Why is My Cat Meowing at Me?

Cats are fairly vocal creatures, some more than others depending on the breed. Just like dogs bark, cats meow. So, why is my cat meowing at me? There are a variety of reasons why your cat might be meowing at you, most of them completely normal. Let’s take a look.

A Simple Greeting

If your cat looks right at you and lets off a few meows, and then walks away or comes to you, chances are that it was nothing more than a simple greeting. If you come home from work and your cat meows, it’s just greeting you like any human would.

An Injury or Medical Issue

If your cat starts meowing or yowling all of a sudden and out of nowhere, it may be injured. Just like you make noises when you are hurt, cats will do the same. If you notice excessive meowing and yowling, especially if it starts suddenly, there may be something wrong with the cat.

If there is atypical behavior being displayed by the cat along with the meowing, such as a limp, a lack of appetite, or erratic or uncommon behavior, you will want to take it to a vet for evaluation.

Hunger

If it is around mealtime, you forgot to feed the cat, or the cat sees you eating something which it might enjoy too, it might meow at you. Simply put, animals like food, and pets like cats and dogs will beg for it.

If your cat is looking at its food dish and meowing or looking at you with a tuna sandwich in hand, and it starts meowing, chances are pretty big that it wants food. Cats will often harass owners when it comes close to dinner time.

Attention Seeking

Cats get bored, they need exercise, they like to play, and they usually love attention from their humans too. Maybe your cat lost its toy. Maybe you were at work all day and left the cat alone. Maybe the cat hasn’t done much all day and is bored.

The fact of the matter is that many cats can be super playful and adventurous. If they are meowing at you, it might just be a sign of boredom. Your cat wants attention, it wants something to do, and it wants to play. If your cat is meowing at you, see if some play will get it to stop.

Wanting Inside

If you have an outdoor cat and it’s meowing outside the door, quite simply, it wants to be let back inside. Of course, this can go in the other direction too. If the cat is sitting in front of the door, inside, then it probably just wants to be let out.

Being in Heat

Female cats which are not spayed, when they go into heat, will often yowl and meow excessively. So, if you have a female cat and it is not spayed, if it starts meowing and yowling, it means that it’s in heat and its natural clock is telling it that it’s time to make babies.

Stress

Cats which are stressed out may also start to meow at you, more than usual. Stress in cats can be caused by a number of things such as a lack of proper feeding, having to compete with other cats for food, not having adequate litter boxes, not being played with enough, not enough exercise, and disease and illness too. In other words, cats may meow at you if you do not take proper care of them.

Anger

If you have harassed your cat, played with it past the point of comfort, if you touch the cat where it doesn’t like being touched, or you have in any other way angered the cat, it’s going to meow at you. It may also hiss at you, scratch you, or try to bite you. If your cat is ticked off, it will probably do more than just meow, although meowing is the first warning sign in this case.

Loneliness

Yet another reason why your cat may meow at you is due to loneliness. If you have a solo cat without a companion or if you work all day long and leave the cat alone, the meowing may be a sign of loneliness. Cats may be solitary at times, but they generally don’t like to be alone for extended periods.

Old Age

Evidence shows that aging cats tend to become more vocal the older they get. If you have an old cat that meows a lot, this is normal.

Conclusion

Yes, there are also some diseases which can cause excessive meowing, but for the most part, your cat meowing at you is totally normal. Cats need to vocalize their feelings too.