Why do kittens meow a lot

Why Do Cats Meow?

Cats use dozens of different meows to communicate. But did you know that the majority of cat communication from one cat to another is through body language and scents?

In fact, cats rarely meow to each other, but will often meow to humans. Why is that? What are cats trying to tell us when they meow?

Cats Meow to Communicate With People

Why is it that cats meow to communicate to humans?

Well, we are not always perceptive enough to read a cats body language, and our sense of smell is not sensitive enough to pick up on their subtle scenting. And even if it were, we wouldnt know how to decode the scents.

As a result, cats adapt to us and learn over time that meowing is one way they can get our attention.

Why Does My Cat Meow So Much?

Different cats will meow more than others. Some cats, in fact, are very vocal and use meows all the time, while others do not.

Its important to pay attention to how often your cat usually meows. A change in how frequently your cat meows can be one of the first signs a cat is not feeling well. So if you think that your cat seems to be meowing more often, see your veterinarian.

For example, often one of the first signs of hyperthyroid disease in cats is that they start meowing a lot at night. Changes in meowing can also signal that your cat needs or wants, like food.

What Do a Cats Meows Mean?

Meows can communicate so many different things. Some meows and mews signal love and affection, while others can be signs of distress, pain, or confusion at times.

Cats can also produce other types of noises such as chatters and yowls, which sound different than meows. Below, well go through the six common reasons why your cat may meow at you.

1. The Greeting Meow

One reason a cat will meow is to greet someone. This is often a short meow or mew to say hello. This meow is your cat telling you that she is happy or interested in you arriving home. Depending on the cat, the meow may indicate happiness or excitement.

2. The Im Here Meow

Another reason a cat may meow is to announce their presence. Often you see this in situations where a cat comes out of a spot they were hiding or sleeping in, or if a cat is thinking about exploring a new bedroom or open door.

This announcement meow helps them gauge whether to pursue something they are interested in. They are usually waiting for a positive response to their feeler meows. Talking to them in a gentle, loving voice may encourage them to explore if they are anxious to check out a new area or object.

3. The Demanding Meow

The third reason why cats meow is to demand that you pay attention to something. Not all cats will do this, but many do. The meaning behind this meow can range from wanting to be fed to wanting attention or for you to let them out of a room they accidentally got stuck in.

Common things that cats may demand include:

Often when they are demanding things, cats will meow multiple times or give a long, drawn out meow. If you suspect that your cat is meowing to demand something, check their food, water, litter box, and bedding area to make sure that all are in an appropriate state. Often your cat will walk you over to see what they are complaining about.

4. The Anxious Meow

A cat can also meow because they are scared, anxious, or in pain. If they are fearful of a person or other animal, they may let out repeated meows to indicate that they are in a state of stress.

One common source of stress for cats is when we put them in the carrier to go to see the vet. This is why it is so important to talk to your vet about ways to make trips to the vet low-stress.

Vets often recommend things like leaving carriers out year-round and applying catnip and low-stress pheromones to the carriers bedding help desensitize them to their carrier.

Cats that are in pain often have loud, high-pitched meows, or if they are very ill, they may emit a quiet meow that is weak and barely audible.

5. The Warning Meow

Another reason a cat can meow is to give a warning sign that they are about to lash out. Often, these meows have a lower tone and are coupled with a growl.

A warning growl may be given when two cats are starting to disagree over something.

Sometimes, if you are holding your cat and she does not want to be held, she may give you a warning meow/growl. It does not take long for a warning meow to turn into a cat lashing out.

6. The Yowl

Cats can often have longer and more expressive meows that are classified more as yowls.

Yowls can often indicate underlying medical issues such as hyperthyroid disease or dementia. Oftentimes, excessive meowing or yowling can be one of the first signs of a disease. Cats that have not been spayed may yowl because they are in heat.

If you hear your cat yowling, contact your vet to check for illness or dementia so you can find the proper treatment or response.

What to Do When Your Cat Meows

When your cat is meowing, pay attention to the circumstances to see if you can help.

If your cats meows seem persistent or inexplicable, look for something obvious that they may need, like food, water, or clean litter, and also make sure that they are safe.

If they continue to meow without an obvious reason, make an appointment with your veterinarian for a thorough checkup.

By: Dr. Monica Tarantino, DVM

Featured Image: iStock.com/peeterv

Kittens Meowing: When, How, & Why Baby Cats Meow (Vet-Approved)

The information is current and up-to-date in accordance with the latest veterinarian research.

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Kittens rely on meowing to communicate their wants, needs, and feelings. Most kittens meow at their siblings and mothers for the first few weeks of their lives but they primarily meow at humans as adults.

A kittens meows can have different tones depending on what they are trying to communicate. Some kittens are more vocal than others, while some kittens are quieter, and reserve their meows for specific needs like food.

If you are interested in learning more about when, how, and why your kitty is meowing, this article has the answers for you.

When Do Kittens Start Meowing?

