Cats love to meow and "talk" to their owners, but sometimes even the cutest cats can get a little out of control. When your cat meows frequently and can't seem to stop, you might ask, "Why does my cat meow?" Excessive meowing can have many reasons, including boredom, wanting to talk to you, feeling hungry, stressed, or sick. The key is to learn how to translate your cat's meows. This article explains in detail why cats meow, from ordinary cats to outdoor stray cats.
Greeting and talking to you
Your cat may meow non-stop just because he loves you and wants to talk to you. When you come home, he may meow happily while rubbing around your legs with his tail held high, expressing his joy to see you in this enthusiastic way. And when he wants a little attention, you may hear him meow persistently and perhaps gently scratch your trouser leg with his claws to remind you that it's time to play with him.
Meowing is a way of communicating. Cats meow more to humans than to other cats. This may be at least in part because they have learned that humans respond more strongly to cats' meows than to their body language.
When your cat is content and happy, he may meow, purr, and make cute "trills." Typically, short meows are a form of "hello," while multiple meows indicate excitement. For example, he may excitedly meow continuously when you show up with his favorite toy. A medium-pitched meow may be a request, such as asking to go out. If your cat is standing at the door and meowing a medium-pitched meow, he may want to go out and explore. A low-pitched meow may be a complaint. But every cat is different. Listen carefully to the rhythm and pitch of your cat's meow. Over time, you may learn to translate some of your cat's meows based on duration, pitch, and timing.
Outdoor cats also use meows to communicate with humans. Some stray cats, when they sense human kindness, such as when someone feeds them food, will meow softly, which is both a way of expressing gratitude and a way of begging for more food or help. They may also approach the feeder cautiously, using a weak meow to attract attention, hoping to get a little warmth and care.
Stress or illness
Cats may meow more if they are stressed or sick. Stress can be caused by unexpected changes, such as moving, the loss of a loved one, or adding a new pet or baby to the home. Sometimes, even a new set of furniture can cause a cat to meow. If your cat is particularly nervous, try using a calming diffuser, which relieves stress by releasing synthetic pheromones that mimic the pheromones cats produce in familiar, safe environments. This helps reduce stress that may lead to negative behaviors.
The illness can also cause cats to meow excessively. Cats who are in pain or thirsty may meow as an attempt to express stress. For example, if a cat has an inflamed mouth and is in pain, it may meow to communicate discomfort. Older cats with poor eyesight or new age-related health problems may also meow more. Your cat may even meow simply because he is cold and wants to lie on your lap.
Stray cats are more susceptible to illness and stress due to their poor living environment. They may meow in pain because of injuries, parasites, or infectious diseases. Long-term hunger, colds, and worries about survival can also put stray cats in a state of stress for a long time, causing them to meow frequently. Moreover, it is difficult for stray cats to get timely treatment when they are sick, and they can only endure it silently in many cases. Therefore, if you find stray cats meowing and in poor condition, if conditions permit, you can contact local animal rescue organizations to help them get professional treatment.
But remember: cats don’t necessarily meow when they are sick. Some sick cats may become quieter, slower in movement, or even stop eating. The best sign that a cat is sick is any major change in personality, such as more frequent meowing or becoming less active and unsocial. If you suspect that your cat is meowing because of stress or illness, be sure to take it to a veterinarian in time for diagnosis and treatment by professionals, and never judge the medication on your own.
Boredom or excess energy
Cats with too much free time may meow excessively out of boredom and the need to release a lot of pent-up energy. For indoor cats, providing cat trees and cat beds, scratching posts, window sills, interactive toys, and plenty of play time can help curb this. Prepare a cat teaser that imitates the movements of prey, quickly moving up and down or swinging left and right to stimulate the cat's hunting instinct and let it play to its heart's content. You can also prepare a self-rolling ball that the cat will chase around the house, effectively consuming excess energy.
Although stray cats live in challenging environments, they also have times when they have excess energy. In their free time when they are not looking for food or avoiding danger, they may chase small insects in abandoned buildings or alleys and play with discarded objects to consume energy. If they happen to encounter humans approaching, they may meow to attract attention, hoping to get a new "toy" or a chance to play together.
Mating Calls
Unneutered female cats or unneutered male cats may meow continuously throughout the day and night. Their meows may be more drawn out and sound like "howling.". This is because they are looking for a mate and cannot really resist the urge of hormones. Neutering cats can stop them from howling. There was an unneutered male cat that would continue to howl at night when it was in estrus. The sound was long and urgent, which caused trouble to the surrounding neighbors. After the owner took him to be neutered, this situation was greatly improved.
Unneutered cats are common in the stray cat population, so the mating calls of stray cats are more obvious during the breeding season. Female cats will attract male cats by making high-pitched and long calls, and male cats will respond after hearing the calls, and the entire area may be filled with their calls. This frequent calling not only affects the lives of residents but may also cause fights between stray cats for mates, resulting in injuries. If you find stray cats in this situation, you can contact animal rescue organizations to see if they can be provided with sterilization services. This can not only reduce the number of stray cats but also avoid the pain and danger caused by estrus.
Meowing at night
Why do cats sometimes meow more at night than during the day? Cats are more active at dawn and dusk because they naturally want to hunt, so they meow more at night. If you play with your cat a lot before going to bed at night and give them some food at the end of the play, this may help suppress their nighttime meowing. Closing the curtains so that it can't see the animals in the yard at night may also help.
If you often respond to your cat's nighttime calls, your cat may meow more. Try to ignore the calls at 3 a.m. or make a short "hiss" in response. Sometimes, just doing this can tell it in the cat's language that this sound is not what it wants. But if the cat continues to meow abnormally at night, after excluding the reasons for the normal active period, you also need to be alert to whether there is a health problem and consult a veterinarian if necessary.
