![]() When it comes to whether a cat’s meow sounds like a baby crying, the study indicates that cats manipulate their human owners by meowing in a similar frequency to a crying baby. The participants deemed that the hungry cries were far more urgent than the normal cries, indicating that there is a clear difference between the two. 50 human participants then listened to these sounds and judged whether the purrs of the cats trying to get food were more pleasing than the normal purrs. ![]() Some were actively soliciting food, while others were recorded in a normal setting. In the experiments, McComb and her team recorded the purrs of 10 cats. She did this by setting up a series of experiments that studied the effects of a cat’s cry on humans. In a paper published by Current Biology, behavioral ecologist Karen McComb explored how cats manipulate their owners through the sounds they make. Humans are also more likely to respond positively to a meow, reacting to it like we would when we hear a baby cry and giving the cat the care it needs. This is because meows are less threatening, kitten-like, and considered to be cute. As they grow older and become adults, they restrict their meows to human-only interactions. Kittens meow to receive care and attention from their mothers. Cats need to do everything they can to keep this relationship a fruitful one, so will appeal to our maternal instincts to achieve this.Ĭats don’t meow to other cats – they meow only to humans. Domestic cats don’t hunt for their food or have to fight off predators – humans are their main caregivers. It does seem likely that cats mimic babies crying, however. It’s difficult to say whether cats learn their meows from babies, as studies in this area haven’t been conclusive. To some degree, cats can understand that certain sounds elicit a positive response and can tailor the sounds they ensure their needs are met. Each meow is thought to be learned and attention-seeking, rather than a universal cat-human language. When a cat finds itself in a situation where it needs something – like food, comfort, or warmth – it will send out the same signals as a human baby to receive the same attention.Ī study on Diva Portal has found that cats learn to produce different meows for different purposes. Meows aren’t designed to be ignored.ġ.4.5 Cat Is in Heat Do Cats Learn to Meow from Babies?ĭomestic cats are just as dependant on humans for their survival as babies are. What is clear, though, is that a cat’s meow will alert humans that it requires attention. It’s been widely contested whether a cat actively mimics a baby’s cry or whether humans simply relate the similarities in the sounds with each other. A cat’s meow has a range of different meanings – listening to the unique tones and variations will help cat owners understand what their cat is trying to tell them. This includes receiving food, warmth, care, and affection. ![]() By doing so, they appeal to a human’s maternal, nurturing instincts, making it far more likely that their needs will be met. This is why a cat’s meow is so often compared to a human baby’s cry.Ĭats have learned to mimic a baby’s cry to some degree. Felines have learned that they cannot communicate with us in the way they do with other cats, so they have developed a range of pleasing sounds to appeal to our caring, nurturing nature.
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