The Sounds 👂🏻of a Cat 🐱

Domestic cats can make more than 100 different sounds!

Here are some common sounds.

Purring

Audible Signs

A closed-mouth sound, similar to a rhythmic rumble.

What Your Cat May Be Feeling or Doing: 

Content

Happy to be in a warm and familiar environment or situation

Requesting something (often with a different pitch)

If the cat’s body language is tense or restless, the cat might be unwell, trying to self-soothe, and needing (medical) care.

What to Observe

Leaning in… Life is good!

Turning away… Things could be better!

Trilling or Chirruping

Audible Signs

A closed-mouth sound, similar to a short trill or chirp.

What Your Cat May Be Feeling or Doing

Happily approaching someone they know.

A mother cat calling for her kittens.

What to Observe

Tail is up

Soft eyes and ears forward

Chattering

Visual and Audible Signs

Mouth opens and closes, and sounds similar to chattering or a bird’s chirps or calls.

What Your Cat May Be Feeling or Doing

Excited

Watching birds or other small prey

What to Observe

Ears alert

Eyes wide open; Staring

Meowing

Meowing is generally not how adult cats communicate with each other. Kittens meow to their mother and adult cats meow to their humans.

Audible Signs

Every individual cat has his or her own repertoire of differently pitched meow sounds to express different requests such as, “Mew!” “Meeooooow!” “Mraaow!”

What Your Cat May Be Feeling or Doing

“Hello! Excuse me! Excuse me!”

“Please give me…”

Frustrated or distressed (often a different pitch, similar to yowling)

Making a request for food, attention, petting, or something else.

Cats reuse their particular sounds because these sounds have an effect on their humans.

Growling, Hissing, and Spitting

Visual Signs

Stressed body language such as, rotated ears or flattened ears, defensive or terrified.

What Your Cat May Be Feeling:

Startled, scared, or stressed

“Get out of here!”

“Stay away from me!”

Yowling

Also referred to as, Caterwauling. 

Audible Signs

A long, low-pitched meow or wail.

What Your Cat May Be Feeling or Doing

Pain, boredom, or confusion

Expressing distress in uncomfortable situations.

Looking for humans.

A cat who is not spayed/neutered may yowl when in heat. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reference

Chin, L. (2023). Kitty language: An illustrated guide to understanding your cat. Penguin Random House, LLC: New York. P. 97-105.