Why do cats meow at humans?
Meowing is a cat's call to people: once a kitten's cry to its mother, now a way to ask for something, say hello or get attention.
Cats meow mostly at people and hardly ever at other adult cats. The meow began as a kitten's call to its mother. Adult cats keep it because it works on us: to ask for food, greet you, get attention or have a door opened. What a meow means depends on the moment, so look at the situation and at your cat's body.
Usually normal. Meowing is normal cat-to-person talk. What to watch for is a sudden change in how much or how your cat meows.
Where the meow comes from
- 1
A kitten call that adult cats keep for people
A kitten meows to bring its mother back when it is cold, hungry or lost. Adult cats hardly ever meow at each other. They talk with smell, body language, purring, hissing and growling. With people they keep meowing all their life, because we answer. Cats that live wild or half wild meow very little at people. Only after weeks of daily human contact do they start meowing more.
- 2
It works because we answer
A cat learns by trying which meows get a result. People react to them a lot, so the meows that work get used more. That is why one cat meows at the kitchen door and another at the bedroom door, and why every owner learns their own cat's meows. It also explains why a meow gets longer and louder when it fails once and then works the second time.
- 3
The melody carries the mood
A meow is not one fixed sound. Swedish researchers recorded cats at home. Meows in a good or asking mood tended to be shorter, higher and rising. Meows in a bad mood were longer, lower and falling. These are tendencies, not a code, and only a few cats have been measured.
What does each meow mean?
Short, bright chirp when you come in
A friendly hello. It is glad to see you and may rub against your legs.
HappyGo ahead and say helloSoft 'mrrp' as it passes you
It acknowledges someone it knows and trusts. Sometimes it invites you to follow.
HappyGo ahead and say helloShort, high, rising meow
A friendly ask or greeting. In research this shape often went with good or asking moments.
CuriousGo ahead and say helloShort squeaky meow at a door or window
A friendly request, such as 'open this' or 'I want in'. Often it looks at you while it asks.
CuriousGo ahead and say helloLong, repeated meow, getting louder
It wants something and keeps asking, most often food at breakfast or in the kitchen. The longer you wait, the louder it gets.
Hear it0:07Recording: 매일 누군가가 도둑맞을 때마다, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons, shortened.
AlertGo ahead and say helloPlaintive meow while following you
It wants company or attention. Usually it calms down once you sit down or play with it.
UnsureGo ahead and say helloLong, low, falling meow or moan
It is complaining or feels bad. In research such meows went with unpleasant moments, like being shut away alone or the vet.
AnnoyedTake it slowlyMouth opens, but no sound
Probably the same ask or greeting as a normal meow, without the sound. Has its voice gone hoarse or disappeared? Then have its throat checked.
UnsureGo ahead and say helloShort, jerky meows or crying on the litter box
It may be in pain. A strained meow in the litter box can mean pain or a blocked bladder.
TenseTake it slowlyLoud, high meow then a growl, ears flat
Most likely an angry cat that wants the other cat or person to back off. An attack can follow, so leave it be.
AngryGive it some spaceTeeth chattering and a brief meow at a bird
Excitement, and probably frustration at not being able to reach it. It is not aggression.
HuntingGo ahead and say hello
Why does my cat meow at me? The reasons
Asking for something: food, play, help
Most commonThis is the most common reason. Your cat wants something only you can give: a meal, a game, a lap, a toy from under the sofa, a tap turned on. It cannot wave or call your name, so it meows.
How to tell- Looks at you or leads you to the bowl, door or tap
- Stops once it gets the thing
- Relaxed body, tail up
Hunger and meal habits
Very commonIn cats that live with people, hunger is one of the most common reasons. A hunger meow tends to be long and repeated. If your cat was fed after meowing, it will meow at that time even when it is not hungry. Fixed meal times give a cat security and usually cut the begging. Is your cat hungry all the time, thin or fat? Then have the vet check it.
How to tell- Meows around meal times or when you enter the kitchen
- Walks to the bowl or the fridge
Saying hello
CommonMany cats greet their person with a meow or a short chirp when you come home, walk into the room or talk to them. A greeting meow is usually short and bright, often with the tail straight up and a rub against your legs. A cat that greets you like this is simply a talker, and there is nothing to change.
How to tell- Short, bright meow or chirp when you arrive
- Tail up, often with a curled tip
- Rubs against your legs
Wanting company, attention or play
CommonCats ask to be petted, played with or talked to. Cats that are alone for many hours a day, or have little to do, ask more. Cats are more social than their loner image suggests. A bored indoor cat often turns to you for entertainment.
