Speech as a universal means of communication is bestowed by evolution only on humans, while animals communicate through body language, sounds and territory marks.
This is partly why it is sometimes so difficult for us to understand what our pet wants to “tell” us. It is especially difficult if this is your first experience of owning an animal and it is very small. “Why does a kitten meow for no reason” is a question that torments many new cats and cats, although the answer is quite simple for experienced breeders.
First you need to understand that cats always meow to attract the attention of a person or a relative. The cat won't just mutter like that. All this also applies to a small kitten, which always needs a reason for meowing, even if it is not always obvious to the owner.
Do you know why a cat constantly meows to attract attention?
According to many cat lovers, there is no more positive, beautiful and useful animal in the world. The cat is soft and gentle, and purrs melodiously, calming the owners’ nerves frayed by work and everyday issues.
Experts say that there is always an explanation for continuous meowing - a cat will not scream for no reason at all.
But not everything is so smooth in communicating with cute fluffy balls - every animal and its owner has a period in life when it is difficult for them to explain themselves, and then the cat tries to convey to the person its own vision of the situation (change the porridge for meat in its bowl, take more walks , we need a cat), and the person is trying to figure out why the cat constantly meows, because it seems to have everything.
Tip number four
To make the educational process more effective, the kitten's good behavior can be rewarded. For example, when he stops meowing loudly, at the request of the owner, he stops playing too roughly, he needs to be praised and treated with his favorite treats.
But there must be consistency: do not praise your pet or do it too often, otherwise he will try to get support as often as possible.
Cats, like people, have introverts and extroverts.
If you do not have a clearly defined answer to the question of why a cat constantly meows, tied to a specific occasion (the cat is hungry, wants to drink or wants to go for a walk), then pay attention to the simple fact that meowing is one of the ways of cat communication.
Some cats just love to talk
By making the sound “meow”, a cat communicates with a person or other pets. Among cats, as among people, there are individuals with different temperaments. Some are self-contained, patient silent people (introverts), who silently suffer from hunger, thirst, and pain. It is necessary to show maximum attention to such animals - not only add food in a timely manner and change the water in the bowl, but also check their health status and play with the pet more often.
Others are emotional extroverts who announce problems right away, loudly and at any time of the day. Such cats simply love to talk, and a stream of continuous “meows” may mean that they are sharing their impressions with their owners or talking about their plans for the day. If you notice that your pet is excessively emotional and desires to communicate, do not ask why the cat constantly meows.
Among cats there are individuals with different temperaments
Attention! Extroverted animals need enough attention, but you shouldn’t pamper them, because by responding to the first requirement, you can ensure sleepless nights entirely devoted to your cat.
One of the characteristic features of talking cats is to respond to the voice of their owner. They can behave calmly and remain silent until the moment you remain silent. But as soon as you answer the phone or start communicating with household members, the cat immediately joins the dialogue. And stopping him turns out to be difficult.
The kitten stopped eating for the second day, when you pick it up it meows, what’s wrong with it?
The day before yesterday we put anti-scratch pads on the kitten (4 months old), and last night he stopped eating. He drinks water and plays. But more often he began to lie down and sleep and follow me. Sometimes he meows..
We recommend reading: Rickets Near York Photo
They gave me chicken and porridge and fish, and he would bite a little and go away and meow. I’ve always eaten premium food, but I haven’t touched it for two days now.
It looks like he's missing someone. This happens when kittens are separated from those they love: they eat less, sleep more and are less active. And some even stop playing. They meow and walk around the apartment - looking for someone they miss. (This also applies to your question about the bowl) I think that the reason is that someone is missing from the apartment or house (perhaps this someone used to feed your pet, played with it, etc.), but has left somewhere .
The cat meows to be called: In response You need to answer him: Kitty-kitty, until he comes running. Take him in your arms and stroke him, give him something tasty (from your hand) - he gets lonely.
Usually this exceeds the first days (when the kitten is torn away from his mother and brothers - he is looking for them); If the owner or someone close to your pet leaves somewhere, as well as if another pet has died or disappeared (another cat, mine are friends with a dog, for example), and your kitten was friends and played with this animal (even if the toy disappeared, this happens).
An animal is not a person, it doesn’t go to the doctor, it has instinct. And instinct says that in case of any problems, the animal stops eating so that the body can use the released energy to solve these problems, to restore the body. It is also advisable for a person to do exactly this. There are no diseases that cannot be cured with hunger. A good appetite is a sign of health and the absence of other problems. If the kitten has no visible symptoms of illness, then it may have mental problems, since it is still
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Reasons for cat concerts related to the pet's age
If constant meowing accompanies the owner of a small kitten for several days or weeks, then the situation is completely justified by the age of the animal. The kids are fearful, confused, they are in an unfamiliar environment and are experiencing stress. But if an adult pet meows without pauses or stops, then you need to look for other reasons.
