Why does a cat meow silently

All cats, big and small, communicate by voice, and nothing is more important than the classic meow. This is how a kitten talks to its mother, greets a person and asks for lunch. So, if voice is such an important form of communication, why does a cat sometimes meow without sound?

cat meow

There are at least five different types of meows. The tone and pitch of each of them signal different emotions, needs or desires of the animal. The cat knows exactly what meow or purr to include in order to be petted or given a midnight snack. 

According to Nicholas Nicastro, who did research on cat vocalizations at Cornell University, cats don’t really use “language as such” and don’t understand what their own meows mean. But, he says, “Human beings learn to attach meaning to sounds of different acoustic qualities as they learn to hear sounds in different behavioral contexts over many years of interacting with cats.” 

A cat’s consistent use of certain forms of vocalization to communicate with its owners shows how well pets have adapted to domestic life and how much people have learned from their furry friends.

Why do cats meow without sound?

Although researchers already know a lot about the various sounds made by cats, the situation when a pet opens its mouth and does not make a sound is somewhat of an exception. What happens during this “non-meow”?

The occasional silent meow is a common thing among cats that is nothing to worry about. Some cats use it more than others. For many animals, a silent meow simply replaces the classic one.

But does a cat really meow silently?

As it turns out, a cat’s meow is actually not silent. Most likely, this sound is simply too quiet to hear. “Being at a distance of several meters from the sound source, the cat is able to determine its location with an accuracy of several centimeters in just six hundredths of a second,” explains Animal Planet. “Cats can also hear sounds at a great distance—four or five times farther than humans.” With such amazing hearing, a cat will instinctively incorporate additional sounds into its communication signals.

If a cat can hear a meow at a pitch much higher than what a human can hear, it will certainly try to reproduce that sound. Perhaps the pet speaks “out loud”, just the owner does not hear it.

alarm meow

It is natural for some cats, such as Siamese cats, to meow louder and more frequently than others. However, excessive “talk” can be a problem for some breeds, as they meow incessantly. 

Other breeds, including the Abyssinian, are famous for their taciturnity. Studying the furry pet breed is a great start to understanding and deciphering its vocal cues.

Although silent meowing is not usually a cause for concern, in some cases, action should be taken if non-standard changes in vocalization are observed. If a cat, which usually meows a lot, suddenly becomes quiet, or her voice becomes hoarse, it is necessary to contact a veterinarian to find out the reasons for such changes.

In most cases, when a cat meows silently, there is nothing to worry about. The silent meow is one of her ways to let her owner know what she wants, when she wants it, and how much she loves the whole family.