Cat Language, Vocal Calls

Tuesday, 14 August 2007

Purring, Greeting,  Distress, Protest, Frustration,  Happy, Watching/Interest Purring — Many people find purring as a sign of content, which it is; however, it is slightly more than that. Some cats purr when they are in extreme pain, or in labour, simply to try and calm themselves down. Purring therefore can be a sign of pleasure or pain; usually it is the former. Scientists have not yet been able to discover how purring works, but it is suspected that it is caused by minute vibrations in the voice box. Greeting — A particular sort of vocalization, such as a low meow or chirp, possibly with simultaneous purring. Distress — Mewing is often a plea for help or attention often made by kittens. There are two basic types of this call, one more loud and frantic, the other more high-pitched. In older cats it is more of a panicky repeated meow. Attention — Often simple meows and mews in both older cats and young kittens. A commanding meow is a command for attention, food, or to be let out. Protest — Whining meows. Frustration — A strong sigh or exhaled snort. Happy — A meow that starts low then goes up and comes back down. Watching/Interest — Cats will often "chatter" or "chirrup" on seeing something of interest out of the window, this is sometimes attributed to mimicking birdsong to attract prey or draw others attention to it, but often birds are not present. Bengals and Tabbies seem more likely to display this behaviour.

 

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