Cats meow for completely different reasons.
Sometimes you may not understand what a cat wants to say with its meowing. Is she in pain or is she just hungry? The MeowTalk app is designed to help with this problem.
The MeowTalk app uses neural networks and machine learning to decipher your cat's unique meow. But don’t think that this is some kind of magic application, because in essence, it learns the same way as you.
Owners can track their cats' meows and customize the app when they are confident they know exactly what a particular meow means. For example, if you are sure that right now the cat is meowing because it wants to eat, then you will need to record its meowing and indicate in the application that the cat is asking to eat. Next time, the app will recognize the meow and let you know exactly what your kitten wants.
How cats talk to us
Cats and cats communicate with each other using body movements and smells, rarely using sounds. When we are around people, they notice that we respond better to their voice than to body language.
Cats communicate with each other using body language and smells.
Therefore, animals change their communication style to exploit human strengths and weaknesses.
Our pets view us as surrogate mothers and use their voices to tell us what they want. A little kitten, meowing, tells its mother that it feels bad. As adults, cats actively use this to communicate with people.
Types and meaning of cat talk
To express its emotions with its voice, a pet always pronounces exactly those sounds that are suitable for a given situation. They differ in strength and timbre (high or low). Any trouble is expressed by low sounds, and peace and pleasure are expressed by high sounds.
Meowing in the form of a long “meow” is a greeting to the owner who has returned home or a request, and sometimes a complaint. The short “me” means confusion or question. The goal of any “meow” is to attract the attention of others. If the owner does not respond to the first polite “meow”, the cat will ask more demandingly and loudly in order to achieve results.
Vowel sounds in different keys are a cat’s request:
- “I want to go outside”;
- “it’s time to eat”;
- "I'm upset";
- "I'm in pain."
A very loud cry from a cat is a sign of panic, a warning to owners about mortal danger in the event of a fire, earthquake or other disaster. Sometimes a pet mourns the death of a friend or moving to a new home with this cry.
Many owners have paid attention to “silent meowing,” when a cat, looking at a person, opens its mouth, but there is no sound. In fact, it exists, but in the ultrasonic range, which only animals can hear. But a person more often reacts to such a quiet “meow”, and the cat notices this and uses it with might and main.
Purring (special cooing sounds) shows the calm state of the cat, without aggression. He is happy with everything. Mother cats purr for kittens: everything is fine, there is no danger. This is how a pet shows its affection for its owner. He is happy when petted, purrs and squints his eyes. If he follows you around, tries to climb onto your lap, brings you a toy or food - this is also a sign of his love. When he rubs his head against your legs or “butts” his forehead, massages with his paws, licks your hand and sits next to you if you are sick - do not doubt that you are more important to him than anything in the world.
By purring, the cat shows that he is happy and loves you.
If dissatisfied, the cat purrs in low tones, warning that you are interfering in its affairs. Hisses when scared, but does not dare to attack. If he snorts and moves forward when meeting an enemy, he is ready for a fight. With a loud howl, he tries to break the enemy’s fighting spirit so that he retreats first.
Scientists have found that cats can produce hundreds of different sounds, and at least 15 of them are meows. Among them there are consonants: “g”, “v”, “f”, “r”, “m”, “n”. There is even a “Dictionary of Cat Language”, which includes more than 3 thousand “words” and “concepts” for different breeds of cats.
Cat body language and body language
In addition to sounds, cats communicate with each other and with people using gestures and different positions of their bodies. The main tools for expressing emotions are the tail, eyes and ears.
Body position indicates mood, and maximum anger and intimidation before a fight can be accompanied by a howl or growl
"Tail" emotions
Tail movements show a cat's mood:
- wagging the tip of the tail is a sign of curiosity or irritation, sometimes sadness;
- if the tail whips up and down quickly, there is strong excitement;
- the tip of the tail rotates - it will defend itself;
- a triumphantly raised tail signifies friendliness and joy;
- the tail is tucked between the hind legs when frightened;
- the tail is lowered and ruffled in case of danger.
Eyes and ears
With wide open eyes, the cat shows curiosity, looks straight ahead - ready for battle, and his pupils sharply constrict if he is angry. Half-closed eyes indicate peaceful relaxation.
When the cat is completely relaxed, he stretches and looks at the world with half-closed eyes.
You can tell by the position of the ears when the cat is scared and trying to threaten. In this case, they are pulled back and pressed against the head.
If during a game the cat is discouraged by what he sees and cannot find an explanation, this can be seen from the expression of his face
If the ears twitch nervously, this means irritation and readiness to fight back. Vertical - study.
Curiosity is indicated by wide eyes and erect ears.
If a cat is dozing with his eyes closed and his ears moving in different directions, this is a skillful pretense; in fact, he is listening carefully to your conversation.
Emotional mustache
When a cat is happy and calm, his whiskers cheerfully stick out in all directions. They twitch while tracking prey. If the cat is interested in something, they are directed forward. Tranquility is reflected by the mustache flowing freely on the sides of the head.
