How much do Cats meow?

[JDG]

Colin and I were talking about meowing. Our neigbours beautiful cat is a meower. . . you can hear here every time you are out in the hall. . . .

Marty and Minou in comparison are very quiet. We often wonder if the are TOO quiet.

How much meowing is normal?

Is a quiet cat normal?

[Prin]

From the little I know about kitties, it depends on the cat. But really, in my opinion, it depends on how well the cat has trained you. If he has to keep telling you what he wants, there will be more meowing. If you understand the first time, then he doesn't have to tell you over and over.

[april21h1]

I think it depends on the cat. Honey is a meower, Fu only meows sometimes. I think it is part of their personality. Honey will talk to me all the time. Fu is very quiet only hear him maybe once a day.

[Rita]

The Boyz hardly ever meow ... except at feeding times then it's just little mews that say "Daddy, hurry up and serve us!!!"
Our previous cat (RIP) meowed a lot as she got older ... I think part of that was because she was deaf and couldn't hear us; if she was in a different room than us she would meow so I would have to go and "show" her that I was there then she would stop meowing

[CyberKitten]

It very much depends on the cat, his or her surroundings (if people ecourage meowing, there will be meowing). Then again, some cats are jsut meowers. Siamese for example, have a distinctive meowing vocabulary and YY talks almost all the time. My mother jokes that anyone who tried to kidnapped er catnapped would be treated to very loud yowls and probably be dissuaded. (I can hope!! - she is also super friendly and needs to meet everyone who enters my er HER home!!). But people who have Siamese know this when they adopt one. If not, they'd better like a tlkative cat. Some Siamese of course are quiter wven tho term "Mellow Siamese" could be an oxymoron, lol

The Sphynx are quieter but they, like the Siamese are almost "doglike" (with my apologies to my felines) in their desire to follow you around, play fetchand be almost on top of the door whern the doorbell rings. I have quite a welcomg party now )

I don't think there is any "standard" for meowing. Every cat has his or her own meowing pattern and most cat people understand their cat - or should, lol

[Sneaky2006]

I don't know the norm either. But all of my cats meow when their food dish is empty.. or when we walk near it even when it isn't empty.
Stormy meows when the laser pointer comes out. And the boys meow when they're on the hunt for some womens.

My mom's cat meows a LOT! I hear her every time we're on the phone. My mom also swears she meows a "hello" back at her cause that's what my mom normally says to her. I haven't heard it yet... and I'm still waiting for it.

[lil' iggy pop]

I have one cat which the vet said might have some Siamese in her, she's very vocal. Talks when she wants food, the tap turned on, when anyone's near the ''big white box" and about 1/2 hour before it's time for us to wake up. She's like a personal alarm clock, although a little fast for my bed-headed liking!

Our younger cat is 3/4 Siamese and is quite quiet. He will meow when we come home at the end of the day and let out the occasional squeak. He does, however, like to announce an impending #2 in the litter box and has quite an alarming yowl right before he projectile vomits. I think in the latter case the yowling might be what he needs to do to help bring up the food. In case you were wondering, there's nothing medically wrong with him. Sometimes he just inhales his food too fast and I guess that upsets his tummy. He's actually learning to eat slower and we monitor the amounts in his dish so he can't binge.

Our neighbours across the street has an indoor/outdoor heinz 57 cat that will sit on the porch and meow. Sometimes we meow at each other from across the street, I must seem like some crazy cat lady to the people around us.

Anyway, back to the point, it all depends on the cat and what they feel like doing. We like to think they're really "talking" so we'll carry out nonsensical conversations with them.

[Roxy's_MA]

My mom's cat is 18 years old, and we have maybe heard her meow once or twice in her whole life. She does however, purr, growl & hiss.

[jessi76]

quiet cats are definately normal, i had one once, who i thought actually couldn't meow, because she never did. she'd open her mouth and most often nothing came out, except sometimes an occassional squeek, so i knew she wasn't mute, but she didn't meow either. My current cats are the opposite, they won't zip it! they talk to everyone and everything.

[sammiec]

ITA with the other posts, it definately depends on the cat. There's nothing wrong with a cat that doesn't meow.

My cat meows to tell me that he's hungry. So I feed him.

My dog doesn't bark unless she's playing. She doesn't even bark when someone comes to the door.

[JDG]

Ok good! Once again, they are 'normal'

They do meow - just in comparision to the girl next door, they are quiet as. . . uh. .. . . mice!!!! - Next door neigbours cat is constantly yaking. . .

I think the kittens answer me, I ask them if they are hungry and then they perk up make some chirping and mewwwwing noises and walk around in circles. . . .

Minou too likes eveyone to know when she is in the bathroom. She sorta quietly 'sings' like to let people know its her private time in the bathroom and not to disturb her. . . .

Thanks for all the replies everyone. . .

[Rita]

Originally Posted by JDG

Minou too likes eveyone to know when she is in the bathroom. She sorta quietly 'sings' like to let people know its her private time in the bathroom and not to disturb her. . . .

That's too funny I've heard of people singing in the shower, but I've never heard of a cat singing in the litter box

[JDG]

Its very funny!

I wish I could discribe the sounds she makes, kinda humming or a wuuurrring sound. . .You know when people try to make a purrring sound? It sounds like that - not purring, but people trying to purrrr if that makes sense. . ..