If you’ve ever had the privilege of sharing a home with a cat, chances are you have some questions for your mysterious housemate: Why do you hate the toilet paper roll so much? Why is that water bowl suddenly unacceptable? Why are you meowing? No, really, what’s with all the meowing?
The last question in particular can be a pressing one, especially at 5 a.m. So, why do cats meow? On the surface, this seemingly simple question has a simple answer: because meowing gets your attention, so much so that you’re reading about it like a well-trained human.
Among themselves, adult cats tend to use other forms of communication such as body language, scent marking, eye movements, licking and nudging. But when it comes to people, cats know what works.
Although it is refined for your ears, your cat learned Meowing 101 as a kitten, when the unique, high-pitched vocalization came in handy for getting precious, much-needed attention.
So now that he has your attention, what does your cat actually want? That’s the trickier part.
If you are tuned in, you may have noticed that your cat uses certain pitches to communicate different wants and needs.
As for the meow that sounds more like a yowl, that one’s simple: a cat yowls because he or she wants to breed. Either way, a visit to your veterinarian for a spay or neuter procedure will put an end to the yowling.
If you have an especially vocal cat, there may be no need for concern. Like humans, some cats simply talk more than others. Some breeds, like the Siamese and the related Oriental, are notorious chatterboxes. But excessive meowing—or any changes to your cat’s meowing sounds or patterns—could mean that there’s a problem.
Although it’s not necessarily a medical issue, loneliness should be taken very seriously as a cause of excessive meowing. While cats may have a reputation for being independent and aloof, this simply isn’t the case.
Like a dog, your cat requires human companionship, plenty of engaging toys and interactive playtime to be happy and healthy. Arden recommends clicker-training your cat to keep him engaged—believe it or not, it’s possible—and having a pet-sitter or neighbor stop by if you plan to be out most of the day.
“If you leave them alone for lengthy periods of time, they can become very anxious and meow excessively. It’s like separation anxiety in dogs—there’s no reason to believe that this exact same thing is not happening in cats,” she says.
If your cat’s excessive meowing is not caused by loneliness or a medical condition, it may be possible to reduce his vocalizations by changing some of your own habits.
Why do cats meow? Consider this particular mystery solved. Now, as for the toilet paper roll, we suspect that’s a lost cause.