Kittens can start mewing a few days after they are born. Newborn kittens are deaf and blind but they will mew and wriggle if they are handled. However, their mews will sound more like high-pitched whines or chirps rather than a distinguishable meowing sound. Kittens make sounds soon after birth as its an important form of communication between them and their mother. Mewing usually stops at about 2-3 months old.

As kittens get older, their mews turn into meows. Their noises start to become more distinctive around the same time they begin walking and playing with their siblings. Its normal for their meows to become deeper as they get older and they lose their adorable high-pitched meows by about 9-14 months of age.

Kittens generally produce a wider range of meows with various tones, volume, and duration as they get older. Its normal for kittens to meow more often than adult cats because they are dependent on their mother for food, warmth and protection, so they meow to make sure those needs are met.

How Do Kittens Meow?

If you have been listening to a kittens meows for some time, you might notice that their meows have different tones. Although you may find it difficult to decipher what their different meows could mean, each tone has a meaning that mother cats can interpret.

Kittens produce much higher-pitched meows than adult cats. The maturity of a kittens vocal cords, larynx, and sinuses generally affects the pitch of their meows. Their meows and other vocalizations start to sound deeper when their vocal cords mature.

Cats have a vocal fold on each side of the larynx which they use to make both high pitched meows and low pitched purring sounds. Connective tissue embedding in the vocal folds are used to produce the low-frequency sound of purring.

Why Baby Cats Meow

Kittens primarily meow to communicate specific needs to their mother. These needs range from hunger to warmth, and protection. However, they can also meow to communicate these needs to us or to express their emotions. Some kittens may also meow because they are looking for attention or want to alert that something is wrong. Mother cats will communicate with their kittens by meowing too.

As kittens get older, they generally start meowing less towards their mothers and more towards people instead. This is likely because cat to cat communication amongst adult cats very rarely involves a meow. They use their tails, whiskers and body language when communicating with other adult cats. Communication through meowing is mostly reserved for cats to speak to their humans, once adulthood is reached.

Cats might start to meow at us and quickly realize that their meow makes things happen for them; they get fed or cuddles or let outside. This positive reinforcement means that cats continue to meow at their humans in order to get what they want or need.

Conclusion

Kittens start mewing when they are only a few days old. They use these noises to communicate with their mother and she meows back at them. Their meows generally sound much higher pitched than adult cats because their vocal cords and larynx havent matured yet.

Kittens primarily meow to have one of their needs met, such as hunger and warmth. They also meow to express themselves to humans and demand attention.

Featured Image Credit: PxHere

Why Doesnt My Kitten Meow?

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When most people think of cats and kittens, they think of meowing. Its even one of the first things children are taught about cats. You know, dogs go woof, cows go moo and kittens go meow.

But what if your kitten doesnt meow at all? Why would a kitten not meow?

Meowing is a partially learned behavior that kittens use to communicate with humans and not necessarily with other cats. As a result, its possible your kitten hasnt learned to meow yet. Some kittens may prefer another form of vocalization, could be naturally quiet or could be stressed which may impact how often they meow.

Those arent the only reasons but they are some of the most common ones and unless your kitten is showing signs of stress or fear, theres generally nothing to worry about.

But lets take a closer look at each reason, when you should worry and whether or not you can teach your kitten to meow.

Reason 1: Your Kitten Hasnt Learned How To MeowAt Least Not At Humans!

If youve ever seen kittens with their mother then you might be pretty skeptical about this explanation.

After all, kittens are quick to meow at their mom and arent shy about demanding milk- so much so that its not uncommon to see a kitten get a little discipline from their mom fortoo much meowing.

But theres a big difference between a kitten meowing at their mom and meowing at you.

Instead, kittens have to learn this behavior and most will quickly figure out that meowing at you can also communicate what they want just as it can with their mother. Some studies even suggest that cats and kittens are able to form their own meowing language with their owners which is very different from the much less specific and almost random meowing thats been seen in feral cats.

The folks at LiveScience put it simply when they explain that your cat meows at you because early on, she learned that doing so got your attention.

So while kittensknow how to meow, they dont know how to do it for you!

Most kittens learn to meow at humans by around 3 or 4 months of age and there are many that will learn this behavior much sooner, especially if their mom is around to show that meowing at humans is normal. Still, even if your kitten hasnt picked up the habit of meowing at humans, it doesnt mean that anything is wrong.

Reason 2: Your Kitten Could Prefer A Different Type Of Vocalization

While meowing is the vocalization that gets the most attention, theres a huge range of feline vocalizations ranging from chirping and trilling to little variations of meows that sound more like squeaks than anything else.

Its possible that instead of the traditional meow sound, your kitten prefers making a chirp, trill, or some variation that doesnt sound like the normal meow. In some cases, a kitten could even be meowing with such a high-pitched frequency that human ears cant hear it and instead it appears to be a silent meow.