Kittens meow because they are constantly hungry.
Experts say that there is always an explanation for continuous meowing - a cat will not scream for no reason at all.
The kitten meows because:
- he is lonely and unusual in the new house, he is looking for his mother cat, does not find her and constantly calls, the baby is surrounded by new people and unfamiliar objects, he feels unprotected; kittens are actively growing and gaining weight very quickly, so it is quite possible that the usual portion is no longer enough for them, and they constantly feel hungry, which they report to the owner; kids are very restless and find a toy in any object: curtains, a ball of thread, a rug on the floor, but they often become captive of the newfound fun, and when difficulties arise that they cannot cope with themselves, they call on their owners for help by meowing; if the kitten is in complete order - he is well-fed, healthy and has not gotten in anywhere, but continues to meow, it means he lacks attention.
The kitten stopped eating for the second day, when you pick it up it meows, what’s wrong with it?
The day before yesterday we put anti-scratch pads on the kitten (4 months old), and last night he stopped eating. He drinks water and plays. But more often he began to lie down and sleep and follow me. Sometimes he meows..
They gave me chicken and porridge and fish, and he would bite a little and go away and meow. I’ve always eaten premium food, but I haven’t touched it for two days now.
The second day I didn’t eat, in the morning I had a little chicken snack and that’s it, I played. But he doesn't eat. What about him?
USED TO BE PICKED UP AND NOT MEOW, BUT NOW WHEN YOU JUST HANDLE IT STARTS TO MEOW
It looks like he's missing someone. This happens when kittens are separated from those they love: they eat less, sleep more and are less active. And some even stop playing. They meow and walk around the apartment - looking for someone they miss. (This also applies to your question about the bowl) I think that the reason is that someone is missing from the apartment or house (perhaps this someone used to feed your pet, played with it, etc.), but has left somewhere .
The cat meows to be called: In response You need to answer him: Kitty-kitty, until he comes running. Take him in your arms and stroke him, give him something tasty (from your hand) - he gets lonely.
Usually this exceeds the first days (when the kitten is torn away from his mother and brothers - he is looking for them); If the owner or someone close to your pet leaves somewhere, as well as if another pet has died or disappeared (another cat, mine are friends with a dog, for example), and your kitten was friends and played with this animal (even if the toy disappeared, this happens).
As a rule, after a week, maximum, this goes away, but the kitten needs to be given more attention and care.
The cat meows to be called: In response You need to answer him: Kitty-kitty, until he comes running. Take him in your arms and stroke him, give him something tasty (from your hand) - he gets lonely.
How do cats meow when they have various diseases?
Veterinary medicine knows a lot of cat diseases, and each of the diseases not only has its own symptoms, but also causes the animal to react differently to pain:
- if there are worms in the body, intoxication occurs (worms often annoy kittens), causing the animal to scream pitifully and tremble all over; if the animal experiences pain and meows before, after or during bowel movements, this means that the pet has a disease of the urinary system or intestines; meowing, turning into a scream, accompanied by slight trembling, indicates a spinal injury; the animal rushes around the room, shakes its head, constantly scratches its face with its paw and does not stop meowing - the cat has an allergy or a tick; hoarse, weak meowing is a sign of a viral disease; a dangerous serious illness in a cat is accompanied by a lack of appetite and continuous meowing.
If there are worms in the body, cats begin to meow constantly
The kitten squeaks. Why is the little kitten screaming?
— If a small kitten squeaks , then first you need to check the baby’s palate. Gently pick up the kitten in your hands and hold it firmly but gently. Insert the tip of your finger into his mouth (preferably from the side) and look inside to see if there is a cleft? If not, great. But if you notice a cleft palate in your baby, take him to the veterinary clinic; an experienced veterinarian will immediately tell you whether the kitten’s cleft palate is compatible with life. Unfortunately, most often these babies are euthanized.
After checking the palate cock the kitten and check if it is gaining weight (at least 7 grams per day). It's good if everything is fine with your weight. But if the baby is not gaining weight, the cat may have little or no milk and the kitten is hungry. Start feeding your baby. This should be done after he has sucked the cat's breast. And control your weight.
— A kitten can scream if it’s cold . Place him on a heating pad while the cat is not around. Due to a decrease in body temperature, the kitten's sucking reflex may disappear and a hungry kitten will squeak.
— The kitten squeaks if the cat doesn’t lick him (doesn’t “pee, poop”). This happens if the cat is not experienced (firstborn) or something is bothering her (mastitis, endometritis, retained placenta). If the cat is inexperienced, you will have to care for the newborn yourself and at the same time try to teach the cat how to properly care for the baby. Using cotton wool and warm water, gently stroke the kitten to stimulate defecation and urination every 3 hours (before feeding). Some people find it helpful to spread sour cream or butter on the kittens' butts, then the cat begins to lick them with pleasure.
