What’s in a cat’s “meow”? Does kitty want to tell us something? Cats communicate with us through their posture, facial expressions, and their vocabulary. A cat’s vocabulary is composed of different sounds that range from caterwauls to mewing sounds. In the book “How to Talk to Your Cat” by Jean Craighead George, the writer explains what he thinks the different kinds of meow’s mean. Below you’ll find some examples:
Kittens:
- Mew (high pitched and thin) – a polite plea for help
- MEW! (loud and frantic) – an urgent plea for help
Adult cats:
- mew – plea for attention
- meow – emphatic plea for attention
- MEOW! – a command!
- mee-o-ow (with falling cadence) – protest or whine
- MEE-o-ow (shrill whine) – stronger protest
- MYUP! (short, sharp, single note) – righteous indignation
- MEOW! Meow! (repeated) – panicky call for help
- mier-r-r-ow (chirrup with liting cadence) – friendly greeting
Mother cats:
- MEE-OW – come and get it!
- meOW – follow me!
- ME R-R-R-ROW – take cover!
- mer ROW! – No! or Stop It!
- mreeeep (burbled) – hello greeting to kittens and disarming greeting to adult cats (also used between adult cats and humans)
No matter how our cats say it, we understand them. At Pet Supermarket we want to keep your kitty chatty and strong. We carry all the things a cat can need, from cozy carriers to easy to clean litter boxes. Come in a visit us today!