It is more common for stray cats to meow at night. On the one hand, night is their main activity time. They will look for food, water, and shelter at this time, so they will make various sounds. On the other hand, the environment at night is relatively quiet, and their calls are easier to be heard. In addition, stray cats may encounter threats from other animals at night, and their meows may be a warning or a request for help. If you find a stray cat meowing frequently and abnormally at night, and the meowing sounds painful, you may want to try to observe its condition in a safe environment to determine whether it needs help.
Wanting food
Cats may meow when they are hungry. If your cat always gets extra food when it meows, it may start meowing when its stomach growls a little. If your cat still meows excessively after adjusting the feeding time and method, it is recommended to consult a veterinarian to check if there are any health problems.
Stray cats meow more frequently and eagerly for food. Because their food sources are unstable and they are often hungry, as long as they see humans, especially those who have fed them before, they will meow constantly and even follow people to try to get food. This behavior is an instinctive reaction formed in their difficult living environment. For people who are kind and want to feed stray cats, it is best to fix the feeding time and place, which can not only help stray cats get a relatively stable supply of food but also prevent them from being overly dependent on someone to feed them and becoming hungrier when they can't find a feeder.
How to help your cat meow less
Some cat owners only encourage their cats to make the meows they want, such as responding to the welcome meow. Instead, they don't give them food when they meow, and they don't respond to their cats' late-night howls.
If you use cat scratching posts and interactive toys to help your cat relieve boredom, play with it more, and feed it before going to bed at night, you may find that its meows decrease over time.
For stray cats, although we can't completely control their lives, we can provide them with some help to indirectly reduce their meows due to survival pressure. For example, set up stray cat feeding points in suitable places and regularly put out food and clean water; contact animal protection organizations to provide stray cats with sterilization, medical assistance, and other services to improve their living conditions; or use Lamlingo outdoor stray heated cat houses, which will not only make the lives of stray cats better but also reduce the frequent meowing caused by too many stray cats, poor health, and other problems.
Excessive meowing can mean a variety of things, from feeling stressed or sick to trying to communicate with you. If you watch carefully, you can usually tell what these meows mean.
FAQ
1. My cat keeps meowing, but I checked that its eating, drinking, defecating, and urinating are all normal. What's going on?
It may be that the cat is bored or wants to seek attention. You can try to play interactive games with it for a while, such as teasing it with a cat teaser or giving it some new toys. It may also be that the cat is in estrus, which is more common if it is an unsterilized cat. In addition, even if the eating, drinking, defecating, and urinating are normal on the surface, the hidden dangers of disease cannot be completely ruled out. The initial symptoms of some diseases are not obvious. It is recommended to continue to observe the cat's mental state, behavior, etc. If you are still worried, you can take it to the veterinarian for further examination.
2. I bought a lot of toys for the cat, but it still keeps meowing. What should I do?
First of all, it is necessary to confirm whether the cat is unwell. It is necessary to take it to the veterinarian for a comprehensive examination. If health problems are ruled out, it may be that the toys do not suit its preferences. You can try to change different types of toys, such as balls, plush toys, and educational toys. In addition, cats need not only toys but also the company and interaction of their owners. Setting aside a fixed time every day to play with them and meet their emotional needs may reduce the amount of meowing.
3. I trained my cat according to the method described in the article, but it still keeps meowing for food when I am eating. What should I do?
Training a cat requires a certain amount of time and patience. When the cat meows for food during mealtime, you must insist on not feeding it, even if it meows very loudly. You can temporarily take it away from the dining table area to let it know that it will not get food if it makes noise when you are eating. At the same time, make sure that its feeding time is regular and the amount of food is sufficient to avoid it frequently asking for food due to hunger. If it also has this problem at other times, you can also try to use an automatic feeder to let it gradually adapt to the fixed feeding time.
4.My cat has recently started to meow frequently and become very irritable. Is it sick?
If a cat suddenly meows frequently and becomes irritable, it is very likely that it is sick. For example, oral diseases causing pain, urinary system problems causing discomfort, etc., may cause cats to have these symptoms. In addition, sudden changes in the environment, such as the arrival of new family members or loud noises, can also make cats feel stressed and behave abnormally. It is recommended to take the cat to the veterinarian as soon as possible, determine the cause through professional examinations and carry out corresponding treatments, and try to keep the cat's living environment quiet and comfortable to reduce its stress.
5.My cat has been neutered; why does it still meow at night?
There are many reasons why a neutered cat meows at night. It may be that it sleeps too much during the day and has excess energy, so it is more active at night. You can try to adjust its work and rest schedule and play with it more during the day to burn off its energy. It may also be that the cat sees birds, insects, etc. outside the window at night, which stimulates its hunting instinct and meows. Pulling the curtains may improve this situation. In addition, physical discomfort may also cause cats to meow at night. You need to carefully observe its physical condition and take it to the veterinarian if necessary.
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1. The article on the official website of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) on the analysis of cat meowing and howling behavior discusses in detail the reasons why cats make such sounds, when it is excessive, and how to deal with it. Link: [Meowing and Yowling](https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/cat-care/common-cat-behavior-issues/meowing-and-yowling).
2. The article "Why Cats Meow at Humans," written by Jessica Pierce and published on the website of Psychology Today, analyzes the reasons why cats meow at humans from a psychological perspective. Link: [Why Do Cats Meow at Humans](https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/all-dogs-go-heaven/201809/why-do-cats-meow-humans).
3. The article "Cats and Excessive Meowing" in the WebMD Pets section interprets the phenomenon of cats meowing excessively and provides relevant reasons and coping strategies. Link: [Cats and Excessive Meowing](https://pets.webmd.com/cats/guide/cats-excessive-meowing#1)
