Reading your feline for a better understanding of their wellbeing and needs: verbal communication

19th December 2022

Has the behaviour of your cat ever left you wondering what on earth was going on in their mind? Truth is, in the purrrfect environment, cats are very relaxed, calm, and affectionate pets who love to peacefully doze for most part of the day (who wouldn’t?). Unfortunately, their scale can easily be set out of balance by a multitude of different things, which can give them the reputation of being difficult. Don’t worry, it’s nothing a further 20,000 years of domestication can’t resolve but, in the meantime, perhaps us humans can look at how to help them out sharing their home with us peacefully.

To the untrained human eye, the way cats communicate can seem very subtle. They use a range of vocal sounds and body language to show their state of mind visually and acoustically. These are the signs that us humans tend to pick up on first as this is also the way we mostly communicate. What’s often overlooked is their use of typical feline behaviours and their changes. Let’s look at each of those types of communication in detail:

Verbal communication:

The trilling sounds that cats make are part of greeting behaviour, particularly when they meet a person or other animal that they like. These sounds have a positive connotation and are a part of a positive social demeanour between cats or cats and humans.

Purring is harder to interpret. Cats will purr when they are happy and comfortable, but also when they are stressed. Some cats purr during their mealtimes or when they are being stroked, which is a positive sign. There is also some evidence that cats can learn to use a particular purr to solicit food from people. However, a cat may also purr when it is in extreme pain, perhaps as a way of self-soothing.

The classic meow (or miau, or mau, or mio etc.) is often used by cats to draw attention to themselves and their needs. There are many variations in the way cats can meow and whilst humans can pick up on their level of urgency, it’s often only the cat’s owner who’ll have learned from the context or situation, what each sound will mean. You may find that their food-meow is different from their greeting-meow and so forth.

Growling, hissing and spitting are usually reserved for encounters of an aggressive nature. As cats aren’t confrontational, these sounds will usually be used by the cat to create a distance between itself and the person or other animal that they feel threatened by. If your is growling at you, then you should move away and leave them alone. It is also vital to understand, what may have caused your cat’s reaction to prevent it from happening again. However, cats will also growl, hiss or spit defensively when they are in pain and don’t want to be handled, so if you suspect your cat may be injured or in pain you should contact your veterinarian. If your cat is making these noises at other cats that have managed to enter the house, which is not uncommon when cats are looking for food, shelter or new territory to take over, you need to take action to improve security. Likewise, if your own cats cannot get along you may decide to give them their own private space to minimise arguments. A microchip pet door only opens for designated cats and therefore can help preventing intruder animals from entering your cat’s home to cause aggressive encounters or help managing the space in your home so each of your cat has a room that is available only to them should they need it.

The Sure Petcare range of connected pet products helps you monitoring your cat’s behaviour, so you’ll find it easier to spot unusual changes in their routine and wellbeing.

You can read more about feline behaviour here.

If you’d like to share your own pet care tips with us, why not send us a message on social media, get involved in the conversation using the hashtag #DoYouSpeakCat or give @SurePetcare a mention.

Always make sure to consult your vet, should you have concerns about your cat's wellbeing.