Cat Sounds

When felines want to communicate, they have a whole repertoire of cat sounds to use.

They can share their emotion, desires, feelings and more with a chirp, hiss, purr or of course, meow!

Also, different animals have different personalities, and some may be more or less vocal than average.

Usually, there is no particular reason for this – just like people have different temperaments, so do cats. One might be very vocal, with an assertive personality. Another may prefer to stay out of the limelight, and barely make a peep!

Michael has something to say!

Meowing

Have you ever noticed that your fur-friend has different meows? It's true. There is a difference between "hello," and "I want something," for example.

If you are very in tune with him or her, you may know the difference between "I'm hungry," "I want to play" or "Give me some loving!"

Purring

Purring in Maine Coons is usually reserved to express happiness, as we all know! When I was a child, and my cat purred, I always thought to myself: "S/He is completely content."

I still have that thought now, when one of my Maine Coons starts purring. They are very happy cats by nature, so there is a lot of purring.

If I were blindfolded, I could differentiate between the sound of Alice purring and Leo's motor. Alice has a more "hollow” sound, and her purr is short-lived.

Usually she purrs when she settles in to get comfortable. Then she hangs out quietly and happily. Leo, on the other hand, can purr (and knead, etc) for what seems like an endless time!

He can be heard through closed doors, across large spaces, and over the sound of the radio or television! Isn't it interesting that different cats have a unique purr sound? They seem to smile when this is going on, too.

There are other times that kitties turn on the motor, too, and some interesting facts about it. For more, visit our page, What Makes A Happy Cat Purr?

Pebbles is feeling nervous

When he is mad, but not fearful, this is when you are more likely to hear growling. A growling cat sounds like he's making a low rumble.

It's a warning that she's irritated about something, and it's best to leave her alone if possible.

You'll also see that she's not blinking, her eyes become slits, and she may be crouched down.

Hissing is a "last resort" before he may swipe out in fear. A scared cat will be puffed up, with ears back, and if that doesn't work hissing is next.

He bares his teeth, letting out a hiss that says, "I'm scared and I will lash out if something doesn't change."

Of course, any feline can be scared and mad, or quickly switch from one to the other, so that's why they seem to go hand in hand. And, it's not as scary as it sounds.

A cat is usually calmed down fairly easily by removing him from the situation, or distracting him. Or even calmly petting him and reassuring him. And of course, treats always help!