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Meow? Mrrrrrrow? Mrow? Meeeeeeoew? Do you speak cat? Do you sometimes with you did? Did you know that cats meow to people, but very rarely to other cats? Adult cats, living apart from humans, have very clear communication with one another. Cat language is spoken mostly through scent, then through facial expression, complex body language, and touch. Cat sounds for vocal communication involve caterwauls for mating, chattering upon spotting prey, hissing to ward off an intruder, or shrieking when hurt or terrified. Meowing is not part of natural cat language. Meow-ese, it would seem, is a language developed exclusively for humans, outside of a mom cat taking to her kittens. Our friends at Petcentric have delved into all the reasons cats meow to communicate, and we’re happy to share it with you right here!

The only meowing in cat language is done between mom cat and her young kittens. A kitten’s tiny “mew” is a cute, endearing sound, used to solicit attention and care from mom cat. Once the kittens are grown the mews and meows stop.

So why do cats meow to people? Because meowing is what works. Your cat is dependent on you, and quickly learns that you are clearly not picking up the scent messages she leaves on your things, and you are not completely fluent in cat body language.

The disarming “meow” or adorable “mew,” is what gets you to do what she wants. So the meowing develops into a second language to communicate to you. Some scientists would go so far as to say that cats have refined their meows specifically to manipulate people. We have to admit it works.

Cats Vary Their Meows for Different Meanings

There are dozens of meow sounds in cat language that vary in pitch, length and volume. Most cat owners learn the language easily. A short, high-pitched meow is a standard “Hello!” Several of those strung together mean “You’re home! Yea!!!”

Cats use pleasant meow sounds to solicit requests for food, to go outside or to simply get attention. Your cat learns which meow is going to get the results he wants. You may find that the meows that tug at your heartstrings the most are the ones your cat is using for pleas such as, “pet me.”

Cats use unpleasant, harsher, louder meows for demands, reprimands or to express annoyance. These meows have a lower pitch and are not all that cute. Cats know not to use ugly meows to seek a favor–because you’re unlikely to comply with such rudeness.

Cat people understand cat language better than others

Meow-ese seems to be generally understood by “cat people.” Dr. Nicholas Nicastro, Ph.D., who did his thesis on humans’ ability to understand meows, found that people who own cats were far better at understanding the meaning of meows than people that don’t. Dr. Nicastro recorded hundreds of meows cats used in real settings with their owners. He had people listen to the meows, then asked what they thought the cats were communicating.

Part of the experiment asked general interpretations (Does the cat sound angry or pleasant?) and part were more specific translations (Is this cat asking for food or does he want you to go away?).

Not surprising, the more experience the people had with cats, the better they were at understanding meows – those who had no cat experience scored very low. People who owned cats could correctly translate 40% of the meows. That’s pretty remarkable considering the respondents did not have the benefit of seeing the cat. Normally, when a cat meows, we get more clues to its meaning from the context in which the cat is speaking (by the door, near a dirty litter box, time of day, etc.) and from body language.

It’s kind of nice to think your kitty has gone to the effort to learn a second language to communicate with you. Sure, she did it mostly out of necessity, but also out of affection. She wouldn’t meow just for your attention if she didn’t enjoy a relationship with you.

The Meaning Behind the Meows and Mews

Your cat uses the basic meow or mew in several variations in many situations. Even though there is a distinct “demand meow” for example, your cat may have separate variations for each of his regular demands. If you watch what your cat is doing when he meows, and listen carefully, you may learn to distinguish the demand meows, and eventually know the difference between his “let me out” demand and his “give me food” demand by sound alone.

• Short meow or mew: Standard greeting. “Hello!”
• Multiple meows or mews: Excited greeting. “Great to see you!”
• Mid-pitch meow: Plea for something. “I’d like to eat.”
• Drawn-out mrrroooow: Demand for something. “Open the door NOW.”
• Low pitch MRRRooooowww: Complaint of a wrong you have done. “Hey – my bowl is still empty!”
• High-pitch RRRROWW!: Anger or pain. “That’s my TAIL you just stepped on!”

More stories about communicating with your cat from our friends at Petcentric: 

Your Cat’s Tail

Talking to Your Pets

We all know that the internet was made for cat videos, so it makes total sense that as a result, we have a new category of celebrities – the Cat Celebrity! Have you heard of Grumpy Cat, Nala Cat or Oskar The Blind Cat? What about Tara Hero Cat? Our friends over at Friskies put together the definitive guide to the most influential kitty celebrities on the web so you can keep track of who’s who and which cat will be the next big thing! The Friskies 50 is an index of the most influential cats on the Internet, based on each cat’s social reach and engagement across an array of social accounts. See the full list at www.Friskies50.com where you can see the arrows displayed beside each cat’s position which indicate upward or downward movement from the previous month and a gold star indicates a first time appearance on the Friskies 50. Also, if you know a cat that should be in the Friskies 50, you can nominate them by typing in their name! Check out the fun at www.Friskies50.com

