Meow, Purr, Hiss – Understanding Talkative Cats By: Nancy Peterson, Cat Programs Manager for The Humane Society of the United States

 One day, Kathy, a client of the veterinary clinic where I worked as a registered veterinary technician, called to confirm our lunch date for the next day. During the call she says, “By the way, a long-haired tri-color cat has been meowing at my door for days. I think her family moved and left her behind.” I immediately asked, “Do you mean a long-haired calico?” I’d been saying for at least a year that my next cat would be a long-haired calico. Could this be her?

When I arrived, the cat was crying at Kathy’s door. “Isn’t Meow Meow beautiful?” Kathy said. That’s what Kathy called the cat because she was very talkative. Poor kitty, she really wanted to get inside. After lunch, I got a better look at her and because the veterinarian I worked for was an angel and often helped homeless cats, I thought it would be okay to bring Meow Meow to the clinic.

Although it was my day off, I drove Meow Meow to the clinic. She didn’t make a peep in the car. After one of the veterinarians examined her and drew blood to test her for feline leukemia, I vaccinated her and gave her a flea bath. She was a great little patient. I was starting to fall in love. “Okay, Meow Meow,” I told her as I prepared to leave for the day, “If your feline leukemia test is negative, I’m going to take you home and introduce you to my cat, Buddy.”

"Daisy" Photo Courtesy of The HSUS

That was the beginning of my wonderful relationship with Meow Meow. Although I renamed her Daisy, she stayed true to her original name, and the house became very quiet when she died at 19 years of age.

You may not know that the meow is rarely used between cats. They rely more on body language and scents than vocalization to communicate with each other, although vocalizations may be used as well. Even we humans understand that a growl, hiss or scream means a cat is stressed. He or she could be saying, “I’m upset because I see a cat outside the window,” “I’m afraid because I don’t like having my nails clipped” or “I’m in pain when you touch me there.”

However, recognizing the meaning of cat body language on its own is not something that most people have mastered. Many are bitten or scratched for failing to take heed of the twitching skin, swishing tail, and grabbing paw that may indicate that a cat is getting upset. That’s because people communicate primarily through verbal language. Leave it to our clever cats to crack the code to effectively communicate with us.

Joelyne King's Cat, NarniaPhotographer: Meredith Lee
The HSUS

 Our cats have mastered the art of meow. I’m sure you’ve learned to recognize what your cat’s different meows mean – wake up, feed me, open the bedroom door and so on – depending on the volume, duration and intensity.

If your cat adopts a new vocalizing behavior, it may mean he or she is in some sort of pain. On the other hand, if your talkative cat stops vocalizing, it may also mean something hurts. It’s best to contact your veterinarian because cats often hide signs of illness until they’re seriously ill, and any change in behavior may be an early sign of a medical problem.

If your cat is new to your home or has just gone through a change – such as a person or other animal moving in or out – and she has just started talking, be patient. Yelling at your cat may scare him or her. If your cat thinks of your yelling as positive attention, he or she may continue to be noisy. If you ignore the chatter, it will probably stop on its own. If it doesn’t, contact your veterinarian.

Joelyne King's Cat, NarniaPhotographer: Meredith Lee
The HSUS

After the death or departure of a person or animal in your cat’s life, he or she may vocalize to express grief. This can be a normal part of the grieving process. The best thing you can do is keep your cat’s normal schedule the same (or as close to it as possible) and spend some extra time cuddling and playing during quiet moments. With time, the vocalizing should subside. If your cat does not return to his or her normal self, consult your veterinarian to make sure there is no underlying medical problem.

As cats age, their hearing may diminish. Daisy gradually became deaf in her older years and I didn’t understand that her frequent yowling meant that she could no longer hear. It’s not unusual for cats to vocalize if they suffer from arthritis and other painful ailments or senility. It’s easy to chalk up the talk to aging, but something more serious could be going on. Again, contacting your veterinarian is the best course of action.

Oriental breeds, such as Siamese cats, are known to be very talkative. If your cat has a pointed face and a long, lean body, chances are he or she has some Oriental heritage and “talking” is just a character trait. If your cat’s chatter bothers you, avoid giving attention when he or she talks, because that will only encourage the vocal behavior. Instead, give attention during quiet moments.

Cats may talk because they want your attention. If you talk back, feeding, petting or even picking him or her up and temporarily putting  them in another room – assuming your cat likes to be picked up – encourages the chatter. I know it can be hard to ignore a talkative cat, but you need to ignore the behavior in order to discourage it. Only pay attention to your cat when he or she is quiet: pour on the love, have playtime, or once in a while, reward with a treat. This will teach your cat which behaviors you would like to continue.

How often do you talk to your cat? To learn more about chatty cats, read “The Cat’s Meow: Understanding Your Feline Friend.”