Since we can remember, we associate that each animal has a particular sound: dogs go “woof” and cats go “meow”. However, if you have or are living with a cat, you know that this statement is not entirely true, because your kitty emits a wide spectrum of sounds and may some even surprise you, because reminds you of words
Without a doubt, felines have been endowed with a great capacity to surprise us, for this reason, it is not strange that chatty cats cause us some laughter when we hear them pronounce sounds similar to human words. But do cats really talk? I mean, are there cats that talk like people? If you are wondering how it is possible for your cat to pronounce words clearly, in this article on our site we explain why.
How do cats communicate with people?
Cats are animals that have a large part of their communication through sound, although they also have the ability to communicate through body language and smell. For this reason, these animals have a wide range of sounds that they can emit, from soft purrs to deep growls, with which to express their intentions, needs and state of mind to other cats or their human guardian. cheer up
Now, you may be wondering: is this behavior instinctive? The truth is that much of the cat's communication has an innate origin, latent within each feline, for this reason all cats express their anger, joy, etc. in a similar way. But it is also true that much of your communication with us is learned
What does this mean? To begin with, we must look at a curious fact about how cats interact with us as opposed to how they do with others of the same species. Their form of communication is completely differentA cat will hardly meow at another cat, unless it needs something from it: if it is its mother and the kitten is still young or as part of mating, in which it calls out to a mate. Therefore, we see how the puppies communicate with their mother through a child's language, which once they grow up and become independent, is replaced by an adult language. And adult cats don't usually make demands on each other (for food, for example).
As you may have already deduced, your cat communicates with you in the same way as he would with his mother, because you are his attachment figure and, therefore, the one that meets their physiological needs and physical and emotional security, as we explained in this other article on Do cats love their owners? That is to say, the language that he uses with you throughout his life is that of a puppy. In fact, a surprising study[1] carried out by the University of Sussex (United Kingdom) revealed that the tone used by our kittens when purring is similar to the of a human baby, which awakens in us the instinctive need to help and protect him For this reason, it is believed that cats are "manipulators", because when they meow requesting something, they emit a slight purr, a fact that makes us perceive their request as something urgent.
For more information, you can consult this other article on our site where we explain in more detail everything about the language and communication of cats.
Cats that talk like people, do they exist?
Each cat meows in a unique and inimitable way and their guardians are able to identify the meow of their feline compared to that of other cats. This phenomenon is due to the great learning and adaptation capacity that felines have, through which they are able to use different types of sounds depending on their situation and needs.
How is this possible? Our cats learn to modulate the sounds they make: if they get what they want by meowing in a specific way, they will continue to make this sound more frequently. The range of sounds you can make can vary from high to low and use different sounds, such as “mi” or “me”, for example. Also, depending on the context, they can prolong the sound indefinitely until they get what they want, for example “meeeeee”. It is thanks to this variability that there are cats that learn to use the funniest sounds, such as “mooo”, making us think that the furry one is saying “no”.
In this way, given the daily interactions with your pet, it can learn to make peculiar sounds, even resembling words, thanks to its great sound capacity, causing the most curious situations in which it seems that your cat speaks.
At this point you may also be interested in this other article on Why does my cat meow when he sees me?
Do all cats talk?
The truth is that despite what has been said above, not all cats have the same predisposition to being “talkative”. There are multiple breeds of felines and, among these, there are some that are especially prone to emitting all kinds of sounds.
As a general rule, those cats that are especially active, affectionate and dependent are the most willing to interact in this way with their owners, for For example, Siamese cats. On the contrary, cats that tend to be more independent, do not usually meow as much or emit varied sounds. Of course this largely depends not only on genetics, but on how they were raised as a child, if they have been properly socialized and if they like contact human.
If you want to know which cats tend to have a closer emotional bond with their guardians, don't miss this other article on our site about The most affectionate cat breeds.
What does my cat want to tell me?
As you have seen, there is no single dictionary of the cat language. Now, if you know your feline it will be easy for you to deduce how it communicates with you and what it wants to express to you at all times Let's see then what your cat could be asking of you when contacting you:
- Feed me/I'm thirsty: if he's hungry and the bowl is empty or if he's seen you open his favorite can of pâté, don't be surprised that he insistently asks you.
- Pamper me: If your cat is lonely or wants to be petted, he will come to you and let you know rubbing against you
- Open the door/I want to go out: Does this situation ring a bell? Unfortunately, your cat doesn't have hands, and for this reason, if a closed door is blocking his way to the other side, he will let you know cby standing in front of it until you open it.
- Welcome home: It's not just dogs who come to greet their human companions, some cats also often express their joy at seeing you afterwards for a long time.
- I'm not feeling well: If your cat is uncomfortable or sick, he may meow excessively, more than usual. usual. Although the opposite could also happen and your cat meows less than normal. If you have observed abnormal behavior in your feline, you should quickly take it to the vet for a proper diagnosis. In this other article we explain how to know if my cat is sick?
