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Why Does My Cat Meow So Much?

Cats meow as a way to communicate with their pet parents. Likewise, kittens meow to communicate with their mothers. However, excessive vocalisations and meowing can become an issue. As a pet parent, it can be difficult to determine when meowing has become excessive and when you should take them to the vet.

Why Do Cats Meow?

There are several common reasons why cats meow, including the following:

To greet their pet parents: When you have been away at work all day, some cats may meow when you return home as their way of saying hi or letting you know they missed you.
To express hunger or thirst: Many cats will let you know when their food dish or water bowl is empty, and they are hungry or thirsty.
To signal pain: Most cats will hide pain and discomfort fairly well. However, some cats will meow when the pain is excessive to let their pet parents know something is wrong.
To let you know they are bored or lonely: Some cats will meow when bored or lonely and want attention.
To let you know they want to play: Cats can meow when playing with their pet parents or to indicate they want to play, especially if they bring you their favourite toy.
To let you know they want affection: Most cats will meow when they want affection from their pet parents and when they want more.
To let you know they want to go outside or come indoors: Cats will meow to let you know to let them out or back inside.
To let you know they are scared or stressed: When cats become scared or overly stressed, they can start meowing excessively, as when you take them to the vet.
To signify they are looking for a mate: If your cat is not spayed or neutered, they will meow and even yowl while in heat.
To let you know their litter box is dirty: If your cat uses a litter box, they can meow to let you know it is dirty and needs to be cleaned.
It is in their DNA: Some cat breeds naturally will meow more than others, such as siamese cats.
When they are going deaf or blind: As cats get older, they can lose their hearing or sight. As such, it is common for them to start meowing more.
To indicate a medical issue: Cats can meow when they have some type of medical issues, such as kidney disease, feline cognitive dysfunction, urinary tract infections, hypertension, and hyperthyroidism.

Why Does My Cat Meow More at Night?

Most cats are nocturnal and sleep most of the day. At night, they are up, active, and ready to play, seek attention, and eat, and they want to engage with their pet parents. They do not understand why their pet parents want to sleep.

However, most pet parents will find out what their cat wants and give it to them just to get them to stop meowing so they can sleep. In addition, if you let your cat go outside, they may wake you up to let you know they want to go out or meow at the door when they want back in.

Unfortunately, doing this reinforces meowing as a desired behaviour since the cat got what it wanted. Instead, it is better to ensure your cat’s food and water dishes are full before you go to bed. Furthermore, it is beneficial to install a cat door to allow your cat to go outside and come back indoors whenever they want.

When Should I Be Concerned About Excessive Meowing?

As mentioned, excessive meowing may indicate that your cat is suffering from a medical or behavioural issue. If your cat’s meowing becomes excessive and does not respond to attempts at distraction, attention, food, or water, it is best to take them to the vet for a checkup.

Why You Should Never Punish a Cat for Meowing a Lot

Punishing a cat for meowing a lot will not do much good. While, initially, it may get your cat to stop, it rarely has any lasting effect. Instead, it can cause your cat to become more stressed and anxious around you. They can even become afraid of you. So, you can make the problem worse.

Why You Should Not Ignore Your Cat’s Excessive Meowing

It is essential to not ignore your cat when they are meowing until you determine the cause. If they are meowing because they want you to do something, and you do not want to reinforce their behaviour, then it is okay to ignore them. In other cases, it is safer to assume there is something wrong that could require a visit to the vet.

Find the “Purrfect” Cat Door for Your Cat

When you want to give your cat the freedom to enter and leave the house on their own, you can find a wide assortment of pet doors to suit your needs at Australia Pet Doors. We even have microchip pet doors that work with your cat’s microchip. Browse our pet doors today or contact us at +61-437-644-330.