Short meows are friendly greetings. Long drawn-out meows signal distress or need.
Meow Meanings
Steady purring shows contentment but can also be a calming mechanism during distress.
Purring Insights
Plaintive, exaggerated meowing is your cat requesting something like food or play.
Solicitation
Trills, squeaks and chirps are excited, happy vocalizations often during play.
Trills and Squeaks
Howling and yowling indicates anxiety, discomfort or social issues with other cats.
Howls and Yowls
Growling is an extreme sign of threat, usually indicating fight preparation.
Growls
Look at body language cues to better interpret your cat's vocal meanings.
Context Clues