How to tell- Follows you from room to room
- Drawn-out, plaintive meow that fades away
- Goes quiet when you sit down or play
Wanting a door or window opened
CommonMeowing at a door or window is a cat's main way to ask to go in or out. A closed door is also hard for a cat to accept, because it wants to reach and check every part of its home. A cat that has just gone from outdoor to indoor life may meow at doors and windows for weeks or even months.
How to tell- Sits at the door, looks at you, then the door
- Louder when ignored
- Stops once it is through
A habit you taught without meaning to
CommonEvery time a meow brings food, a stroke or even a telling-off, your cat learns that meowing works. After a while it meows out of routine, with a relaxed body, even when it does not really need anything. You did nothing wrong: almost every owner does this, because answering a cat is natural.
How to tell- Relaxed body while meowing
- Same times and places every day
A talkative character or breed
Cats differ a lot in how much they say. Some are chatty from kittenhood and meow in many situations. The Siamese and related Oriental breeds are known for it.
How to tell- Always vocal, in many different situations
- Otherwise healthy and eating normally
Stress and change
A move, a new baby, a new cat in the garden, new furniture, a changed routine or a visit to the vet can make a cat meow more. Cats like routine. With a calm daily rhythm and new things brought in slowly, it usually settles within a few weeks.
How to tell- Hiding or restless
- Started soon after a change
In heat (not neutered)
An unspayed female in heat calls loudly and often, for four to ten days. In the breeding season it comes back every 18 to 24 days. An unneutered male paces and calls when a female nearby is in heat. These calls are longer and more drawn out than a normal meow. Spaying or neutering is the best way to stop it.
How to tell- Long, hoarse, loud calls, often at night
- Rolls, rubs on things, restless
Pain or illness
Many illnesses make a cat hungry, thirsty, restless or irritable, and so make it meow more. In older cats an overactive thyroid and kidney disease are common causes. Urinary problems, high blood pressure and a sore larynx can do it too. Some cats in pain go quiet instead. So the change says more than the sound. Does your cat meow with no clear reason? Then start with the vet.
How to tell- New meowing, or a lot more than usual
- Changes in eating, drinking, weight or litter box
- Crying in the litter box
Getting old
Older cats may meow when they are confused, a sign of something like dementia. It is often worse in the evening. Losing sight or hearing makes a cat feel lost too, and then it calls more. A cat that cannot hear itself may be louder. Does an older cat suddenly start meowing a lot? Then have it checked first.
How to tell- New meowing, often at dusk or in the dark
- Wanders, stares, seems lost
Meowing at the door, after eating or at random
- Your cat meows at the door
- Almost always a request to open it. Meowing at doors and windows is a cat's main way to ask to go in or out. A cat that used to go outside and now stays in may do it for weeks or months. A window perch, a catio or walks on a harness help, and it usually fades.
- Your cat meows in the kitchen or in the morning
- Cats learn to meow whenever someone walks into the kitchen, or to wake you for breakfast. They have learned that a meow gets you up and brings food. If you give in, the wake-up time moves earlier. Set meal times or a timed feeder help, so asking at other times does not pay.
- Your cat meows after eating
- Most often it wants more, or it is a habit: after meals a meow has brought food or attention before. Is your cat thin or always hungry, does it ask for food all day, or does it meow while eating? Then have the vet check for things like allergies, diabetes or mouth pain. Do not just give more food.
- Your cat meows after using the litter box
- Often a harmless habit: your cat announces itself or asks for attention. But a cat that cries or strains on the box may be in pain. A male cat that strains with little or no urine may have a blocked bladder, which is an emergency. A dirty box can also make a cat complain loudly, especially if it starts peeing outside the box.
- Your cat looks at you and meows
- Eye contact plus a meow is an ask. Check the usual things first: food bowl, water, litter box, door, play, a place to sit. If none fits, it may simply want a word or a stroke. If it meows when you come home or walk past, it is usually hello, and you can happily answer.
- Your cat meows when you pet or pick it up
- While you stroke it, it is usually a happy sound: a trill or soft 'mrrp' that says it knows you and likes it. Does the meow turn longer, lower or louder, or the tail start to lash? Then it has had enough: stop and let it go. When picked up, a meow is probably a protest. Put it down. If it meows every time you touch one spot, tell the vet.
