VOCAL COMMUNICATION IN CATS

Abstract

Cats are enigmatic creatures, but they are by no means silent. They possess their own system of communication, and learning to understand it can help establish trust, strengthen the human–cat bond, and even facilitate meaningful interaction with a companion animal. Cats use vocal signals to express their emotional states. Meowing, purring, hissing, growling, and many other sounds constitute the feline vocal repertoire, with each vocalization conveying a specific meaning depending on the context. This article presents a literature review on feline vocal communication, the characteristics of the domestic cat’s vocal repertoire, the functional significance of different vocalization types, and current approaches to the interpretation of acoustic signals in the context of behavior, emotional states, and animal welfare.