I've noticed that sometimes my cat will meow from the other room so I'll answer asking what's up, making sure to say his name, and he's usually content with that unless he approaches me. 🤷♂️
Yeah object permanence is not strong with mine either. She'll go into another room, forget I exist, scream, I respond, she's like, "Oh hey, you're right where I left you!"
my cat loses it if she wakes up and can't see me.
I live in a studio. there aren't a lot of "out of sight" options. at one point, there was just a screen between me, in my computer chair, and her, on the bed. we still did the whole call and response.
she doesn't look for me, she just starts yelling until I respond.
aww. ya I have complete conversations with my ragdoll, I'll say you have a nice nap?! and he'll go YA!!! and he'll sit by his treat box and do a really hi pitched beg like PLEASE!!! they're really entertaining animals
Why does this keep appearing? Cats most definitely do communicate by meowing too. I'd really love it if our village cats didn't chose the street out my widow a midnight as their debate grounds, shit's loud af and I always have to climb out the window to break up the fight.
Yeah... My oldest cat makes different noises for different requests. Yowling near door to go outside, chirping near bowls for dinner, and little mews while following you around to be picked up. And I'm not really sure it's an outlier case as the other two younger cats are starting to learn to do the same.
Yeah, I'd like to see a source for this. There have been many proposed theories for why cats vocalize to humans, especially because "meowing" is not common between cats except for kittens. How do we know that it isn't a request for food or attention?
As a cat person, I find most explanations of cat behaviour generalised and ingomplete; scientific or not. My Siamese cat yells at me when I have not met my side of our obligations.
Consistency is important for children and animals.
We get up at sunrise, so he will nuzzle or meow to be let in if he's locked out of my room.
We get wet food at 7am, and if I'm late he will not be impressed and yell until we are in the kitchen. However, if I'm on time, he will sit on the counter and say a quick meow to let me know he's ready and a good boy.
He will bring his toys to me when it's time to play, if I don't notice he'll let me know.
When there's something outside and I come watch he'll look at me and do a little chirp, approving my presence and proud of what he's found
And when we get home he greets us with the back and forward calling and a nuzzle.
There's much more nonverbal communication than verbal. Everyone knows when their cat is scared or excited, but with a good relationship you can tell when they're anxious or in pain. Cat's know human non-verbal communicotion; they know when you're sad, it just depends on the cat if they'll cuddle or knock you're nick-nacks off a shelf.
Meowing is very common among cats. Go look up videos on YouTube where people attach GoPros to their outdoor cats and see them interact with other cats in the neighborhood.
It can be both. I think it really depends on the specific cat and person. My cat "barks" for needs, "whines" when he loses us, and meows for attention or to get vocalization back. I think attentive cat owners probably know their cat and because it's adaptive behavior it's not the same across the board.
Iirc, interpersonal communication between cats is done at a frequency that humans can't hear, which is part of why they yell at us.
We have one cat with likely brain damage (he got super sick as a kitten) who tries to communicate with us on that frequency, so it looks like he's silently meowing.
Whenever my cats meow at me it usually means "I love you I love you!! (Please give tummy rubs (but not too many tummy rubs because then I will kill you))"