Children’s books teach us that cats make one sound and one sound
only: a polite meow. This isn’t true. As anyone who’s ever owned a cat
knows, cat sounds transform and mutate far beyond basic
cat meowing. Watch
and listen to videos of nine of the more bizarre cat sounds out there —
plus some revelations about what those cat sounds really mean.
Cat Sound #1: The Clickety Chirp
This is one of those cat sounds that all cat parents know. Your cat
posts up at the window, spies some birds frolicking outside and decides
the best way to terrorize them is by broadcasting a sound that mixes
mimicking the avian enemy —
the chirp part
— with a repetitious clicking noise. Apparently, no battle cat in
history has yet to realize that the birds always seem completely unfazed
by this form of attack.
Cat Sound #2: The Friendly Trill
I like to think of the
trill — a shorter and shriller version of the standard meow — as one of the cat sounds that
enthusiastically says, “Yes!” I’ve deduced this from my own feline,
Mimosa, who lets out a series of trills every time I approach the spot
on the kitchen counter where I keep her treats and toys. Unfortunately
for Mims, the bag is next to the spice drawer, so her treat dreams are
raised and then cruelly dashed every time I cook.
Cat Sound #3: The Bark
According to internet lore, there exist a few rare cases of
cats appearing to make a noise like a dog’s bark.
Science claims the noise is possibly due to the similarities between
feline and canine larynxes, tracheas and other such biological things.
But the real reason these cat sounds occur has more to do with the ego:
If your cat is barking, he’s obviously casting shade on the primitive
language of a dog.
Cat Sound #4: The Bleat
Ignore all that inter-species posturing above: When kittens bleat like baby goats it’s quite wonderful.
Cat Sound #5: The “Mom”
Also, zoology and biology be damned! If you gleefully refer to
yourself as your cat’s mom or dad, the next step is teaching your
cherubic little one to say your name — just like this “talking” tabby,
Peanut.
Cat Sound #6: The Midnight Whine
I first came across the midnight whine while in an unfortunate
roommate situation. The cohabiting human had two cats of the medically
obese variety. Her solution was to use one of those automatic, timed
feeding stations. Unfortunately, the contraption did not work — as in,
no food was ever dispensed at night. Cue two previously quiet and polite
felines
howling and
whining about their hunger pangs all through the witching hour. These cat sounds were truly the stuff of literal night terrors.
Cat Sound #7: The Demonic Growl
This is among the
angry cat sounds out there! When your cat expels a
guttural growl
from the deepest depths of her stomach, you know something is seriously
amiss with the world around her. Usually, that something is either your
very presence or something you’ve forgotten to do, like, you know, not
having offered up any treats for over two hours now. Never take your
chances with cat sounds like these.
Cat Sound #8: The Cartoon Scurry
You know those cartoons where a character runs frantically on the
spot for a few seconds to bowling ball sound effects before bombing off
in a new direction? Yep, cats can do that, too. It usually happens
during a play session or, say, when you mischievously flick a drop of
water at her. The sound of a cat’s frantically scurrying claws on
hardwood floors never fails to raise a smile.
Cat Sound #9: The Sleep Siren
It’s exhausting work being a cat, what with having to fit in 16 hours of
sleep sessions and naps each and every day. Naturally, sometimes your blissful
dreams
about bathing in an oasis of wet food gravy become so vivid that you’re
moved to get vocal. These cat sounds come across as slightly muted
whines mixed with a few of those patented cat chirps.
