Cat Meow Sound
From LoveToKnow Cats
From the softest mewl to the loudest yowl, a cat meow sound and other vocalizations are one way your feline communicates with you and other animals. Let's try to decipher what each sound means, and then check out some downloadable cat sounds for cell phones and websites.
Cat Meow Sound: Language
Do you understand cat language? There are just a few basic sounds in a cat's repertoire, but your pet uses them to the fullest advantage when she feels the need to get her point across.
The Purr
The purr is sometimes misunderstood. Most people believe that purring is a guarantee that a cat feels happy and relaxed. However, you need to distinguish the tone of the purr before you can be sure of its meaning.
- Slow and steady purr: This cat sound usually means your cat is content, as long as it's accompanied by a relaxed posture.
- Power purring: This is the purr that is frequently misinterpreted. The power purr is generally louder and delivered at a higher rate of speed. It's that purr that puts you off guard right before your cat takes a swipe at you when she's had enough petting.
The Mewl
The mewl is a sound generally reserved for kittens, but adult felines will also use it from time to time. The sound is soft and slightly pleading, as though your cat is innocently asking for a special favor. The mewl can be an early signal of hunger, a request for affection or the way your cat lets you know she isn't feeling quite well. It can even be your cat's simple way of saying, "Hi, what's up?" Look at your cat's body posture to read this sound.
The Meow
The meow is your cat's all purpose communication. It's louder than the mewl, and it's meant to command more attention. Cats meow for a wide variety of reasons, so you need to consider the context of your cat's meowing in order to figure out what she's trying to say. Meowing at the back door typically says, "Hey, I want to go outside." Meowing in the kitchen while you're cooking dinner may mean, "I'm hungry. Is any of that for me?" Always look at current activity in the room to help decode your cat's communications.
The Hiss
The hiss isn't hard to understand. This throaty expulsion of air across the vocal chords is an obvious sign of displeasure and/or fear. Cats don't usually make a habit of hissing, so the sound can be quite startling. It can signal your pet feels endangered, and it can also mean that a fight is about to ensue.
The Yowl
The yowl is simultaneously very expressive and very annoying. It's basically a louder, elongated version of the cat meow sound.
Cats yowl when they feel their wants are being ignored. They also yowl when they're in breeding condition. Yowls are frequently heard during cat fights. Cats can also produce a very plaintive yowl if they feel particularly ill.
The Growl
The growl is less frequently heard, but it is an unmistakable warning. If your cat actually growls at you, back off and give her some space. If your cat appears to be growling at something else, it may be a good idea to investigate the source of her irritation.
Download Meows
Want to share your fascination with felines with others? You can download a variety of cat meow sounds from the internet to use with cell phones and web pages. Go ahead, make your MySpace that much more personalized.
Ringtones
You can make your phone purr, meow and more when you change your ringtone to one of these fun cat meow sounds found at:
Web Page Sound Effects
You'll find dozens of cat meow sound effects for your personal web pages at the following online vendors.
Comments
Hi Andrea,
Cats are just like people in that some are very talkative and some are very quiet. Did you know that meowing is a language cats have come up with to communicate with their human owners? You'll probably notice that your cats don't meow at each other. They make other noises, grunts and purrs, but not meows typically. I wouldn't worry about your male cat. He is just the silent type. As long as he can meow when he needs to, then he's just fine. It also is not an indicator of his affection for you. Who knows, maybe you are meeting his needs so fully that he has no need to communicate further?
-- Contributed by: LoriSoardHello! I was wondering why some cats dont make alot of sounds?? Ive got a 1 year old male whom which Ive had since he was born and yet the only time I really hear him be vocal at all is; if he's after a bug, or thinks there is a bug, or when I come up to him while he's sleeping. My other female kitten on the hand, wont be quiet, so I dont understand why my older male cat wont talk much at all. (he always walks around with his tail straight up in the air and he usually follows me where ever I go in the house)
-- Contributed by: AndreaHi Carmen,
It's possible she either sees another cat out the window or wishes she could be outside. Since being outdoors really isn't safe for most cats, you'll likely have to just continue to ignore this behavior. You could try closing the blinds at night and see if that helps :)
-- Contributed by: LoriSoardThis page has been accessed 2,200 times. This page was last modified 00:07, 24 June 2008.
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