Cat Meow Sound

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.

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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:

• RingRingMobile.com
• CoolFreeRingtones.com

Web Page Sound Effects

You'll find dozens of cat meow sound effects for your personal web pages at the following online vendors.

• CatCatCat.com
• The Free Sound Project.

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