Is it normal for my cats not to meow?

Question

I have two sister indoor cats who are now turning 2 years old. I have heard them make squeaky sounds when playing and they purr loudly but have never heard them meow. Is this normal? Will they start meowing when they get older?

Answer 1

I have two cats. The female is two and a half, and she never made a sound for the first year that we had her. When she was six months old, we adopted a stray kitten who was very vocal. Gradually, the female cat has begun to meow, but she's does it in a very dainty little voice. I don't know if she has become more vocal because I talk to her a lot and she's trying to respond, or whether it's a learned behaviour that she's copied from the boy cat.

Cats mainly communicate with each other by body language and my two don't "talk" to each. It's only when one has annoyed the other that I'll hear a hiss or low growl between them. Often cats only become vocal with another cat when they are getting into a fight situation and they do it to try and scare off their opponent.

Cats are vocal with humans, because we don't understand their body language and it's one way of getting our attention when they want something.

Don't be worried that they are so quiet. Just as with humans - some are quiet, while others don't know when to stop talking.

Answer 2

There is nothing that is ever normal for a cat. Each cat is an individual, just like us. I wouldn't worry if they don't meow, it doesn't seem that it's a physical problem and that they are healthy and they purr. I have a cat that doesn't meow, in fact she quacks. She's a purebred and has the pushed in face of a persian, so no nose, no meow. It is strange to hear quacking noises coming from around the apartment.

Answer 3

Meowing is not always normal for cats. Most pet cats tend to meow after they have learned that it gets a response they are seeking. They may meow when they want food, attention or some other pleasure. After they learn that their human responds to them when they meow they will do it more often.

Yours may never get to that point. Nothing is wrong.

Kev

Answer 4

Its normal, one of my cats only meows when she is annoyed and pissed off... another meows when I talk to her and also to complain at the dogs, she also makes a whiny noise when I am behind a closed door, another meows most often when I am in bed and she gets all lovey or when I am in the tub, another meows when I am in the kitchen and thinks I might have food... none of them have the same meows and none of them meow for the same reasons and some rarely meow at all. Cats are just as individual as humans, and like humans some are more vocal than others and some are more quiet... nothing to worry about just wait and see you will one day find out when, where and why your cats prefer to meow. They all have their own preferences and habits your cats will meow when they want to and not before, if they dont ever want to meow they never will. One thing I have noticed, people who talk to their cats often have more talkative cats... start talking to your cat at a certain time like right before you feed them talk about it, ask them questions, strike up a dialogue and maybe they will start answering you... I know my brother has a gift he makes cats talk, my sister too but mine are not nearly as talkative as all of the cats they have had over the years. My brothers cat always comes and "talks" to him before he goes out the door and when he talks to her she meows right back..lol

Answer 5

I have a female that's going on 10 and sh'es never gotten out much more then a squeak also. She has a really loud purr though. I wouldn't worry about this since for me it's normal with my girl. They could be like the one male I have, then you'd be asking how to shut them up instead. He has the most whiney loud voice I've ever heard on a cat. One of his nicknames is Baby Big Mouth, Little Boy is the other and he's 25 pounds of muscle with a large grapefruit size head.

Answer 6

We've had five cats over the last 28 years...two tortoise-shells in particular hardly say/said a word and when she does (one died several years ago) it's more of a soft, sad little Mew? Like a question. The little grey and white Angora, who just walked in the room said something like "eeooorahayy" at me just now, but mostly she squeaks. The closest thing to a meow comes out "eeooo". We had a Turkish-van that said "eh" and our Maine coon says "mahrow". Just like humans, every cat's voice is different and like some humans, they simply don't talk much. Nothing to worry about, in fact be thankful, some cats never shut up and it can drive you bonkers!

Answer 7

Ive had two over time that rarely meowed. Both of them had what I can only describe as a speech impediment. They had sort of a crack in their meow. Neither had any trouble communicating in any other way though, and it never impaired them. Both were inside/outside.
Between the two of them, I maybe heard 5 meows in 2 years.

Answer 8

i thought my cat would never meow, he didn't ever make a noise as a kitten & i started talking directly to him & eventually he started meowing back at me. now sometimes i wish he'd never started, as he meows to get my attention (even in the middle of the night!!) but his purr is really quiet.
i'm sure it's normal for your cats not to meow

Answer 9

I have had cats all my life and their vocalizations vary quite a lot. Some will meow constantly, some occasionally, and some may never meow in front of you. This is normal they just prefer to communicate in other ways.

Answer 10

Dont worry some are just quiet my cat was a kitten she didn't meow for ages after her sister. It just sounded like sss noise when she tried but now she doesn't shut up! I like a chatty cat!