Where there are cats, there are meows. However, sometimes, it’s not the cat doing the meowing… Some cat owners find joy in “meowing” to their cats as a form of communication. So, here’s the question: can cats understand when humans meow at them? To answer that, we first need to understand what a cat’s own “meow” really means.
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What Does a Cat’s Meow Really Mean?
Studies have confirmed that the “meow” a cat makes is a form of manipulation, used to get what it wants. According to Dr. Nicholas Dodman from the Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, cats know which sounds will most effectively help them achieve their goals with their owners. For example, when a kitten sweetly meows to get your attention, do you instinctively reach for a treat to give it? Of course, a cat’s “meowing” isn’t just about asking for food—it could be for other reasons as well. If a cat meows often, what exactly are they trying to say? Since cats use meowing to “communicate” with humans, can humans reverse this and meow at cats?
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Can Cats Understand Humans Meowing?
We conducted a small experiment with a cat named Cheche, where four people each meowed at the cat, observing its reactions. Here’s what happened:⑴The cat turned its head and perked up its ears.⑵It moved its ears slightly.⑶It responded by turning its head.⑷It even meowed back.So, how does Cheche perceive our meows? Can it understand them at all?① Do Cats Understand Our Meowing?No, they don’t. It’s very difficult for humans to perfectly mimic the sound of a cat’s meow, and therefore, cats don’t reach a consensus with us. Although our meows might sound somewhat similar to us, researchers have collected data on cat meowing between 1984 and 2012, analyzing things like the length, frequency, and differences between human and cat sounds. The frequency of a cat’s meow can range from 0.30 kHz to 1200 kHz, while human speech falls primarily in the 1–3 kHz range, a tiny fraction of the cat’s vocal range.Furthermore, you can’t always be sure that your meow is used in the right context. Researchers have found that cats’ meows vary with their emotions. When in a positive mood, the tone is higher, the duration is shorter, and the pitch rises at the end. In fact, cats rarely use meowing to communicate with each other. Apart from kittens meowing to their mothers, adult cats almost never meow to other cats. So, chances are, your cat may not understand what you’re saying when you meow.In conclusion, if you’re trying to communicate with your cat by meowing, it likely won’t understand, and it may just sound like a new phrase. If meowing doesn’t work, can mimicking other cat sounds help? Unfortunately, humans find it even harder to mimic other cat sounds, such as the chattering noise cats make when they see birds or insects. Cats make this sound by vibrating their chin and teeth, and it’s almost impossible for humans to replicate. But why do some cats still respond to our meows, even when they don’t understand them?② Why Do Cats Respond to Human Meowing?While cats might not understand the content of your meows, they can still recognize your tone, body language, and facial expressions. Even if the meowing is full of grammatical holes, cats know that it’s directed at them. This is why sometimes, when you meow at them, they’ll approach you for a head rub, lie down next to you, or even meow back. If you keep meowing at your cat every day, over time, it may associate your unique meow with you, and eventually understand that it’s a greeting from you. Even though cats don’t communicate with each other through meowing, they might still respond to other meowing sounds, especially if they hear them through devices like phones. This is similar to how a cat learns to respond when you call its name regularly.
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Why Do Cats React to Other Cats’ Meows on a Phone?
When you play recordings of other cats meowing to your cat, it may react in one of the following ways:① Confirming Territory: Some cats have a strong territorial instinct, and when they hear the meow of another cat, they might immediately check to confirm whether there’s an intruder. Even if the sound is not a meow—perhaps a dog’s bark, a frog’s croak, or a bird’s call—cats remain alert. This is why sometimes, even when you’re just watching cat videos in another room, your cat might come running from the living room.② Attracted to Specific Sound Frequencies: While there hasn’t been a study to confirm whether cats can recognize meowing from electronic devices, there’s evidence suggesting they can respond to certain sound frequencies. For example, a 2013 experiment tested whether cats could recognize their owners’ voices played through electronic devices. The study showed that cats did react distinctly to their owners’ voices, suggesting that cats can indeed recognize special frequencies or tones. Similarly, the sounds of a mother cat in heat or the meows of a kitten might also be recognized by a cat through these devices.
Even though cats may not understand what you’re meowing about, it can still be a fun way to interact with them! Engaging in communication with your cat can strengthen your bond. However, be careful not to meow back and forth for too long, as your cat might start to find it a bit boring…
