The house cat will talk more than the feral or farm cat, who will have a much smaller vocabulary.
The house cat realizes that the spoken word is some importance to its human owners, as those owners will usually reinforce actions (feeding the cat, opening the door, etc.) with spoken language. The cat will then reinforce his actions (going to his food bowl, sitting by the door, etc. ) with spoken language.
Most owners will recognize many of their cats’ phrases such as the trill of welcome, the happy or anxious miaow, the bloodcurdling howl of fighting.
Here are some of my favorite cat sounds and what they mean
5. The purr
Purring displays different degrees of pleasure; the rougher the purr, the happier your cat is feeling. Most people have heard the very light, delicate purr of the cat who is purring just out of politeness! (In the case of cats which have, in the past, suffered a respiratory illness such as cat ‘flu, the purr may always sound tough and rasping.)
Purring is not always a sign of contentment, however. A sick cat will purr as a sign that he is in pain and an anxious cat may purr from nerves.
4. The Hiss
Hisses also have some importance in the cat’s vocabulary as a warning signal. Hissing will deter the advance of another cat, not just because of the noise, but because the air expelled from the hissing cat’s mouth is off-putting when directed at the other cat’s face.
Cats dislike the hiss so much that they will run from spray cans, bicycle pumps and the noise of air brakes on lorries and buses.
3. The Growl
Many cats, but not all, have a very effective growl – the meaning of which is immediately apparent! The possession of a growl appears to be hereditary – many families of cats are great growlers while others seem incapable of making the noise.
2. The Meow
The kitten has 16 different ways to meow, and the adult cat has 9! These meows can be divided into two groups: “positive” meows, and “negative” meows:
– The positive: The cat vocalizes in a loop, with very little silence between two meows. This means that the situation is rather exciting.
– The negative: The cat produces short meows spaced from long silences. In this case, the situation is rather agonizing, and the cat meows to call for help.
1. The Caterwaul
The loud howls or screeches made by male cats fighting over their territories is called caterwauling. This alarming sound is usually heard at night.