When your cat moans, it can mean a variety of things, from being sick to being bored and wanting attention. But how do you know which jam signals pain, or cuddle?
We sort out the meowing!
In fact, cats do not actually moan to each other – they communicate with each other in other ways: through body language, facial expressions, scents and more.
Howling is something that cats have come to realize that they need to engage in communication with us humans. And we’ve written before that cats’ howls actually affect us as much as baby cries.
Injured, sick or deaf?
First of all, what are the different reasons why cats moan? Changed behavior with, for example, increased whining may be due to some form of physical ailment. So find out if your cat seems injured or sick. Take it to a veterinarian if it seems to be behaving abnormally and do not change other things in the cat’s environment until you have investigated it. In an older cat, whining can, for example, be due to problems in the thyroid gland or with dementia.
Cats can also howl if they are about to lose their hearing, because deaf cats often lack a sense of how loud they are howling.
The home, which is familiar to the cat, is still a safe place for a cat to gradually become deaf, but perhaps it is not as safe outdoors?
Check your cat’s hearing with a veterinarian. Hearing problems can be due to an inflammation.
Hungry or bored
A non-sterilized female cat that runs is often very talkative, affectionate and contact-seeking. A male can also have surging hormones in his body which makes him moan more, unless he is neutered of course.
Some cats moan intensely so that the owner thinks it is injured, when in fact it is a way to get attention. If the cat is bored, perhaps extra important for indoor cats, be sure to activate it with toys and make sure it can climb.
The cat can also yawn to beg for food. If it is disturbing and it should not get more right now, you can try to ignore it for a while.