Why is your Maine Coon constantly meowing? Maine Coon owners are sure that their pets are the smartest, understand everything, and know how to talk. Let it be in their own language, but they can be understood. They can purr, purr, scream, hiss. But it’s one thing if the cat meows, joyfully rushing to the feeder for a portion of delicious food or purrs, comfortably sitting on the lap of the hostess. It’s another matter if the cat meows all the time. There are reasons for that. It is important to understand whether the pet is just being naughty or something is bothering her.
The reasons why the cat walks and meows
If we discard the periodic purring or meowing, which means that the cat wants to have lunch, there may be more than five reasons why the cat often meows. In any case, this is a way to attract attention to yourself. In this way, he shows that he feels discomfort or even feels pain. The task of the owner is to understand the reason for this behavior and react correctly: give her a treat, arrange a comfortable place for her in the house or show her to the veterinarian.
Kittens are not familiar with many instincts of adult cats, they still do not know how to manipulate their owners. Kittens meow from hunger, fear or because they are frozen.
And what does the meowing of adults mean?
- I’m hungry! You forgot to fill the feeder. It’s time for lunch, and the bowl is empty. The cat will come and “tell” about it. This behavior is especially characteristic if pets are fed not on demand, but on schedule. A reflex is developed.
- I’m glad! Therefore, I meow with happiness that the owner returns home after a long absence (even if only a day has passed).
- I’m bored! Cats, of course, are freedom-loving animals, walking by themselves. However, they often want to be petted, stroked, played with.
- Am I in pain or bad! Take a closer look at the cat. In what cases does it meow? Maybe her paw hurts. Or does it signal with a voice / when leaving the toilet? In the first case, you can notice how the cat limps or licks a sore paw. In the second, coping with a small need causes pain, inconvenience. There may be problems with the bladder, kidneys. You need to show your pet to a veterinarian. Although it is possible that the cleaner just needs to clean up in the tray.
- I’m scared! The animal is able to experience stress when moving to a new place, during transportation to a veterinary clinic, while waiting for a veterinarian’s appointment, in the absence of a beloved family member. Listen to how plaintively the cat meows. It’s not pain, but stress. Help to survive it, stroke it, calm it down with affectionate words spoken in a quiet voice.
- I need a gentleman (lady)! During estrus, an unsterilized female Maine Coon begins to meow strongly, even at night. Non-castrated males scream if they feel a female nearby.
- I’m getting old! With age, cats begin to feel anxious, their consciousness begins to get confused (in scientific terms, cognitive dysfunction), they do not see, hear well and orient themselves in space. That’s why the cat meows for no reason – nothing physically hurts, but feels insecure, suffers from impotence. It is necessary to help the pet – there are also medications for animals that can alleviate suffering.
Sometimes a cat meows for no apparent reason. If a couple of times a capricious pet asked for something, for example, to leave the bedroom door open or a yummy, she already understands at the level of instinct that she can achieve what she wants again with her voice. Cats that are naturally deaf also meow loudly, they do not hear their voice and cannot vary its volume.
How to react to the cat’s meowing
What should I do if the cat meows? First, you should find out if this behavior is related to health. Having excluded this point, you can engage in his upbringing or continue to pamper.
Keep in mind that it will take a long time to re-educate, it will require determination, consistency, nerves of steel from you. The cat is already used to the fact that he gets what he wants, it is only necessary to meow. But it is still possible to retrain him. The main thing here is not to give up and endure. Show weakness, you’ll have to start all over again. Moreover, the cat will start meowing even more. If you withstand the peak of aggression, he will gradually calm down.
How the cat meows
If desired, you can learn to distinguish between meowing by timbre or duration.
- Short, but multiple “Mrr-Meow” – the joy that the owner has returned or finally goes to bed, you can curl up next to him.
- A short “Meow” is a greeting in response to our “Good morning”. Or the answer “I’m here” to the question “Where are you?”
- The usual meowing is hunger.
- Prolonged “Meow” is a demand for something: change the filler in the tray, open the door.
- “Mrr-Meow” in a low voice is a cat’s complaint about the lack of water or food in the bowl.
- A sharp “Mrr-Meow” in a high voice is an inconvenience or fear. The cat is uncomfortable sleeping, they stepped on her tail, pressed her paw, she was scared.
- Prolonged “Purr-Meow” in a high voice – pain.
And sometimes the cat meows, telling how bored she was, how the day went, that is, she wants to chat.
Listen to the pet, watch her behavior. This way you will be able to recognize what is bothering her and quickly respond to pain or discomfort.