- Your cat walks around meowing, restless
- It is looking for something or someone, or it is bored. A cat that slept and was alone all day has energy to spare in the evening: cats are most active at dawn and dusk. Play with it in the evening, let it calm down and then feed it. Does an older cat walk around calling in the dark? Then it may be confused: have it checked. A cat in heat does it too.
- Your cat meows randomly, out of nothing
- There is nearly always a reason you cannot see: a sound outside, another cat at the window, hunger, boredom, loneliness or habit. Sometimes it hears or smells something behind a wall. Is it new, does it keep going, or does something else change too? Then see the vet first.
What to do when your cat meows
- 1
Check the basics first: fresh water, food, a clean litter box, and whether a door is shut or your cat is shut in.
A meow is often a real need. A cat that is thirsty or cannot reach the litter box is not being demanding.
- 2
Look at the whole cat while it meows: ears, eyes, tail and where it is.
Ears forward and a short, bright meow is a request or a greeting. Ears back, wide pupils and a low, long meow are not.
- 3
Answer greetings and real needs: say hello, talk back.
That builds contact. You only need to avoid rewarding long, insistent demands.
- 4
Feed at set times, or with a timed feeder, and play for 10 to 15 minutes before a meal.
Your cat learns when food comes, and hunting play uses up the energy that would go into calling.
- 5
Meowing for attention? Wait for a short silence, then give attention straight away.
This teaches that quiet brings you, not noise. If your cat really meows a lot, read why your cat meows so much.
- 6
Give your cat something to do in the day: scratching post, window perch, puzzle feeder, wand toys and a daily play session.
A bored cat asks for attention with its voice.
- 7
Worried about the sound? Record it on your phone and play it to the vet.
A vet cannot judge a sound from a description.
Better not
- Do not scold, hit or spray your cat, and do not use loud noises or compressed air.It does not stop the meowing, adds stress and can make your cat afraid of you.
- Do not ignore every meow.First check for the litter box, water, food, a shut door or pain. Only ignore a meow once you know it is a demand.
- Do not reward a long demand meow with food, a stroke, a toy or a telling-off.Any reaction teaches your cat that meowing works, even a shout.
- Do not feed extra just to stop the meowing.It trains your cat to ask for food, and a cat that is hungry all the time may be ill.
When to see a vet?
Most meowing is normal talk. The change is what counts: a cat that suddenly meows in a new way, much louder or much quieter, should be checked. In older cats the vet comes before any training.
- A male cat strains in the litter box with little or no urine and cries: see a vet the same day (possible blocked bladder).
- Open-mouth breathing, collapse or loud crying in pain: the same day.
- Crying or straining in the litter box, or crying while eating or grooming.
- Meowing that starts suddenly, or is clearly more than usual, in a cat that was quiet.
- A chatty cat that suddenly goes quiet or loses its voice.
- Meowing together with drinking more, eating much more or less, weight loss, hiding, limping or litter box changes.
- A middle-aged or older cat with new meowing, especially at night, or one that seems lost or confused.
What research says
People are not good at telling what a meow means
In an Italian study, 225 adults listened to six meows from three situations: brushing, being alone in a strange room and waiting for food. Fewer than half matched the meow to the right situation. The food meow was recognised best, and owners and women did better.
Prato-Previde and colleagues, University of Milan, 2020The house cat's meow differs from the wild cat's
House cat meows were shorter than the calls of African wild cats (about 0.8 against 1.5 seconds) and higher. Listeners found the house cats far more pleasant, whether or not they knew cats.
Nicastro, Cornell University, 2004The melody changes with the situation
Researchers in Lund recorded cats at home. In good or asking moments meows tended to be short, high and rising, in bad moments long, low and falling. In a small trial, listeners told a food meow from a vet meow 65 per cent of the time. It is early work with few cats.
Schötz, van de Weijer and Eklund, Lund University, 2019Meowing is for people, rare between cats
A review of research on cat sounds concludes that the meow is rare between cats but one of the most common calls to people. Feral cats hardly meow around their caretaker. After weeks of regular human contact they meow more.
Tavernier and colleagues (review); Bradshaw, 2020When it feels good, cats use more than the meow
In a study of 74 Brazilian cats, 14 of 40 made sounds other than meows (trills, squeaks, purrs, chatters) during a tasty snack. In a pretend car trip none did: meowing was the only sound. It is a small study.
Fermo and colleagues, 2019
Story or true?
Cats meow to talk to each other.
