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Communication between kitten and mother cat
From an early age, cats are exposed to the familiar sound of meowing. A mother cat meows at her kittens to let them know to follow her, to warn them about something, or to call them. The other way around, kittens meow at their mother to let her know where they are or that they are hungry. This behavior ends after some time, simply because momma cat will stop reacting to it. After all, the kittens must learn to fend for themselves.
To express their emotions to their owner
Did you know that adult cats pretty much only meow at humans, not at fellow cats? Over time, cats have learned that meowing is an effective way to draw the attention of their owner. The vocalizations are mostly used to express a simple emotion, like boredom or hunger.
If your cat meows frequently, and you’re sure nothing is wrong with them, try playing with them more often, or try to break them out of the habit by ignoring them once in a while. However, not every meow is a just a cry for attention. Some cats might try to tell you that they are experiencing stress or that they are afraid of something.
Due to a medical cause
When your cat is uncomfortable, they might meow to tell you something is wrong. In seniorcats, excessive meowing might even be a sign of early-onset dementia as these cats might feel disoriented regularly. If you have a negative feeling about the health of your cat or if you can’t figure out why your cat won’t stop meowing, it might be smart to consult a veterinarian.
To let other cats know they’re in heat
When in heat, hormones cause female cats to cry out for the attention of male cats nearby. In that case, only sterilisation or cat anticonception can be a solution to stop the meowing since crying out to male cats is instinctive behavior that can’t simply be unlearned.
This is one of the few moments when adult cats meow to other cats. In other situations, cats will mostly communicate with each other through body language, facial expressions, scent, and touches.
Pro tip: we teach you to “speak cat”
Want to know what your cat’s different meows mean? Read our dedicated article to find out! Also check our blog post on cat body language so you never have to wonder what your cat is trying to tell you.
