Why do cats meow?

Different Cat Meows And Their Meanings

1) Demanding, loud meows

It usually doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out what Kitty means when she issues a loud meow. It can usually be translated as "I want my dinner / a treat / let outside etc. etc. NOW!" Her body language and where she's standing will confirm the verbal demand.

2) Quiet, almost inaudible or even silent meows

There's usually no mistaking this one, either. Kitty is either saying "I'm really cute, give me immediate attention," or she's asking for something that she knows she shouldn't get - like some of your dinner while you're still eating it, for example. And heck, it works. She knows that you'll become putty in her paws the instant she pulls this little stunt.

3) Howls

A really loud howl may indicate Kitty is in pain, injured or seriously upset. You should always investigate when she howls loudly, to make sure she's OK.

Some clever cats learn that howling like a banshee gets them attention, so they'll do it solely for this reason. If yours falls into this category, still check up on her when she howls, but if she's just doing it for attention, don't give her any at that point. For advice on curbing excessive cat meowing, click here.

4) Screeching associated with fighting

Cat fighting screeches are frightening and unmistakable. Why do cats meow before and during a fight? Sometimes, if a cat screeches loud enough, he will frighten the other cat off before a fight has even begun. If not, screeching usually continues through the fight as it's adding to the cat's general aggressive behavior.

5) Hissing

Cat hissing is also unmistakable. It may be associated with cat fighting, or it may be telling a human, dog or other animal to back off in no uncertain terms. It is best to back off if a cat is hissing at you, unless you're trying to set an unusual new fashion trend in cat bites and cat scratches. You're best to let her calm down, and approach her later when she's in a less aggressive frame of mind.

6) Other meows

There are lots of meows that don't fall into the above categories. They can mean all sorts of things. By listening to Kitty's meows in different circumstances, and watching her behavior at the same time, you'll eventually be able to work out what many of them mean.

The answer to the question "why do cats meow?" isn't at all straightforward. Kitty is an intelligent, complex little creature, and you can have a fascinating and thoroughly enjoyable time trying to figure her out.

Why do cats lick people?

When a cat licks you, it can serve several purposes. Grooming, affection (which grooming is a part of), tasting, and leaving their scent on you.

Especially kittens use licking to taste new things. Even if their sense of taste isn't as developed as that of humans, they still behave like human children and learn about new things by tasting them.

If you meet other cats while you're away, your cat will smell them on you -- even if you didn't really cuddle the other cat, since a cat's sense of smell is about ten times as acute as ours -- and will "mark" you as HER (or his) human, so the other cats don't think you're a stray and try to adopt you ;p If you did pet the other cats, your cat will cover their scent with her (or his) own, and at the same time learn as much as possible about the other cat.

Cats groom their kittens to care for them, to keep them healthy and to show them they are loved. A cat will do the same to you, of course, since she likes you and wants to show you that she cares about you. =)

I don't know that much about dogs and why they lick people though ^^ So I can't say if they have different reasons or not (well, slightly different, I guess).

Why do cats sleep so much?

There's no doubt about it: cats sure know how to sleep. Although the amount of time spent napping varies from cat to cat, and depends on the cat's age and personality, felines spend an average of 13 to 16 hours each day curled up in slumber. Only the opossum and the bat sleep more – napping away almost 20 hours a day.

Nobody is sure why cats sleep so much. Cats evolved from a long line of hunters and predators – and their sleep patterns reflect that. For one thing, they are crepuscular (most active at dawn and dusk), since most of their prey is active at these times. This gives them plenty of time to sleep during the middle of the day.

The cat's diet may play an important role in its sleep patterns. Large grazing herbivores must graze for hours to supply their bodies with enough food. But the protein-rich diet of the cat does not require such an investment of time, and allows him plenty of time for napping.

Of course, today's modern indoor cat sometimes sleeps out of boredom. You can help your kitty by providing plenty of stimulation during the day – this can be in the form of toys, a companion, or by spending quality playtime with you. If he has plenty to do during the day, he may prefer to stay awake then, and sleep more during the night when you do.

