A purrfect conversationalist

Most cat owners are able to interpret the range of meows their cat makes and believe it to be the means cats use for communication, but meows are directed almost exclusively at humans. In cat-to-cat communications the meow is used mainly between mother and kitten and not between adult cats.

Cats which live with humans have learnt that a small amount of effort achieves maximum results and have become highly skilled at managing humans to get what they want - food, shelter and human affection.

When cats first began wandering into Egyptian households thousands of years ago, it was probably the pleasant sounding cats that were accepted into human society. Even today it is the pleasant sounding cats which are the most likely to be adopted from pounds and shelters, while the demanding ones risk being left behind.

Scientists have detected sixteen distinct feline vocal sounds and believe there are many others inaudible to humans. It is known that cats can change the inflection of the voice to indicate whether they are happy, sad, anxious, lost, looking for someone, surprised, or even just keen to announce their arrival.

Humans can assign meaning to cat sounds because through long association with cats, they have learnt the connection between various sounds and behaviours.

As well as using the well known “meow” cats use a range of other vocalisations to express their opinion. Hisses, growls and screams are usually made by a frightened or angry cat that feels threatened and wants to discourage attack.

Cats that are permanently confined indoors make chirping and chattering sounds, often accompanied by rapid clicking of the teeth, when looking through windows at birds which are beyond reach.

The way a cat makes its purr is a mystery to scientists but it is thought that it is meant as a means of communication, although scientists are now considering whether it may have a deeper meaning - a type of cat ‘mantra’. Mother cats purr while feeding kittens and the kittens purr along with her. Purring is most often heard when the cat is being petted or stroked by a human and so is interpreted as being the sign of a happy cat. However, cats also purr under stress or when they are in pain. The pitch of the purr varies according to the cat’s mood. Scientists have measured the cat’s purr at a frequency between 25 and 150 Hertz which are the sound frequencies shown in medical tests to improve bone density and promote healing.

Cat owners who feel relaxed and happy with a purring cat on their lap may just be gaining more than companionship.