Dealing with a very noisy cat

Some cats, such as the Siamese and Bengal breeds, are exponentially more noisy that others, and will often “talk” to you as part of their normal behaviours. However, if your cat is very loud or suddenly begins to meow loudly and protractedly for no apparent reason, there can be a wide range of reasons for this, and the chances are that your cat is trying to communicate something to you.

Read on to learn more about some of the reasons behind why cats might be very vocal, and some suggestions as to what they are looking for!

Mating calls

If your cat is not spayed or neutered, the chances are that they will become noisy when they are seeking a mate. For female cats this will happen every time that they are on heat, and for male cats, the presence of a cat in heat in the local area will also generate a lot of noise!

Cats looking to mate will make a range of loud and often piercing sounds and calls, and when they are actually mating, they can often sound rather fearsome. There are a whole range of other issues that the owner of an unspayed or un-neutered cat will have to face as well as excessive noise, so if you are not planning to breed from your cat, get them spayed or neutered at the first available opportunity.

I want to go in/out!

Cats are famously indecisive when it comes to deciding which side of a door they want to be on, and will often meow insistently to be let in or out if they do not have a cat flap of their own to use. This is not just restricted to gaining access to the indoors or outdoors, and cats may well meow to ask to get into other rooms of the house, or even cupboards and wardrobes that have taken their fancy and they wish to explore!

Hungry

Hungry cats are not at all shy about letting you know that their bowl is empty, and they will often meow at you insistently until you feed them. If your cat is meowing from the area in which they are fed, or sitting in front of you meowing meaningfully, check if their bowls are full or if they need a top-up.

Attention

If your cat wants to play, have a cuddle or let you know that you are not paying enough attention to them, they will often meow at you and wind themselves around your legs, or climb up into your lap or onto whatever you are doing in order to demand attention!

Some cats will even be perfectly happy to try to wake you up at night when you are asleep and they have decided that it is a good time to play, so try to make sure that your cat gets enough attention during your waking hours so that they do not disturb your sleep!

Playing

Cats at play may often be vocal, meowing and chattering to themselves while they chase string or play with their toys. This is perfectly normal, and often rather amusing to watch.

Hunting

Cats that are hunting have a whole range of vocal sounds that they may not use at any other time, from a clicking, chattering bird-like noise when something has caught their attention, to a loud, self-satisfied if rather muffled sound when they have successfully caught some unfortunate creature and are bringing it home, proclaiming their successful return!

Cat owners who own cats that are prolific hunters will often instantly recognise the sounds their cat makes when they have caught something, and know to be at the ready for the inevitable clean-up operation that will shortly follow!

Boredom

Cats that are bored may often sit and give off a rather plaintive meow to let it be known that they have nothing to do and are looking for entertainment, whether they come up to you and make a fuss about it or not! If your cat is simply sitting around and meowing in a rather fed up manner, they might simply be bored, so try and find them something to do, or encourage them to go outside and explore.

Sickness

While cats are generally very good at masking their pain and any signs of sickness or weakness, in some circumstances, cats will meow to let you know that they are hurt or in pain. This type of meow is usually very distinctive, and will often instantly let you know that something is amiss.

Pay particular attention if your cat mews or makes a noise when going to the toilet, as this is unusual and often indicative of a problem. If your cat is constipated or has to strain to pass faeces, or experiences pain when urinating, they may well make pained sounds when going to the toilet.