What Happens During Sleep

Sleep consists of two basic phases: Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep, when dreams occur, and Non-REM (NREM) or deep sleep. If a cat is deprived of either sort of sleep, it becomes confused and irritable.

During NREM sleep, your cat's body repairs and regenerates itself. Kittens build their muscles and bones. The immune system strengthens and revitalizes. Kittens need more NREM sleep than adults and with advancing years the amount of NREM sleep diminishes.

During REM sleep, your cat's eyes move behind the eyelids, limbs twitch, and whiskers move around. Up to 60 percent of your cat's sleep is REM sleep, three times more than we have when we are asleep.

Cats Really Catnap

Newborn kittens sleep most of the time, but this keeps them safe in the nest and also keeps them quiet so that they don't attract predators. As they mature, young cats sleep patterns begin to conform to those of adults, with them tending to sleep in naps rather than having one long rest. Again this has to do with their predatory nature.

Cats in the wild must be on the alert in order to survive. When your domestic cat sleeps, his finely tuned senses are still active and ready to spring into action. Watch your cat while he's napping. His ears rotate as he stays in touch with his environment, and if he hears a noise or senses that someone is approaching, he will open his eyes to assess the situation before falling back to sleep. If you try to wake a sleeping cat, he can transform from deeply sleeping cat to one that's fully alert in a matter of seconds – and then back again.

*Cats Sleep...Anywhere

...any table...any chair...top of piano...window ledge...in the middle...on the edge...

Your cat looks for a place that feels comfortable and safe and has the right temperature. When the weather is warm, he seeks high shaded sleeping nooks, where he can stretch out. During the cool winter months he'll find a place bathed in the warm sunshine or sidle up to heat source, and there he'll curl up with face between paws to reduce body heat loss.

You can make a comfortable bed for your kitty or choose from the variety of plush feline beds at your pet store. However, if you are so inclined, you can let your cat sleep in his favorite place – your bed. In a recent poll, 60 percent of cat owners admitted that they share their beds with a cat. Advocates of this method say it strengthens the human-feline bond – not to mention the warmth and comfort your cat provides you.

Why do cats purr?

When your cat climbs into your lap, tucks in his paws under himself, and begins to purr, all is right in his world. This is one of the things we love about our cats; that feeling of contentment they share with us. When cats become soft purring bundles of warm reassuring fur, we feel calmer and more peaceful ourselves. We may not always hear the purring – a soft vibrating rumble – but we can feel it. But why do cats purr? And what produces this characteristic sound?

According to veterinarian Bruce Fogle, author of The Cat's Mind, the original function of purring was to enable a kitten to communicate with his mother that things are well. A kitten is able to purr by the second day of life, and although he can't meow and nurse at the same time, he can purr and nurse. And the mother cat often purrs back, probably to reassure the kitty.

There are many theories to explain how the purr is generated. One study determined that purring involves activation of nerves within the voice box. These nerve signals cause vibration of the vocal cords while the diaphragm serves as a piston pump, pushing air in and out of the vibrating cords, thus creating a musical hum. Veterinarian Neils C. Pederson, author of Feline Husbandry, believes that purring is initiated from within the central nervous system and is a voluntary act. In other words, cats purr only when they want to.

Purring is an integral part of the feline communication system and occurs for a variety of reasons. It is classified with the "murmur vocalization" group, which involves sounds produced by a cat while the mouth is closed. In addition to purring, this group of sounds includes grunting, calling, and acknowledgment murmurs. Domestic cats and some wild cats, like pumas and mountain lions (almost any big cat that cannot roar), are all able to purr.

As the cat matures the meaning of the purr changes. Some cats purr to indicate contentment or pleasure, but badly frightened cats and severely ill cats also purr, and so do females while they are delivering their kittens. It is not uncommon for cats to purr when they are close to death. This final purring may indicate a state of anxiety or possibly euphoria, states that have also been described in terminally ill people.