But if something is bothering the cat and she gets sick, then you will have to simultaneously care for the kittens and treat the mother. After recovery, the cat will take care of itself.
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How to wean a cat from the bad habit of yelling?
Advice! The best way to ensure a peaceful life together with an animal is not to spoil it and not allow everything it wants at the first request.
Cats are smart enough to understand that humans don’t always like their meowing, and that their owners are ready to make any sacrifice just to stop it right this second.
This is not even a question of why a cat constantly meows and screams if you have indulged all her whims since childhood, the question is different: is it possible to fix everything?
It is possible, but for this you will have to stock up on Spartan endurance and angelic patience. The cat, out of habit, will demand and meow, and the owner should simply ignore her cries. If you are not confident in yourself, buy earplugs or listen to music through headphones, because a constant cat concert is unbearable.
Tip number two
If your pet cannot be kept with attention and affection, you must be strict. Remember that you cannot defeat the kitten: he will remember this once and will feel fear and mistrust of his owner, which can lead to serious consequences. Due to the constant feeling of danger, his psyche may be weakened, which makes him inadequate.
In addition, cats are very vindictive. Therefore, strict handling of a kitten means a soft click on its nose or splashes of water from a spray bottle. Another way is to grab him by the skin, as his mother recently did to her. But this should only be done when the cat is making a joke: cats have very short memories and a few minutes after the joke she will not understand why she is doing this to him.
The tendency to meow depends on the breed
Attention! In addition to the character of the animal, its tendency to talk is also influenced by its belonging to a particular breed.
Don't be surprised why the Siamese cat meows constantly - her genes force her to do so. By the way, Siamese are the most talkative of all breeds.
Constant meowing also depends on the breed of cat
Bengal and Abyssinian cats often love to meow, and louder, and the Kurilian Bobtail is not far behind them. When choosing a pet, pay attention to the breed; the silence in the house largely depends on it.
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Psychological atmosphere
The cat will sit in your arms in a calm state and environment. Noise, loud television, screams and scandals cause him tension and he does not want to sit in anyone's arms. The cat does not like to sit in the arms of some people who smoke, who are aggressive even towards them, who abuse alcoholic beverages, or who are sloppy. It happens that she categorically does not accept a family member and this cannot be changed. You can only gradually teach a cat to sit in your arms if you treat her with care and affection, avoiding coercion, and then sooner or later she will reciprocate and affectionately.
Do you know when your cat is in pain? "Certainly!" – many will rush to answer with confidence. But not everything is so simple; “seeing” a cat’s pain is not at all as easy as it might seem at first glance.
Hidden suffering
Cats hide their pain, and this is natural for them. Unlike dogs and some other animals, cats can behave quite normally in appearance, despite pain. They do not publicly demonstrate their pain, but, left alone, they begin to intensively lick the sore area.
So why do cats hide their pain? The main reason is the instinct of self-preservation. In nature, a sick or injured animal is extremely vulnerable to attack. The wild ancestors of the cat tried not to make unnecessary sounds, quickly find a safe shelter and hide there. Cats are not herd animals, unlike dogs, for whom open display of their emotions helps to gain support. The cat will hide the pain until the last moment, as long as it has the strength.
Studies have shown that when an animal experiences pain, it begins to intensively produce endorphins, which affect the emotional state and dull sensations.
Cats do not show pain in the way we are accustomed to, the way we ourselves and some other pets would. Because of this feature, veterinarians and cat owners have long mistakenly believed that cats do not experience pain at all. But this is nothing more than one of the many myths about cats.
If there is no contact and trust between a cat and its owner, it will endure and hide its problem until the last moment. Severe pain is a major biological stressor and affects numerous aspects of an animal's physical health, including wound healing and resistance to infectious disease. Studies have shown that surgical cats whose pain is controlled before and after the procedure recover much better than those whose pain was not properly addressed.
Pain varies
The pain can be acute or chronic. If it's acute, it's usually easy enough to see, because... If the circumstances under which it arose are obvious (trauma, surgery, etc.), then chronic pain is more difficult to notice: there are no obvious damage or changes in behavior. Nevertheless, chronic pain detected in time can save a cat’s life, because it is an important symptom of the disease.
Causes of acute pain
may be: surgical trauma; fractures of limbs and other bones; injuries received as a result of accidents; diseases of the genitourinary system; corneal ulcers.
Most Common Causes of Chronic Pain
– arthritis (osteoarthritis and degenerative joint disease), pain due to diseases such as cancer. The animal suffers from chronic pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas), chronic wounds, chronic cystitis.
