As you probably already know, cats make a variety of noises. Some breeds, such as Siamese cats, are known to be naturally noisy, but any cat can meow loudly for a number of reasons.
Although you may find excessively loud meowing to be annoying, it may also be an indication that your cat isn't feeling well.
Pay attention to your cat and what else is happening while it’s crying. If you can figure out the reason for your kitty’s loud meowing, you might just be able to stop it.
Aside from body language, meows are a cat's primary mode of communication. A meow can come in many forms and for many different reasons. Most healthy cats are usually attempting to communicate something when they meow. For instance, your cat may be trying to tell you that it's hungry, stressed out, scared, excited, or that it simply wants some of your time and attention.
Meows may also sound slightly different from one another based on the reasons behind them:
Some cats are born deaf, whereas others may become deaf over time. A deaf cat may not even realize it’s making a sound when it meows. This makes it very difficult to interpret what the cat is trying to tell you through its vocalizations.
A deaf cat's meows are often much louder than those of a non-deaf cat as well, because it doesn't know it's deaf and can't control the volume of its voice. This might be really obvious when your deaf cat can’t see you and is trying to find you.
Similar to people who have Alzheimer’s disease, your pets can develop cognitive dysfunction as they get older. As a disease process, it’s not completely understood. But it may cause your cat to appear confused and to vocalize more than it used to. Some cognitively dysfunctional cats also stare while meowing loudly, especially at night.
If you think you may have pinpointed the reason for your cat's loud meowing, then you may be able to stop it by making a few changes to its routine and environment.
If you suspect your pet is sick, call your vet immediately. For health-related questions, always consult your veterinarian, as they have examined your pet, know the pet’s health history, and can make the best recommendations for your pet.
The Spruce Pets uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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Hubka, Peter et al. Auditory Feedback Modulates Development of Kitten Vocalizations. Cell and Tissue Research, vol 361, no. 1, 2014, pp. 279-294. Springer Science and Business Media LLC, doi:10.1007/s00441-014-2059-6
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Černá, Petra et al. Potential Causes of Increased Vocalisation in Elderly Cats with Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome as Assessed by Their Owners. Animals, vol 10, no. 6, 2021. MDPI AG, doi:10.3390/ani10061092
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Otitis. Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine