Cats don’t just say “miao”, on the contrary! There are many of their verses and sounds, and each has a specific meaning. Between purr, puffs, growls, screams, and much more, we ask ourselves: what do these cat sounds mean?
It is not yet clear how many sounds or verses a cat can make, even ethologists have not yet defined a precise number. There are supposed to be up to a hundred, although there are a dozen of those used mainly daily. Obviously each cat has its own character, and its language will be linked to a real personal dictionary. Maybe our cat uses a particular sound to express some sensation, while another of its kind will use the same sound for a different reason.
The particular sounds
Usually we tie the idea of the cat’s verse to the simple meow, but in reality if we have ever had a cat we already know that cats know how to change their lines beyond the simple “miao”. There are also some very strange verses that cats know how to use, let’s see the meaning.
Imitate birds
When our cat is at the window pointing to birds, we could hear him make a sound similar to a chirping of his ideal prey, interspersed with a sound similar to a “click”. This is a verse that the cat uses to frighten birds in total hunter mode.
By mixing the imitation of the sound of birds (the chirping) with a threatening and repetitive sound (the “click”), the cats are attempting to establish terror in their prey before going into battle.
The friendly trill
When the cat makes a sound similar to the meow, but shorter and growing in pitch, it is one communication of positive enthusiasm. In practice, he is answering “Yes!” to something that happens, for example when we are preparing his baby food.
The abbiare
Although rare, it may happen that the cat makes a sound similar to the barking of a dog. Science tells us that the reason is due to the similarity in the cat and dog of the larynx, trachea and other parts of the throat. The closest reason to us, however, is that of his ego: imitating the dog, he is practically putting it in a bad light, almost. It is diminishing the primitive language of the dog.
The bleating
The meaning of a cat’s bleating is not very clear, but when it makes a sound similar to a lamb it is certainly adorable!
Saying “mom”
Some viral videos from the web show cats that seem to say “mom” (mom, in English) to their mistress. Sure, it may seem impossible and we could even say that it is a kind of coincidence, but certainly it could only be a pleasure to teach our cat a few words.
The night lament
When at midnight the cat starts complaining is certainly unpleasant for his roommates. It can happen by simple hunger, sometimes even at night our cats want to eat, and certainly the best method to make us weigh their presence is to complain and whine, even in the middle of the night.
The demonic growl
One of the sounds most related to anger, when the cat emits a guttural growl that seems to come from the bottom of the stomach, it means that something around it is wrong. Usually, it is something related to our presence, or something we have forgotten to do: for example, offering him some snacks in the last two hours. We try never to hear this threatening sound.
The race from a standstill
Do you know those cartoons in which a character runs on the spot for a few seconds before rocketing? Cats manage to do this, usually during a game session, or when they are hit by a drop of water. The sound of the cat’s nails running frantically without really moving always makes people laugh.
The mermaid in his sleep
Being a cat is really hard work, you have to be able to put 16 hours of naps and naps in a day. Of course, sometimes their dreams become so vivid that they become vocal. The sounds of our kitty during sleep almost seem like rather silent moans, mixed with happy chirps.
Other more common cat sounds
We have thus seen most of the cat sounds that really mean. Of course, in addition to the sounds just described, we have those that we all already know: purrs, meows, murmurs. In any case, as already mentioned, each cat has its own personality, which makes each cat capable of communicating its sensations in its own way.