Cats Meowing Excessively and Christmas: Why Cats Meow (2024)

Why do cats meow? The reasons change as they grow from kittens to cats. Kittens meow to their mother when they arehungry, cold or scared. But as cats get older, they use other sounds, such as screeching, hissing and growling, to communicate with each other. Meowing is reserved for their communication with humans.

Of course, the amount of meow varies by breed and even by cat. Oriental breeds, especially Siamese cats, are known for being big "talkers," so anyone who doesn't like meowing should probably avoid these breeds.

And some cats just seem to enjoy hearing their own voice, while others seem to want to have a conversation with their owners. If your cat talks a little more than you would like, try to find out the reason first. Once you know the cause, you can work to get your cat to meow less.

Why does my cat meow so much?

Cats meow for many reasons, from serious to attention-seeking. They contain:

• Disease. The first step is a thorough check-up by your vet. Numerous diseases can make a cat feel sickon thethirst or pain, all of which can lead to excessive meowing. Cats can develop one toooveractive thyroidofkidney disease, both of which can result in excessive vocalization.
• Attention seekers. Despite what some people think, cats don't like to be alone. Cats often meow to start play, to pet, or to get you to talk to them. If you want to reduce attention-seeking meowing, stop responding when it happens. Only give the person attention when he or she is quiet. If they start meowing again, look or walk away. But don't ignore your pet. Spend quality time with them every day, playing, grooming and talking to them. A tired pet is a calmer pet.
• Want to eat. Some cats meow every time someone walks into the kitchen hoping to get a snack. And many cats become very vocal as it approaches their feeding time. If this is your problem, don't feed your cat when he cries. Wait until they are quiet before putting the food down and don't give them treats if they meow. If this does not work, purchase an automatic feeder that opens at fixed times. Now Kitty meows at the food bowl and not you.
• Greetings to you. Many cats meow when their people come home, or even when they just encounter them in the house. It's a hard habit to break, but think of it as a kitten saying they're happy to see you.
• They are lonely. If you spend too many hours a day alone, consider hiring a sitter to enrich your pet's life. Place a bird feeder outside a window where they can see. Leave foraging toys outside with food in them. Give them a cat apartment and rotate toys that you leave outside for play.
• A stressed cat. Cats that experience stress often become noisier. A new pet or baby, a move or changes in the home, an illness or the loss of a loved one can make your cat talkative. Try to discover what stresses your pet and help him adapt to the change. If that's not possible, give your cat extra attention to help him calm down.
• Aging cats. Cats, like humans, can experience some form of mental confusion or cognitive impairment as they age. They become disoriented and often cry plaintively for no apparent reason, especially at night. A night light can sometimes help if your cat becomes disoriented at night, and vets can often prescribe thismedicinewhich helps with these symptoms.
• Cats that want to reproduce. If your cat is not spayed or neutered, you will hear a lot more noise. Females screech when they are in heat, and males howl when they smell a female in heat. Both can be annoying to live with. You can prevent this by having your pet sterilized or neutered.

What not to do

• Don't ignore it without making sure there isn't a problem. Even if you don't want to reward the meowing, sometimes cats meow for a good reason: they can't reach their litter box, they're locked in a room, the water bowl is empty. Monitor them when they meow to determine if it is something you can safely ignore or a problem that needs to be resolved right away.
• Don't punish a cat for meowing. Hitting, yelling, and spraying cats with water rarely helps calm a meowing cat in the long run, but all of these actions will make your cat distrust or even resent you.
• Don't give in. If your cat is used to getting what he wants by meowing, he will meow louder and louder as he stops working. In other words, it will probably get worse before it gets better. Keep rewarding quiet behavior and ignoring meowing, and eventually they will get the idea.