While many feline vocalizations have specific meanings behind them (like chattering) its also common for others to be used in the same way that a meow would be- that is, just a way of communicating with humans. Some cats just prefer to chirp as a way of greeting or interacting with humans while others stick to the usual meow.

Reason 3: They Could Just Be Naturally Quiet

Just as there are some kittens that prefer to chirp or trill instead of meow, there are others that may simply be quieter than others. In many cases, this is simply a result of their personality but there are also many cat breeds that are naturally quiet including the common American Shorthair and the not-so-common British Shorthair. Other breeds like the Siamese will happily meow back at you and have an entire conversation.

It doesnt mean these cats dont meow at all or dont meow at humans, but they may be less likely to vocalize with any kind of sound. If youve even been around an especially vocal breed like Siamese then these talkative cats will seem especially quiet!

Reason 4: They Could Be Stressed Or Anxious

While the above reasons are the most likely, kittens that dont meow at all could be nervous or scared. While theres a wide range of fear responses in cats and kittens, its normal for many animals to stay silent during periods of stress or fear- including kittens.

This is especially true of undersocialized or feral kittens which aremuch less likely to vocalize and instead are more likely to remain frozen.

However, if your kitten is running around the house, enjoying being pet (even if theyre hesitant), and generally spending time out and in the open, its unlikely that your cat is anxious, significantly, stressed, or feral. In that case, kittens are probably not meowing for any of the reasons above.

But if youre seeing signs of stress, fear or anxiety those feelings could explain why a kitten doesnt meow and if youre not sure what to look for check out this video from Jackson Galaxy which does a great job explaining the sometimes subtle signs of feline stress:

Reason 5: There Could Be A Medical Problem

Its not going to apply to most people and most kittens, but its possible that a medical problem is behind your quiet kitten.

Upper respiratory infections (URI), which are like a feline cold, can cause congestion, conjunctivitis, and lethargy all of which will make a cat or kitten a lot less likely to want to meow. Upper respiratory infections are generally very easy to identify and kittens suffering from a URI will often have runny noses, watery eyes, and frequently sneeze.

But other conditions can be a lot more subtle and things like congenital deformities or trauma to the vocal cords are possible but much more unlikely than anything else weve already mentioned.

Still, if your kitten doesnt meowand you see additional problems like a runny nose, a change in their physical condition, or lethargy its always a good idea to consult your veterinarian.

Reason 6: Your Kitten Could Have Learned To Not Meow

Also rare, but possible, is that your kitten was taught tonot meow by a previous owner or experience. Again, its going to be pretty unlikely but if a kitten was punished every time they meow, theyll decide to give up the behavior altogether.

So instead of learning that meowing is a great way to get what they want from humans, kittens may learn that its a great way to receive negative attention whether thats hissing from a human, getting sprayed with water, or anything in between.

However, most kittens are resilient enough that this is unlikely to have impacted them but it is still a possibility.

Should You Be Worried?

Not meowing on its own isnt a sign of concern, even for kittens. Unless your kitten is showing signs of distress in addition to not meowing, theres generally nothing to worry about.

So if your kitten is acting totally normalbesides not meowing, its most likely just their unique personality. You can embrace your kittens quiet personality or you could try to teach your kitten the ins and outs of meowingbut it wont be easy.

Can You Teach Your Kitten To Meow?

Yes, you can teach a kitten to meow using positive reinforcement but its going to take some patience! Its also worth pointing out that once your kitten starts meowing they may decide its their new favorite activity so you may end up with more meowing than you bargained for!

Positive reinforcement, which is simply rewarding the behaviors you want your kitten to show, can be pretty simple. You can use a clicker to train your kitten to make the process easier, which is an activity I strongly recommend all cat parents try, but you can also keep things very simple and just offer some food or petting as a reward.

Any time your kitten meows, give them plenty of positive attention in the form of petting or some treats. Over enough time, your kitten will connect the positive attention or treats to meowing and be more likely to meow in the future.

But theres a BIG problem herehow do you get your kitten to meow in the first place?

Theres no sure-fire solution, but meowing at your kitten can sometimes encourage them to meow back and it will be a sound that theyre familiar with. Of course, this will partially depend on your meowing skills.

You can also try showing your kitten videos of other cats or kittens meowing and there are hundreds of these videos across the internet. Just make sure youre showing your kitten happy cats and unfortunately, there are many more videos of stressed-out cats yowling than there are of happy cats living life. The Dodo is a good source for videos of happy cats and youll be able to find something that interests your kitten while enjoying yourself too!

It will take some time, but once you get the first meow, make sure to provide plenty of praise and positive reinforcement.

Closing Thoughts

While it might seem strange to have a kitten that doesnt meow, its not as uncommon as you might think. There are many kittens that dont take on popular cat behavior whether thats kneading, meowing, or anything else in between.

But unless your cats quiet nature is rooted in fear, stress, or illness theres generally nothing to worry about.

What do you think? What reason best explains your quiet kitten?

Read Next: 5 Reasons Why Is My Cat Drinking A Lot Of Water And Meowing