Cat’s Meow : Communication Behaviour
Dr. Archana Jain
Professor and Head
Department of Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry,
College of Veterinary Science & A.H., Mhow (M.P.)
All cats are going to meow to some extent—this is normal communication behavior. Meowing is the mode of communication in cats with people. Cats meow for many reasons—to say hello, to ask for things, and to tell us when something’s wrong. Meowing is an interesting vocalization in that adult cats don’t actually meow at each other, just at people. Excessive meowing doesn’t necessarily mean that there is a problem or a cat is trying to complaint. On the other hand, this could also mean that there is something serious going on. If your cat is a little more loud than usual, the first step is to find out the possible cause. Once the cause is figure out, attention may be given to quiet down the cat.
REASONS:
There are number of reasons why the cat may be meowing more often than usual. Make sure the cat has food, water, and a clean litter box. Cat could simply be communicating that she wants something to be done about one of those things. Kittens meow to let their mother know that they are hungry, but once they get a bit older, cats no longer meow to other cats. Cats also yowl, a sound similar to the meow but more drawn out and melodic, specifically during breeding season. Kitties also continue to meow to people for seeking attention. This cycle need to be broken down. If pets get a response from you by doing something (meowing, barking, etc.), they are just repeating that action to get a response again. The first thumb rule is do not respond directly to the cat’s meowing, even to get up, shush, or yell, even if it isn’t a positive one. If the pet continues to meow, try a time out. Shut the door to the room you are in and when she stops meowing, she can come play. If she meows again, back out she goes. More than anything else, this will take time and patience.
Before trying to curb The cat’s excessive vocalizing, there is a need to determine its cause, circumstances around her meowing and make note of what seems to get her to stop. She should be checked thoroughly by a veterinarian to ensure a medical condition is not the cause of the cat’s distress. Numerous causes can cause cats to feel unusually hungry, thirsty, restless or irritable. Any of which is likely to prompt meowing. Even if the cat has a history of meowing for food, she should be checked by veterinarian. As cats age, they’re prone to developing an overactive thyroid and kidney disease, and either one may result in excessive meowing. Always make sure that her needs are met before assuming that she’s just being demanding by meowing. Do not scold or hit the cat for meowing too much. While these punishments may send her scurrying at first, they are unlikely to have a lasting effect on her meowing behavior. They may, however, cause her to become fearful. The following are some possible explanations and remedies for the situation.
Meowing for Medical Attention: Certain diseases or conditions can cause the cat to meow too much. She may be in pain or there may be something going wrong eg. diseases or any trouble, a trip to the veterinarian for an examination can help determine the cause.
Meowing for Self Attention: Some cats want to play, be petted, groomed or talked to, and they may complain if they aren’t getting the attention they want. Simply spending more time with cat, or engaging in different types of play like leaving out toys for stimulation or solo play, or have someone come in during the day to give your cat some attention can often solve the problem.
Meowing for Food: Notice that the cat starts meowing when it’s time to feed. At mealtime, try to feed the cat when it’s not meowing so there is no direct correlation.
Meowing for Adjustment: If things are different around the house that there’s a new pet/baby or the kids went back to school or some other substantial change has taken place, the cat may have anxiety about it. Again, spending some extra time with the cat may help, ease the adjustment and reduce stress.
Meowing during ageing: Like ageing in human, when cats ages, she may also suffer from a decline in cognitive function. Veterinarian can prescribe medications that may help with this condition and the behaviours associated with it.
Meowing for Mating: there will be a lot more meowing going on when a female is in heat and when the male senses this. A spay/neuter will help eliminate this sometimes annoying problem on both sides.
BEHAVIOUR
It generally refers to the behaviors and habits of domestic cats, including body language and communication. Cat behavior may vary among breeds and individual cats as well as the Human culture and society it lives in. Many common behaviors include hunting techniques and reactions to certain events as well as interactions with humans and other animals, such as dogs. Communication can vary greatly depending on a cat’s temperament. In a family with multiple cats, social position can also affect behavior patterns with others. A cat’s eating patterns can also vary depending on the owner’s choice of food or eating times/quantities. In the case of a family having two or more cats, one cat may become dominant over the other cats. It includes:
- Body language:Cats rely strongly onbody language to communicate. A cat may rub against an object, lick a person, and purr to show affection. Through purring a cat can show extremes of any emotion, and may do so when hurt. For example, a cat in pain purrs to show humans it is ready to be helped. Kittens are able to purr shortly after they are born, and purr while nursing. A cat’s main use of body language is through its tail. Cats will flick their tails in a relaxed manner or abruptly from side to side to express those respective feelings. If spoken to, a cat may flutter its tail to acknowledge the interaction.