Adult cats hardly ever meow at each other. They use body language, smell, purrs, hisses and growls. The meow is mainly for people, and for kittens calling their mother.
A meowing cat is always just being demanding.
Often it is, but check food, water, the litter box and doors first. A meow can be a real need, or a sign that something is wrong.
A cat that meows a lot must be ill.
Not necessarily. Most talkative cats are healthy and simply asking for things. A sudden change is the reason to see a vet.
You can learn to read every meow like a language.
Meows are not a language, and in research people got fewer than half right. You learn your own cat's meows by living with it, more from the situation than from the sound.
Cats are nocturnal, so night meowing is just natural.
Cats are most active at dawn and dusk. Night meowing usually has a reason: hunger, boredom, a closed door, habit, or illness in an older cat.
Cats can say words like 'no' or 'mama'.
A cat cannot form human words. It can change its meow to sound a bit like a sound it hears often.
Did you know?
- Under half
In one study, adults matched a meow to its situation correctly less than half the time.
- 0.8 seconds
A house cat's meow lasts about 0.8 seconds, an African wild cat's call about 1.5 seconds.
- Two syllables
A meow is usually two syllables: the mouth opens and then slowly closes.
- 63 versus 85
A computer recognises which cat is purring about 85 per cent of the time, but which cat is meowing only 63 per cent.
- Once in 100 hours
Cats that live wild again may meow only about once every hundred hours, according to one British zoologist.
- Made for us
A house cat's meow sounds higher and shorter than its wild relative's, and people find it far more pleasant. One researcher thinks people helped shape that sound.
Kittens and older cats
- Kitten
Kittens call their mother when they are cold, hungry or lost, from a few days old. Mother and kittens learn each other's calls. By four to five months they mostly stop calling other cats but keep calling people. A kitten that cries in its first nights misses its mother and littermates: a warm bed near you, a cloth with the litter's smell and company help.
- Older cat
Older cats often meow more, because of confusion, poorer hearing or sight, pain, an overactive thyroid, kidney disease or high blood pressure. Confused old cats tend to call most in the evening and at night. Have an older cat with new meowing checked by the vet first.
Frequently asked questions
Why do cats only meow at humans?
Adult cats hardly ever meow at each other. Kittens meow to their mother, and in the breeding season cats may yowl at each other. Otherwise they use body language, scent, purrs, hisses and growls. They keep the meow for us, because we respond to it.
Why does my cat meow silently?
Your cat opens its mouth as if to meow, but no sound or only a faint squeak comes out. It is generally read as the same friendly ask or greeting as a normal meow, and many people find it especially sweet. Why it happens has not been studied. Has its voice gone hoarse or disappeared, or does it sneeze or cough? Then have its throat checked.
Why does my cat not meow, or stop meowing?
Some cats are simply quiet by character or breed, or do not need to meow because you already read their body language. A cat that used to meow and has gone quiet is different: pain, illness or a sore throat can do it. Does it last more than a day or two, or does it also eat less or hide? Then see the vet.
Why does my cat meow when I sneeze?
Nobody has studied it, but the idea is simple: a sudden sound from you catches its attention, and it answers. Cats can learn to meow in reply to human voices, so a kind of back-and-forth grows. It is harmless.
Why does my cat cry when I leave?
Cats left alone for long stretches meow more for attention, and some cats feel anxious when their person goes. Play with it before you leave, leave toys and a view, and keep leaving and coming home low-key. Is it very upset, or does it damage things or soil while you are away? Then ask the vet or a behaviourist for advice.
Should I ignore my cat when it meows?
Not always. First check food, water, the litter box and doors, and whether it is ill. Once you know it is a demand, do not respond with food, talk or a telling-off, and give attention when it is quiet. It may get louder for a few days first. There is more on this in why your cat meows so much.
Is my cat in pain if it meows a lot, or drinks a lot too?
A lot of meowing does not mean pain by itself: most cats are just talking. Pain makes some cats cry, especially on the box or when they eat or groom, but many cats in pain go quiet. Does it meow a lot and drink a lot too? Then make a vet appointment soon: in older cats an overactive thyroid and kidney disease can cause more meowing, thirst and hunger.
What is the difference between a meow, a chirp and a yowl?
A meow is the general asking sound. A chirp or trill is a short, rolled greeting, which mother cats also use to call their kittens. A yowl is longer, more drawn out and tonal, and heard mainly in the breeding season, in a conflict or from confused older cats.
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