

Generally, cats hunt (play) then eat then sleep.

 He doesn't like other toys. Ignores them completely. I'll have to replace the red dot with a spider or something, and then I'll feel bad for the spider.



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Ilumine


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I play with my Siamese every day. And he plays tag with one of our dogs all day long. And yet he STILL talks when he wants something.

I just read another article that says that Cat Vocalizations are 100% Cat/Owner specific. Cats do not meow to other cats. Meows are all for the benefit of humans and only the need to meow (get across their wants/desires) were bred in. The way the cat meows; what each specific meow sound mean is all dependent upon the cat and owner.

And that some cat/owner bond goes so far, that only the Cat Approved Owner gets trained and it is up to the other humans to figure out what the Cat/Owner are saying.

Which is 100% true in our house. Puddin, aka Kujo Kitty is all my cat. I know exactly what he is telling me. DH ONLY gets the "feed me tuna" meow because DH had to bribe Kujo from not biting him, with tuna. However, I get the "Feed me tuna", "play with me now", "I need a face rub", "where is my fresh water, don't you dare get it out of the tap" and "I am tired, lift the covers so i can go to sleep between your legs" meows. All are distinctive to ME.

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Ohfour


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Deb meows ALL THE FREAKIN time. She doesn't stop unless she is asleep. Not good for the nerves.

Dex meows when we open the fridge door and he's in the kitchen. That's it. It's a rare occurrence.

Both are equally annoying...

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ed11563


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weltschmerz wrote:
ed11563 wrote:
weltschmerz wrote:

Let him catch the red dot? That's going to be difficult.

Yes, you have to replace the red dot with another toy at the end of play time, so Cat can catch and kill something. 

Generally, cats hunt (play) then eat then sleep.

 He doesn't like other toys. Ignores them completely. I'll have to replace the red dot with a spider or something, and then I'll feel bad for the spider.

Does it have to be a live spider? I don't generally feel bad for spiders when they're in MY territory. 

 

The cat I grew up with was really good at catching flies.

 



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Lexxy


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I've heard that cats only meow with their humans but 2 of my cats are very close to each other. I have seen them meow to each other usually in greeting when one comes in from the outdoors. They meow & then touch faces together.

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Tangerine


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Our cats do not meow to each other, only hissing/growling and squeaks when they wrestle- that sort of thing.
Sanchez likes to bring us stuffed animals that he "kills", when he does he sings you a whole song.


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weltschmerz


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Ilumine wrote:

I play with my Siamese every day. And he plays tag with one of our dogs all day long. And yet he STILL talks when he wants something.

I just read another article that says that Cat Vocalizations are 100% Cat/Owner specific. Cats do not meow to other cats. Meows are all for the benefit of humans and only the need to meow (get across their wants/desires) were bred in. The way the cat meows; what each specific meow sound mean is all dependent upon the cat and owner.

And that some cat/owner bond goes so far, that only the Cat Approved Owner gets trained and it is up to the other humans to figure out what the Cat/Owner are saying.

Which is 100% true in our house. Puddin, aka Kujo Kitty is all my cat. I know exactly what he is telling me. DH ONLY gets the "feed me tuna" meow because DH had to bribe Kujo from not biting him, with tuna. However, I get the "Feed me tuna", "play with me now", "I need a face rub", "where is my fresh water, don't you dare get it out of the tap" and "I am tired, lift the covers so i can go to sleep between your legs" meows. All are distinctive to ME.

Sushi is a Tonkinese. He howls constantly. I knew what I was getting into when I got him, because this isn't my first Oriental. He sits at the window and screams at other cats on our property, screams to tell me there's a squirrel out there, screams when there's birds.

One of my neighbours reported me for animal abuse. She stuck a note in my mailbox, telling me I've been reported, that I must be torturing the cat, because no happy cat would make noises like that unless it was being hurt.

I called the guy in charge of the Animal Abuse Hotline and explained my predicament. He was laughing his ass off. He has two Siamese of his own.



-- Edited by weltschmerz on Monday 3rd of August 2015 02:09:39 PM

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