Cats have a diverse vocal range of sounds. In fact they have one of the largest patterns of vocalisation of all carnivores, they can express around 100 different phonations as compared to dogs who can only communicate about 10 sounds.

Cats communicate between members of their own species and with other species to express how they feel in their own unique way. Researchers have found that the environment plays a crucial part on the vocal behaviour with untamed cats and pet cats vocalizing inversely.

The some of the most common vocalisations made by cats and the meanings are:

Meow or Miaow
Cats make a widespread of meowing sounds, differing in intensity, length and frequency occurring in a wide selection of contexts with an oversized amount of variation accustomed to communicating various messages.

Cats tend to direct meows more to humans instead of other cats. Although meows are heard between mother-kitten exchanges, they’re rarely heard during domestic cat-cat interactions.

The function of the meow is commonly solicitation (greeting, attention, food related or when a kitten is separated from the queen). If the meow motivation is frustration (not having the ability to gain access outdoors or obtain food), the meow may be longer and more frequent.

Purr
Purring is the most recognised murmur sound with one among all time low pitch tones made by felines.

Purring is produced by muscular narrowing of the laryngeal muscle when the mouth is closed for the duration of respiration, it will be heard both during inhalation and exhalation, giving it a rhythmic feature which will be continued for extended periods.

Felines can adjust the volume at which they purr, depending on their emotional intensity, the most foremost changeable is the purr volume between individuals, with some purring at hardly audible levels whilst other purring loudly keeping owners awake night-time.

Cats purr in many situations – both positive and negative contexts. Queens purr whilst nursing kittens while kittens purr during nursing sessions. Cats also purr when resting or rubbing alongside a feline companion, when greeting their owners and when being stroked or groomed on an owner’s lap, it’s thought in such instances purring communicates contentment.

Veterinarians and cat owners have noticed that some cats purr when they’re in pain and a few have seen queens purr during labour.

There isn’t sufficient evidence to conclude the function of purring during negative contexts, however, purring in such situations has a likelihood of self-healing functions and pain relief.

Trill/Chirrup
The trill’s function is to communicate a greeting, get attention and incite friendly interactions with other cats. The queen uses the chirrup form of the trill to call her kittens; however, it also happens between adult cats.

Trills and chirrups are directed towards people and appear along with meowing. The chirp's high-pitched sound has also been thought to mimic a rodent's chirp to entice prey.

Chatter/Chitter
Cat chatter occurs when a cat is viewing prey that’s unattainable. It’s usually directed towards birds, but may be targeted towards other prey and even toys. The clicking sound is produced in sequences with the jaw and a tensely open mouth.

No one is certain of the true function of this behaviour, however, there are a few theories that include signs of conflict or frustration in attaining prey, prey capture anticipation, impersonation of prey vocalisations and therefore the kill bite theory.

Hiss
The hiss is identifiable because of its distinct sound. The hiss is a lengthy exhalation produced while a cat’s mouth is wide open with teeth exposed.

There’s a slight variation between cats in the hiss sound made in comparison to meows, yowls and shrieks. The hiss sound is produced in agonistic situations or defensive encounters to warn others and is accompanied by changes to body posture.

Shriek
When a cat shrieks, it communicates intense negative emotions like fear and/or pain. If the threat intensifies by moving nearer, a feline may emit a sudden loud shriek to startle the opponent and allow the cat a fast escape or attack.

Pain shrieks are short, intense cries of tense vowels depicted by a great strain of the mouth plus throat and therefore the force of breath.

The tail is an extension of the spine: while the human spine stops at our pelvis, in animals, including cats, the spine continues backwards for another 18 to 23 small bones, or 20 to 30cm.

The average female cat’s tail measures 25cm (10 inches), and the average male cat’s tail measures 28cm (11 inches), with larger breeds like Maine Coons having tails up to 40cm (16 inches) long. The tail can be narrow (in smaller, short-haired cats) or it can be thicker (in larger, long-haired cats like Persians).

The bones of the tail are covered in layers of connective tissue, blood vessels, muscle, skin, and fur. The tail has a rich supply of nerves, giving cats the ability to make their tail move in small and large ways. A cat’s tail can twitch or quiver almost invisibly, or it can move like a whip to strike with strength.

Domestic cats use their tails in a range of different ways to communicate with other cats and with humans.

Cat tail language can tell you about a cat’s moods, emotions, and intentions, allowing you to understand and predict a cat’s behaviour. The movement of the tail can tell you as much as a purr, a meow or a yowl.

A tail can move in an almost infinite range of combinations of movements, but the following tail positions are the most common ways that a cat may use their tail to communicate.

What does it mean when a cat’s tail is up? When a cat holds their tail straight up vertically, this is a friendly invitation to engage: anatomically speaking, the cat is exposing their anal sac region, inviting other cats to sniff this area as a type of intimate social engagement.

Sometimes the tip of the tail may be curled, creating a characteristic question-mark appearance.

Pet owners can relax when cats approach them with their tail high in this position: it’s a friendly greeting. Your cat is saying, “I’m your feline friend”. A question mark tail may be accompanied by purring.

If a cat uses their tail to wrap around your leg, or perhaps another cat’s tail, this is a sign of close affection.

At a biological level, a cat’s tail includes scent glands, so the tail is used to swap scents with other creatures. This is similar to head-pressing and cheek-rubbing, and it’s as if the cat is petting you, in the same way as you pet them when you want to engage.

Flicking the tip of the tail is a sign that a cat is feeling irritated or fascinated by something. Cat owners should scan the cat’s environment to see if they can spot the source of the cat’s attention. This can be a sign of early annoyance if there is a threat to a cat in the vicinity, or a sign of playfulness if there is a toy close by.

When a cat wags their tail (moving the tail rhythmically from side to side), they are expressing ambivalence about what to do. If they could talk, they would be saying, “I am not sure about this”.

So if a cat is in confrontation with another cat, the tail wags as if to say “will I attack or will I run away?” If a cat is stalking prey, their tail will switch from side to side before they pounce: the message is “will I keep moving slowly or will I leap on them now?”. A tail wag can be a prelude to pouncing, or a cat may back away after due consideration.

A lashing or swishing tail is similar to a wagging tail, but with more speed and strength, like a whip. This indicates a higher level of emotion and a prelude to more dramatic action.

It also acts as a warning to other cats (and people) not to come any closer. If a cat lashing their tail is approached, or if other cats (or people) do not back off from a cat that is lashing their tail, the cat is likely to attack. The cat will often use vocalisation to reinforce the lashing tail, with a yowl or a loud meow to add to the warning.

When a cat is crouched with their tail wrapped around themselves, this is like humans standing with their arms folded. The message is “I am contented here by myself, and I don’t need any engagement”.