Cats are very resourceful. If your pet notices that a certain “meow” is working, he can try a new sound and gauge the reaction of others. Talking to a person about yourself is a sign of friendship and sympathy.
The application works like another famous application Shazam
When your cat meows, you will need to press a button (pictured on the left) and the application will begin to “listen”, after which it will offer a translation option (pictured on the right). If you agree with the translation, then click the “Yes! Everything is correct." If it seems to you that your cat means something else, then you should select the “No! I want to change the option."
Cat Screams and Clicking
Screams are produced with an open mouth, open jaws and tense vocal muscles.
These are the sounds of the so-called “cat concert”, which are heard when cats fight or during mating. Hiss.
A cat can make all sorts of hissing sounds. When she is scared, she makes a completely involuntary sharp short sound “pfft”. Its closest human analogue is the frightened “ah-ah-ah!” when something sharp suddenly frightens you. In the cat's language there is a completely conscious “chsh-chsh-chsh-chsh-chsh-chsh-chsh”, which is directed towards an unfamiliar cat that has entered the territory of your “owner”.
Anger.
This cry is heard when two competitors are sorting things out over the ownership of the territory. This is a long “vvvaaaaaauuuvv”, while the cat bares its fangs, the head is slightly tilted, the gaze is precisely fixed on the cat.
Clicking.
During the period when cats are hunting, they quite often make clicking sounds. Clicks are pronounced at different frequencies, which allows the hunter to communicate with “his own” without frightening the prey. If you don’t like the fact that your cat will constantly catch birds in the garden, then as soon as you hear these clicking sounds, immediately call a “hunter” into the house.
So those who were dissatisfied:
Customer support is excellent, as the authors of the application respond to almost every review.
If you also want to try to better understand your cat, you can install the application using the following links - play.google.com | apps.apple.com.
Don't forget to also look at the case where a man showed his son how to bathe a newborn baby using a cat as an example, and she really is like a baby .
Ears are not just for hearing
- A little forward: your cat is in a playful mood and shows curiosity, so this gesture can often be seen when he is interested in a new toy.
- Straight and vertical: Something has caught your pet's attention, that's for sure. Cats have very powerful hearing, and when their ears are straight and erect, it means something is alerting them.
- Pressed tightly to the head: you have a very angry cat in your arms. This gesture is often accompanied by a hiss or growl, and this indicates that your cat is angry or very scared.
- When a cat's ears point forward and slightly to the side, the cat is likely feeling relaxed.
- Ears can turn to follow the sound, but those that twitch quickly may indicate nervousness and uncertainty in the animal.
Collar translator
I don't think there's any point in using computer apps or listening to cat-to-human translators. Cats have an incredibly labile hearing system; we are physiologically unable to hear the way they hear.
Cat ears detect sounds over a wider frequency and dynamic range than humans. And also, with the help of their perfect hearing aid, they are able to very accurately determine the location of the sound source.
It is known for sure that the pussy can differentiate two sound sources at a distance of one meter from itself, located at a distance of 8 cm from each other. And he begins to hear the rustling of rodents from a distance of 20m.
At the same time, the cat sleeps completely calmly with the TV on or graciously tolerates the voice of the owner whispering words to her directly next to her head. Unless he turns his ear away or presses it. She cannot tolerate loud, sharp sounds at all.
The auricle is a funnel-shaped fold of skin, and 20 muscles are responsible for the movements of this funnel. When recognizing sounds, the ears do not rotate synchronously, but each one captures its own part of the information.
With such a complex hearing aid, the vocal apparatus is correspondingly not simple. The cat's vocal apparatus produces sounds in a range of 10 octaves. It is clear that when communicating with us, she does not even try to tell us anything, using all her vocabulary. She condescendingly limits herself to sounds similar to variations of “meow.”
There is information about the existence of collars that convert cat “words” into English words. The Temptations cat food company has created a translator collar as part of an advertising campaign for its products. I filmed and launched a demo video with a translator collar, solely for the purpose of advertising food. Such a collar cannot actually transmit information from a cat to a person.
Currently, there is no reliable information about devices that can convert meows into human language.
However, there are several entertainment applications that use a certain set of cat sounds that supposedly make up the entire cat language, creating the illusion of translation.
How to understand a cat's love language for us
Cats often show their love for us in such ways that it doesn’t even occur to us to praise them for it. This is because the language of cats does not belong to any group of languages known to humans.
He purrs
The purring of cats expresses many states and feelings. A cat purrs when she is in pain, when she is scared, when she is worried. But at the same time, she also expresses her love by purring. Keep in mind that if an animal begins to purr just for you, in your presence, this is definitely love.
The cat rolls from side to side at your feet
The cat is lying around, exposing its belly, showing that it absolutely trusts you. After all, the stomach is the most vulnerable part of the body, and by showing it to you, the cat shows its love and complete trust.
