Cats often give signal to their owners through making meow sound or by purring. However, pet owner, especially beginners, tend to find it difficult to interpret what the cats intend through their sounds. Sometimes cats make crying sound that is hard to decipher.
Actually there are some signals that show a cat is crying. Understanding the reason will help pet owners to give the most suitable response and action for it. Here is how to tell that your cat is crying.
The apparent signal that the cat is crying is when it makes yowling sound. Unlike human, cat does not express sadness through tears but through sound instead. Yowling sound produced by cat is more squeaky and high-pitched than meowing.
Yowling can send mixed signal of inviting mating, as well as indicating threatened feeling. Cats generally do not yowl to human but to other cats instead. If you have more than one cats, consider to separate them in different cage to make sure there is no heated atmosphere between them.
Generally there is no rule when a cat will meow. However, you might have trouble sleeping if your cat keeps meowing at night. Meowing at night mostly indicates a cat is crying due to unpleasant situation. Know how to stop your cat from waking you up to settle with it.
Common reason is because the cat feels anxious in new environment. If your cat is newly adopted, it may meows at night until it gets used to its new environment. Another reason is because the cat feels lonely, bored, or hungry. Either way, you should not ignore if your cat meows at night.
While cat does not necessarily shed tears while trying, if your cat has its eyes watery as if it has tears, it is best for you to take your cat to veterinarian. The reason why a cat looks like it is about to cry in tears may due to irritation caused by hazardous chemicals such as floor cleaner, go-getter, and any harmful chemical. The worst case is the cat will lose its sight ability if not taken care properly.
The cat might also meowing in pain if irritation gets worse. It will start closing its eyes to prevent the harmful chemicals to enter deeper to their eyes. This is why it is important to notice when a cat is feeling uncomfortable.
- Cat Meows and Roll on The Floor
Cat usually rolls on the floor to get your attention. By doing his, it expects you to play with it. However, if the cat rolls on the floor while meowing a lot, it is likely a sign that the cat is crying because it does not like the excessive heat of the room.
Excessive heat from the sun or room with bad ventilation makes cat uncomfortable. By meowing a lot and rolling on the floor, it tries to tell you that it needs you to move to cooler place. Also notice when the cat tends to lie on the floor instead of its own cage or housing. Learn how to train your cat to obey your command to manage them easily.
- Cat Mewling and Running Around
Mewling is a mix of meowing and yowling. When a cat does it, it is usually a cry to seek its mother. Kittens who are just born often mewling to search for their mother. It is another way to say ‘We’re here” while also searching by running around through the house. This behaviour signals both another cat as well as human who is nearby.
Even when kittens are unable to walk yet, they will do mewling to attract attention of their mother as well as their sibling. Another reason may because kittens are hungry and want nourishment needed from their mother. You should know tips raising orphaned kittens if they lose their mother.
- Cat Meows and Scratches Body Part
When a cat is injured or in pain, they tend to touch their hurt body part while meowing to grab your attention. Body pain does not necessarily need to be external wound or bump, it can also signal internal pain from diseases such as digestion problem, internal organ damage, internal infection, and many more.
This is an obvious signal on how to tell that your cat is crying in pain since they will meow harder than usual. Moreover, they also tend to whimper in the corner to ease the pain they feel. Make sure as an owner, you can pick up this signal to prevent further damage.
- Cat Meows and Rubbing Heads on Owner
If you are able to train a cat to obey your command, they will start to be more communicative and will not be hesitant to approach you. If a cat meows and rubbing its heads on you, the cat usually cries for attention to play with you. Tame cat does not like to be alone and will try to invite you to play with them.
There is also other reason why they keep meowing near you, they may want to give you know that they are hungry and want some foods from you. Either way, try to play them for a while and if they still meowing, give them food.
What to Do if Cats Cry
After knowing how to tell that your cat is crying, the next step is to know what to do in that situation. Here are some basic aids to handle it:
- Check its Entire Body. Check its entire body through thorough searching to know whether there is any physical pain from body parts. Start from tummy since it is usually the most common source of pain.
- Invite Them Outside. When a cat is uncomfortable to its environment from heat or strange environment, let them to go outside to have fresh air. Moreover, it also works for cats who have been feeling lonely to meet other cats.
- Give Them Their Favorite Snacks. Giving them their favorite snack along with a glass of milk will help them to sleep soundly. This is particularly beneficial to deal with adopted cat’s first night.
By knowing how to tell if a cat is crying and what to do, you will have more quality time with your cats. If there is serious problem, don’t hesitate to consult veterinarian.