Animal behaviorists believe that when cats purr under stressful circumstances, they are reassuring or comforting themselves, much as humans may sing to themselves or hum when they are nervous. Frightened cats may purr to communicate submissiveness or non-aggressive intentions. A feral cat may purr to signal that he will not attack and other cats need not feel threatened. Older cats may purr when they play or approach other cats, signaling that they are friendly and want to come closer.

A more recent theory about purring is that it is caused by the release of nature's own morphine-like substances (endorphins) in the brain. Since endorphins are released under circumstances of pain and pleasure, this would explain the seemingly ambiguous expression of purring. This theory jives with Pederson's reasoning, that purring is initiated in the brain, and is also compatible with the more mechanical explanations for purring, as endorphins activate one of the main action systems in the brain (so thought is translated into movement). Whatever the explanation for purring, it seems to indicate cats' contentment and is associated with improvement in their affect at times of stress. Purring is one of cats' most endearing qualities.

Why are there no cats in the bible?

There is no direct mention of cats in the translated Bible. It is known that the Israelites distrusted everything associated with the Egyptians, who ruled over them. The fact that the Egyptians held cats in such high esteem encouraged the occupied population to despise them almost as much as they hated the occupiers, so this may be the reason why they are not mentioned in the Bible.

Why are dogs better than cats?

Many people think that a cat is more exotic and fancy but I am here to inform you that you shouldn’t believe a word those crazy cat lovers say because dogs make the world go round here are 15 reasons why dogs are better then cats.

1. Dogs are Happy. Dogs think your the best person in the world even if you are grumpy, when you come home from school or work your Dogs will be there licking your face and jumping around and they cant wait to see you, while cats don’t notice if you are there or not as long as they get their food.

2. Dogs Care. A dog can sense when you are sad and they will comfort you to make you feel better, cats don’t give a rats arse.

3. Dogs Protect. If a robber comes in or a fire starts the dog will tell you while the cat just pretends it never saw it or just creep through the window if a fire is going on.

4. Dogs Play. Dogs will play with a ball or a toy with you for as long as there energy will hold while the only things cats play with is their bugs and mice.

5. Dogs are better for health. Dogs need to be walked it may seem like a drag but this is probably the only real walking you get for the day so it will make you live longer.

6. Dogs listen when you call. When you call your dogs name it will come running to you without fail, with a cat if it even knows its name it most likely wont come to you unless you have a can of food in your hand.

7. Dogs Listen. When you talk to dogs they will make faces and tilt there head and try to work out what your saying while cats just meow and walk away.

8. Dogs can do Tricks. You have to admit dogs can do some pretty cool tricks like rolling over sitting down catching balls and fetching things while the only trick a cat does is that it claws your face and furniture in two minutes flat.

9. Dogs Love. Dogs will love you until the day they die but on the other hand cats will make you suffer for every mistake you have ever done since you have been born.

10. Dogs are more Hygienic. Although some may argue that cats are more hygienic because they wash themselves but when they wash themselves they get fur balls and cough it up on the table and cats run all over your house touching everything with their paws and you don’t know where they have been while dogs are content on the ground.

11. Dogs aren’t selfish. Dogs will help you if your in trouble and are extremely loyal to their owners while cats only care about themselves.

12. Dogs get the girls. If you are a guy do you think a cat will get the girls? the answer is no only dogs will.

13. Dogs are variety. Dogs come in all shapes, sizes and colour to suit what the owner wants but cats are pretty boring as they really only vary in colour.

14. Dogs and sneezing. Its been proved that if a child is with a dog the first few years of their life it builds up their immune system and helps prevent asthma and sneezing allergy’s.

15. Dogs are Smart. Dogs are smarter then cats by fact and they will learn tricks and basic commandments easy and its also a load of fun.

I hope you agree with the above reasons if you have anything to add to the list or disagree with one of them just comment below.