- Scent rubbing and spraying: Thisbehavioris used primarily to claim ownership of something, each cat releases a different pheromone combination from scent glands found in the cheeks next to their mouths. Facial marking behavior is used to mark their territory as secure and can be seen as a cat feeling secure rubs on prominent objects in the home (when feeling secure). This facial marking pheromone has been synthesized and is available as a commercial product. Cats also have scent glands towards the base of the tail. Unlike intact male cats, female and neutered male cats usually do not spray. Neutered males may still spray after neutering, if neutered late. Female cats often spray while in heat, so males can find them. Having female cats spayed may cause them to spray through loss of female hormones, which makes their behavior similar to that of males. However, if female cats have started spraying before being spayed, it is most likely caused by female hormones, and spaying may correct the behavior.
- Kneading:It is an activity common to all domesticcats when they are in a state of ease, alternately push out and pull in their front paws, often alternating between right and left limbs. Some cats actually appear to “nurse” or suck on clothing or bedding during kneading.
- Body postures: A cat’s posture communicates its emotions. It’s best to observe cats’ natural behavior when they’re by themselves, with humans, and with other animals. Their postures can be friendly or aggressive, depending upon the situation. Some of the most basic and familiar cat postures include the following:
Relaxed posture – The cat is seen lying on the side or sitting. Its breathing is slow to normal, with legs bent, or hind legs laid out or extended when standing. The tail is loosely wrapped, extended, or held up. It also hangs down loosely when the cat is standing.
Alert posture – The cat is lying on its belly, or it may be sitting. Its back is almost horizontal when standing and moving. Its breathing is normal, with its legs bent or extended (when standing). Its tail is curved back or straight upwards, and there may be twitching while the tail is positioned downwards.
Tense posture – The cat is lying on its belly, with the back of its body lower than its upper body (slinking) when standing or moving back. Its legs, including the hind legs are bent, and its front legs are extended when standing. Its tail is close to the body, tensed or curled downwards; and there can be twitching when the cat is standing up.
Anxious/Ovulating posture – The cat is lying on its belly. The back of the body is more visibly lower than the front part when the cat is standing or moving. Its breathing may be fast, and its legs are tucked under its body. The tail is close to the body and may be curled forward (or close to the body when standing), with the tip of the tail moving up and down (or side to side).
Fearful posture – The cat is lying on its belly or crouching directly on top of its paws. Its entire body may be shaking and very near the ground when it’s standing up. Breathing is also fast, with its legs bent near the surface, and its tail curled and very close to its body when standing on all fours.
Terrified posture – The cat is crouched directly on top of its paws, with visible shaking seen in some parts of the body. Its tail is close to the body, and it can be standing up, together with its hair at the back. The legs are very stiff or even bent to increase their size. Typically, cats avoid contact when they feel threatened, although they can resort to varying degrees of aggression when they feel cornered, or when escape is impossible.
Vocal calls:
- Purring– Purring is often a sign of contentment. Some cats purr when they are in extreme pain, or in labour, simply to try to calm themselves down. Purring therefore can be a sign of pleasure or pain, caused by minute vibrations in the voice box.
- Greeting– A particular sort of vocalization, such as a low meow or chirp or a bark, possibly with simultaneous purring.
3. Distress – Meowing is a plea for help or attention often made by kittens. There are two basic types of this call, one more loud and frantic, the other more high-pitched. In older cats, it is more of a panicky repeated meow.
4. Attention – Often simple meows and mews in both older cats and young kittens. A commanding meow is a command for attention, food, or to be let out.
5. Protest – Whining meows.
6. Frustration – A strong sigh or exhaled snort
7. Happy – A meow that starts low then goes up and comes back down.
8. Watching – Cats will often “chatter” or “chirrup” on seeing something of interest. This is sometimes attributed to mimicking birdsong to attract prey or draw others’ attention to it, but often birds are not present. This way one has to be cautious in finding out the reasons for meowing the cat.
In this way this is to conclude that the meowing is the procedure in which the cats communicate with people. Excessive meowing doesn’t necessarily mean there is a problem or that your cat is trying to sound a complaint. On the other hand, it could also mean that there is something serious going on. If the cat is a little more vocal than usual, the first step is to determine the cause. Once the reasons are figured out, one can focus on how to get the cat to quiet down. If there is a suspicion that this may be a behavioural problem related to anxiety of some sort then it might be worthwhile using a short course of anti-anxiety medication at least to see if there is a response which might be a good indicator of the cause. The vet can provide this medication. But if all seems to be okay then it may be that one need to accept that the cat simply as being a talkative cat.