By the way, if your pet does not lie down on its back at home or does not allow itself to be turned upside down with its stomach, you should not insist, you will aggravate the animal’s anxiety. Not all cats will lie calmly in your arms, in the pose of a human cub, belly up. This situation is unpleasant or even threatening for them, depending on the degree of trust in you.
The cat "butts"
Definitely love. Cats also show their love to other animals and to each other.
The cat sharpens its claws and damages furniture
Does your cat sharpen its claws on your furniture and ruin it, or peel off the wallpaper in the hallway with its paws? Oh, how lucky you are! J Your cat loves you with all his might, moreover, your home is a place where he feels very good. Well, there is one more thing, he leaves his scent through his claws on your furniture and walls to mark his territory, to delineate his territory just like his wild brother does on the street. But, pay attention, he sharpens his claws more readily in those places where you visit most often, that is, in your favorite places, of course, your friend. It is because of his love for you that he tears up the furniture, and not the scratching post that was specially bought for him.
Read on the website: How to make a scratching post with your own hands
From birth, cats have sharp claws that require special care.In natural conditions, it is easier for their wild fellow tribesmen - they can do a “manicure” using a tree trunk or hard rocky ground.
But domestic cats have to use their teeth to shorten at least a little their claws, as well as sofas, armchairs or other furniture of their owners. Therefore, we will make a pleasant and useful scratching post for our cats with our own hands.
trampling
If a kitten puts its paw on your lips again and again, this is not a request to remain silent, but a demonstration of a state of bliss and pleasantness, that is, in cat language, it says that it feels with you like its own mother. He shifts his paws, that is, he feels just as good when he kneaded his mother’s belly and drank milk.
The cat brings you a gift
Seals have always hunted and will hunt, this is their nature. And naturally, bringing you prey, as if they were bringing prey to their cub, is a sacred matter. You should not run away from the gift with a cry of horror or faint right there, that is, show your friend that you are neglecting his gift. Praise, it’s a tolerance training for you, and a joy for the fluffy.
Involves the game
Kittens play until exhaustion. They can scratch, bite and get real pleasure from it. While the kitten is small, it has poor control over the mechanism of releasing and hiding its claws, so the beloved family member gets the most scratches. You should not try to wean your kitten from playing; offer him toys that are away from your hands and feet.
I lay down on your lap
Cats sleep 16 hours a day and are not very relaxed during sleep. A strong and healthy animal will sleep half an ear and half an eye. Only very old individuals can sleep like the dead and not react to sounds. But still, animals choose safe places to sleep. And if your pet falls asleep in your arms, it considers you a safe haven.
The cat is looking at you
Zoologist Garry Weitzman, author of How to Speak Cat, calls a long cat gaze a “cat kiss.” He says that if you compare the size of an animal's eyes relative to the size of the animal itself and the size of a person's eyes relative to the size of the person himself, and imagine a person with the same eye-height ratio as a cat, then these eyes will be 20 cm in diameter. It is this size of eyes that makes a pussy care about her eyes and in vain, just like that, she will not look into your eyes. And he will look only out of love and trust. Appreciate it.
Tries to turn his furry back to you
This is a rather unpleasant manner from childhood. The mother, returning from her visits to the kittens, checked the hygienic condition of the babies (they did not have diapers) and washed them. So showing your butt to your owner is the most wonderful thing you can think of
The cat meows at you
It must be said that cats do not meow among themselves, as they meow to their owners. They communicate with each other using a language of sounds similar to meowing, purring, and purring. But when the owner has gone to bed, and there is something urgently needed to be communicated, then hold on.\
Perhaps you forgot to pour cream, or you can see the bottom of a bowl of food, and the whole night is ahead, or maybe you didn’t turn off the computer in the next room or forgot to lock the front door, or maybe the tray is not clean enough. If you have a good relationship with your cat, then control on his part over order in the house is natural.
He licks you
It’s normal for him to lick you and himself, because you, like him, are part of the same family group. Cats live in family groups in a free state and the composition of the group can change depending on conditions.
He makes marks
Pretty bad picture, cat pee on the couch or on your shoes. But this is only a reaction to your absence. If, of course, the kitten has a good accessible toilet with suitable filler. A rare animal will urinate on the baseboard if there is a favorite clean tray with pleasant filling
Tail demonstrations
The tail is a very important part of the cat. No one should touch the tail, only those closest to you. The tail can tremble finely, finely. This is the highest delight. The tail can be held vertically up and be positioned as much as possible for play and communication. The tail can twitch sharply and hit the floor, then it is better to postpone communication until better times. A cat's tail language is varied but understandable.
Cat tongue
We assimilate the cat's language much worse than ours by cats. Our language is more understandable to them after a certain number of years of living together, but the language of cats is much worse for us to master. But you really want to understand what your pet is telling you, and most importantly, you want to answer him.
Even a dog’s language is much easier to read, everything is more logical and understandable. And a cat’s often offensive antics can express the most tender love. But if you look closely and listen to your pet with love and at the same time try not to endow it with your human qualities, then soon understanding will come.