Our friends over at Purina created this simple graphic to help you understand some of the key reasons that puppies and dogs often like to chew. It’s important to give your puppy or dog appropriate chew toys and treats so they can have relieve pent up stress and energy… and have some fun! It’s also important, of course, to keep things like shoes and other chew-licious items safely out of your dog or puppy’s reach, as they can chew off chunks of material which could cause a life-threatening intestinal blockage. Even chew toys designed for dogs often say to allow your dog to chew only when supervised, in case your pup has Godzilla-like chewing power. Chewing appropriate things also can help keep teeth and gums strong, clean, and healthy. Let’s hear it for chewing!

by Katie Kirnan

“I’ve always wanted a diagram to evaluate Zelda’s poo, and now I’ve got it.  And although I hope we’ll never use it, I now feel very well-versed in the doggy Heimlich maneuver.  This book rules.”—Seth Rogen

What could easily be an inaccessible, tedious read is instead a thoroughly entertaining reference guide thanks to Adopt-a-Pet.com co-founder and lifelong animal advocate, Amy Luwis, who has created one of the best dog books on the planet:  For Dog’s Sake!: A Simple Guide to Protecting Your Pup from Unsafe Foods, Everyday Dangers, and Bad Situations

“This has to be the cutest serious book I’ve ever seen. The cartoon dogs on every page are a riot and engaging and worth the price of the book alone. The actual information inside is equally good.”—Top 1000 Reviewer Vine Voice

While many dog health resources are already out there, none of them are like Amy’s book. Sure, some of us may own a sturdy, 400-page veterinary tome (that we’ve never opened), and while these are full of excellent information — and guaranteed to impress any guests in your home — they’re also long, difficult to read, and devoid of illustrations.  More importantly, their inaccessibility makes it less likely that a dog parent will pick it up and read it.

Amy’s book is the opposite and will most likely be dog-eared from day one. For Dog’s Sake! covers a lot of vital topics, from the Heimlich Maneuver, to rescue breathing, to dressing a wound, to toxic substances and somehow Ms. Luwis manages to make it all so adorably cute and easy to understand!  Luwis also tackles unsavory, but crucial topics like poop and yes, she makes poop look cute, too. There’s a Review Quiz at the end of the book for the studious and an excellent section dispelling the myths of shelter dogs.  I think it’s safe to say that Amy’s book is a treasure trove of life-saving information.

While dog parents seem like the go-to audience for this book, For Dog’s Sake! is really for anyone in the dog world — vets, dog-sitters, shelter employees, pup lovers, and hey, why not, any dog out there who can read. (And if you are a dog and you’re reading this, wow. Just… wow.)
As if all of this wasn’t compelling enough, a portion of the book’s proceeds will help sick and injured homeless pets through Adopt-a-Pet.com’s Veterinary Care Fund. So, by purchasing this book, you’re not just helping your dog — you’re helping other dogs and animals in need, too!

Amy’s book is published by Andrews McMeel.  For more information, visit:  ForDogsSake.Rocks and be sure to follow Amy for more dog tips and cartoons @RedandHowling.

Whether you’re adopting a new fur babe into the family or thinking about switching your dog’s current food, choosing what to feed a dog can be overwhelming. There are seemingly hundreds of available diets and food brands for dogs, which can make it hard to determine what food is best for your canine pal. To make things easy, our friends at Purina put together a list of the most important things to look for when deciding what to feed your dog.

 

Focus on your dog’s nutrition — not yours.

It may be tempting to choose what to feed your dog based on what sounds appealing to you, but it’s important to remember that you and your dog have different nutritional needs. For example, grain-free and gluten-free diets are extremely popular with people, but they may not be the right option for your dog.

 

Your dog’s food should always meet (or surpass) regulatory standards.

Every dog food needs to meet federal (FDA) regulatory standards in order to be sold, and many dog food companies elect to follow guidelines established by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). Look for a food with a statement on the label that says the food meets AAFCO’s requirements for your dog’s life stage.

 

Pay attention to your dog’s activity level, size, and weight.

When choosing what to feed your dog, think about how active your dog is. Very athletic or working dogs can benefit from a diet with high protein or fat, but if your dog’s only exercise is a short walk around the neighborhood, he might do better on a light or healthy weight dog food. Your dog’s breed and size can also be a factor. Large and giant breed dogs, for example, are more likely to suffer joint problems, so you may want to choose a food formulated with glucosamine, which helps support healthy cartilage.

 

Look for a dog food that’s complete and balanced.

Because dog food makes up the entirety of your dog’s diet, his food has to deliver all of the nutrients he needs to help keep him healthy. That’s why it’s so important to choose a food that is labeled “complete and balanced.”

 

Consider your dog’s food preferences.

When you’re choosing between complete and balanced dog foods, you may want to take your dog’s individual preferences into account. Just like humans, every dog has different taste preferences. Some dogs like salmon while others might prefer veal. That’s why dog foods come in a variety of textures and flavors, so you can find a healthy food your dog is sure to enjoy, whether he likes wet food or dry food, or whether he prefers a classic flavor like chicken or a more unique one like venison.

 

Ready to choose a dog food? Click here to find some foods that may work for your dog.

SENIOR NUTRITION

Cats have unique needs at different stages of their lives and even though your senior cat may still look and act like a rambunctious kitty, that doesn’t mean her nutritional needs are still the same. Continue reading “What to Look for in Senior Cat Food”