In addition, animal psychologists say that cats can experience emotional pain
and a feeling similar to grief in people.
Dangerous symptoms
Determining whether your cat is in pain is like playing detective: you must carefully observe and evaluate the slightest changes in your pet's behavior.
First, draw analogies with yourself. If a cat is undergoing surgery, is injured, or has a “human” disease that causes us pain, we can assume that the cat is also uncomfortable.
Secondly, pay attention to the slightest changes in your pet’s behavior. This is the first sign of pain or an incipient disease. The better you know your cat and its habits, the faster you can understand that something is wrong with it. To recognize pain, you need to know what behavior is normal for a cat: its activity level, gait, appetite, water intake, duration of sleep, sleeping position and other features.
What signs might indicate that a cat is in pain?
1. Behavior change
If a super active cat suddenly starts sleeping most of the day, this could be a sign of illness. This is also indicated, on the contrary, by the hyperactivity and restlessness of a usually calm cat.
The animal may lose interest in its favorite food and water, and its food preferences change.
The cat may become irritable and even show aggression towards other pets or people.
A sign of pain may also be a lack of desire to visit your usual favorite places. For example, a cat used to like to sit on the windowsill or on the head of the bed, but now you don’t notice it there. If she has stopped jumping as often and high as before, has difficulty climbing stairs, there has been a decrease in her motor activity in general, a change in her sleeping place to one that is easier to reach - all this is abnormal.
One of the common problems in older cats is teeth. Therefore, if your pet has become angry and gloomy, it is unlikely that it is simply due to old age. Perhaps the cat is suffering from sore teeth, and once this problem is solved, she will be as cheerful again.
2. The desire to be left alone
The cat shows in every possible way that it wants to be left alone. If she begins to growl or hiss when she is petted, touched or picked up, this is a sure sign that something is bothering her.
3. Finding a secluded place
The cat knows that pain makes it vulnerable, so it will try to hide or find a safe haven. Thus, she will be able to avoid encounters with stronger animals and not become their victim. Therefore, the animal can reduce communication with owners and other pets.
4. Sleeping too long or sleeping in one position
Pay attention to the position in which your cat sleeps. If she begins to choose one position, especially if this was not typical for her before, think about it: perhaps there is a problem behind this.
5. Licking the same area
Cats experiencing pain, in the hope of finding relief at the site of its localization, often and persistently lick the area. So, with a relapse of cystitis, cats may begin to intensively lick their belly.
6. Reluctance to take care of yourself
Being dirty and unkempt is not normal for adult animals. Cats are notoriously clean people and are great at grooming themselves. Therefore, if a pet has lost interest in its appearance, this is a reason to show it to the veterinarian.
7. Staring at nothing
Glazed and wide open eyes, especially coupled with an unnatural posture, often indicate that the animal is in great pain. The eyes in general can be an indicator of pain in a cat, regardless of whether the pain is located in the eye itself or in another part of the body. Cats in pain will have dilated pupils.
8. Changes related to the “toilet” issue and visiting the litter box
Cats with joint problems may find it painful to sit on the litter tray “as usual.” In this regard, urine may end up above the sides of the “toilet”.
9. Constant purring
A cat's purring is a means of communication and self-healing. She purrs not only to bring us joy and to show other cats that she is friendly towards them. In this way, the animal can calm down: it makes similar sounds in stressful situations, during childbirth and injury.
Various studies have shown that with the help of purring, cats are able to reduce their pain and even speed up recovery. Sound vibrations in the frequency range of rumbling promote healing and increase bone density. Your cat's constant, incessant purring is a good reason to pay attention to her.
If you notice the “suspicious” behavior of your pet described above, take it to a veterinarian for examination; do not try to diagnose the cat yourself. In addition to the fact that pain is just a symptom of the onset of a disease, be aware that many pain medications for humans are contraindicated for cats. Consult your doctor, he will prescribe the drug, dosage and dosage interval.
Irina KOSTYUCHENKO, felinologist
Nadrukavana ў “Native Prirodze”
Have you recently gotten a kitten? These soft little bundles grow quickly and have many different needs. The kitten may scream often, which deprives the owner of peace. To calm a kitten, it is important to determine the cause of the cry and help the pet. This will strengthen the connection between you.
Clean the tray regularly
Cats and kittens are very clean, especially when it comes to the litter box. Keep the litter box clean and do not restrict access to it. This may be enough to stop your kitten from crying frequently.
The tray should be small so that the kitten can easily get in and out of the tray. Use an odorless litter that creates little dust. Clean the toilet as often as possible. Do this every day so that your cat will want to use it.
Move the toilet away from food bowls. Kittens don't like bowls near the toilet.
