Why Does My Cat Meow So Much?

Before we can look into why your cat may be meowing more than you are comfortable with, it is most important to learn how the cat uses her meow to communicate with you, her person!

Kittens use their meows to communicate with their cat mommies to express hunger or discomfort. They get her attention with their tiny mews and chirps to which the mommy cat will respond with calming trills and chirps as she sees to her babies’ needs.

As the kitten grows into a cat, she learns to communicate with other cats through scent marking and body language, especially through her ears and her tail. Not as astute as the feline, her human caretakers are not so tuned into her body language. The cat learns that to get attention from her obtuse humans, it is best to raise her voice with a good meow or two. So, when she is hungry or needs attention or help from her people, nothing works better than a strong meow.

In addition, some cats are just more vocal than others. Just as some people are big talkers and others not so much, the cat world has its share of breeds that tend to vocalize loudly and frequently. These breeds include the Orientals (Siamese, Tonkinese, Singapuras) and the big guys (Maine Coon, Siberian). Also, in this chatterbox category are the Japanese Bobtail and Turkish Angora.

However, if your cat didn’t start out as a big talker, and this is a new development, it might be time for a trip to the vet to find out what might be causing the excessive vocalization. This can signal a medical condition that needs to be addressed. If Kitty won’t be quiet, and constant meowing is not in her nature, we can look at some of the reasons that could be causing her discomfort:

1. In heat. If Kitty is 5 or 6 months old and not fixed, the female can be calling out to any males in the vicinity with a loud and piercing yowl. The male will do the same thing as he goes in search of local females.
2. Hyperthyroidism. If Kitty has weight loss despite a strong appetite along with excessive activity and non-stop meows, the vet can perform a blood test. This is generally a disease of older felines.
3. Loss of Vision or Hearing. The older cat who is struggling to get around in the dark could be having sight loss. If the cat cannot hear you, she could be having hearing loss and is trying hard to get your attention.
4. Senility. Feline cognitive disfunction, or cat dementia, can leave Kitty disoriented and frightened. She may sleep more and become irritated and lose coordination. Her yowls can be plaintive and concerning.
5. Feline Hyperesthesia Syndrome. This cat will have strange mood swings. She will wail and become wild-eyed. Her skin might ripple and she could display excessive grooming that could lead to hair loss. She may require cat Prozac to settle her going forward.
6. Pain. As predators, our beloved cats do not want us to know they are in pain. However, if there is something hurting, they might show us with incessant meows. Time to visit the veterinarian right away.
7. Lonliness & Boredom. This is mostly when we have a single cat who is deeply bonded to us. The answer is special attention and more play time.

For more information, please go to:

https://www.catster.com/cat-behavior/which-cats-meow-the-most and

https://www.catster.com/cat-behavior/cat-wont-stop-meowing-reasons-for-cat-meowing