This is one of those questions that can only be answered by the cat. There are many different reasons a cat might be unusually meowy. Sometimes it’s hormonal, sometimes it’s territorial. Sometimes it’s because they’re in pain, sometimes it’s because they want something they don’t have. And sometimes, it’s because they’re just a yowling kind of cat.
Some cats, dogs, and people are naturally more vocal than others. Our dog Pearl barks when she’s excited, happy, hopeful, threatened, lonely, or tired of waiting for me to wake up and open the door to their bedroom so she can get busy enjoying another day in Paradise.
Our cat Robin meows for food, water, and attention. He YOWLS to provoke a response from our cat Glenn, who ignores him until he’s finally had enough, and then they spat with each other until some fur flies. It’s all just for show, nobody ever gets hurt, but it’s just what two bully-cats do to satisfy their desire for supremacy, no matter how temporary.
Glenn does a soft chattering meow to entice birds and geckos to come closer, then a triumphant but strangled-sounding meow when he parades around to show off his captive prize. (He usually lets it go as soon as he shows it to me. I keep an open-door bird cage on my office lanai for birds who need time to recuperate until they feel steady enough to fly away.)
Blue meows to welcome me whenever I go out into the yard, and he keeps on meowing until he’s had his fill of petting. He often comes to distract me from my weed-pulling activities (especially if I’m sitting on the outdoor stool that I use to micromanage a patch of grass), so we recently had a conversation about timing.
I don’t like to waste too much yard time doing pettings. I’d rather Blue come inside and sit in my lap when I’m reading or watching TV. Unfortunately, Blue doesn’t like to come inside because the stairwell is a pinch point that our bully cats like to guard. But concessions will have to be made for Blue to get all the petting he deserves. I promised to kick out all bullying cats whenever Blue comes indoors, and to give him my mostly undivided attention when he comes to sit in my lap. So now he’s been favoring us with his presence during more opportune petting times and leaving me alone to micromanage the grass. It’s a win-win!
