Why Is My Cat Meowing Wildly?

Anyone who shares their life with a cat has probably noticed, at some point, that their pet not only expresses through the body, but also does so by meowing hesitantly and discontinuously, which vary in time and intensity depending on always of the situation and its mood.

Thanks to the sensitivity of their ears, cats respond to vocal stimuli and, through them, have the ability to determine the mood of their owner and other family members, according to the tone of voice and volume at which they speak. .

Remarkably, with this information, they will respond one way or another and the more we talk to them, the more vocal responses they will get.

Sound types

Before talking about meowing, it is important to point out that several experts on the subject have identified that cats emit at least 16 different vocalizations and that there is still much more to be discovered.

They also agree that feline language is made up of three categories of sound: loud noises, whispers and voices.

Loud noises: during sound transmission, the cat’s mouth is constantly open and they usually make this noise when they are in situations of extreme anxiety or danger. In this sound, screams, roars, snorts, etc. can be heard.

Whispers are sounds that cats usually make with their mouths closed, such as greetings, purring, expressions of approval or recognition, and calls for attention.

Voices: the emission of these sounds is always made with the mouth open and, when they are finished, they close it. These are the sounds that cats use to communicate with us and, in this category, is the meowing.

scientifically based

Not all cats meow in an agitated way, but if you have one that does this, we can say that this usually happens when they identify a flying object, such as a bird, a fly, etc., or when they see moving light signals reflected in the Wall.

Experts assure that this act is instinctive and that all cats do it when hunting, although many of them do not express themselves in the same way.

When cats locate their prey and concentrate on capturing, they emit this kind of agitated meow, in order to imitate the sound of a bird and confuse their prey.

However, there are other theories that claim cats behave this way as they are preparing to capture prey, as they are practicing a special “bite”.

Types of Meow

Short meows: This type of meow is emitted by the cat when the animal wants to draw attention to something it needs or to express insecurity, loneliness or any other complaint. The animal sometimes meows this way when looking at its owner.

Extended meowing: If the cat is hungry, it will likely emit a constant bitter meowing.

Kitten meowing: Kittens a few days old make meow (like a baby) when they are cold, hungry, or miss their mother.

Scary Meows: Adult cats meow before a fight with each other, they can cause shivers due to their timbre and intensity.

Unstable meowing: females, when in heat, can emit constant and slightly agitated meows.

Cat meowing as a form of expression

So far it is not known why cats make these sounds or exactly how the feline vocal functioning apparatus works.

For a long time, it was thought that they had a double glottis with two chords, called superior and inferior. In addition, it was also believed that meows were produced by the vibration of the lower vocal cords and that purring was performed with the upper cords, but this theory has been challenged by others who claim that the upper cords are not involved in the emission of the voice, but which are pharyngeal folds.

Cats are said to produce sounds by altering tension in the muscles of the mouth and throat, as well as air velocity.

Would you like to know why your cat meows? Do you have other theories?