Silent Meow! Wow

[gnaomim]

I just read the article about cats and the silent meow. It's something I've rarely seen from the many cats and kittens that I've fostered in the past. I've bottled fed and raised quite a few kittens in a foster situation, most of them rescues found near where I lived or somehow unloaded on me. LOL I love cats.

My boyfriend and I recently adopted Emily (our little introduction is in the New Cats thread) and I've been wondering how she was adjusting. She's unlike any cat I've ever raised. I really wonder if she was mistreated in foster care. (Too skinny when she came home and seems to have adjustment problems like she's be developmentally stunted somehow.)

Emily has serious separation anxiety like I've never seen before. She almost panics if we just go out on the little porch and there's a screen door between us and Emily. (She can't come out because she might jump off into the busy street! Yikes!) If one of us leaves she cries at the door for a little while or until the one who's home scoops her up for a cuddle. Silly thing needs attention almost 24/7 and I've never seen such a needy cat, especially one that's beyond the awkward, baby kitten phase (little round puff ball stage). Emily acts like she's 6 weeks old rather than a little over 4 months old.

So, that in mind, I read the article about the silent meow. It caught my attention because it's something Emily does often. What a surprise! It's a happy gesture. What an honour. She does this silent meow gesture almost every time she's cuddling or getting attention from us. What a treat. I'm so glad she's happy, even if her life before us was rough.


((Emily decided to play in my new mixing bowl before I could even get it out of the bag! Snapped the pic and gave her something safer to play with.))

 

[cococat]

Cute kitty

 

[gnaomim]

Thanks! She thinks so too. LOL

 

[babywukong]

I googled "silent meow" and guess what I found? http://www.thecatsite.com/Behavior/2...lent-Meow.html This is really amazing stuff, unfortunately I don't think I can say I've ever received one of these high honours.. Either that, or I just shook it off as "Oh that kitten hasn't found his/her voice yet"

 

[jellybella]

My Stan is the king of the silent meow

in fact I rarely hear him make a sound (well, I did once when I stepped on his tail --sorry dude!)

Hope your new kitty gets comfortable soon

 

[nil4664]

I hope that's true. Years ago I adopted an abandoned girl who had at least two litters of kittens on her own, was in very bad shape. She was my only cat for 16 years. She didn't want to sit on my lap, always stayed arms length away, except she like to be brushed. I assumed she just tolerated me. But she did do the silent meow. Maybe she liked me after all.

 

[babywukong]

Alright, guys I have to get something straight. What exactly DOES a silent meow look like? Does it look like the cat is meowing just that there's no sound coming out?

Also, if anyone knows, do cats have to be of a certain age to be able to do it with "feeling"? Ha! Sounds like a weird question, but so far, the only ones who have done it to me are kittens. I think its more of them not having found their voices yet, because soon after they are mewing like crazy!

 

[gnaomim]

I have no idea about the age thing. Emily usually only does it when she's cuddling and has worked up a really good purr; we thought maybe she just couldn't purr and meow at the same time, at first. Honestly though, the only other cats I've seen do it have been kittens.
Maybe it's sort of like people. Some people hang on to their child-like innocence and wonder at the world around them; seemingly happy all the time, like nothing sad can ever keep them down. Other people seem to get tired and jaded as they get older and life loses the magic it held for them as children. I think cats are a lot like people. Some of them just get older and while still happy, they lose a bit of that youthful exuberance, while some just seem to stay perpetually "kitten" and never seem to lose it. Life stays one big, mysterious and exciting game for them.
I guess that's why I love cats; they're all so uniquely individual and so complex. The minute we think we have them figured out, they do something strange and sweet that makes us smile and sometimes scratch our heads and laugh.

 

[gingersmom]

Both of my bengals give me the "silent meow treatment," and the youngest is going to be 2 in February, so I don't think it's an age thing, I just think it's an individual thing.

Neither of my moggies do it, but both moggies have a trilling chirp that they use to communicate with, so

And to answer BabyW's question, yes, it looks exactly like what it is described as: they open their mouths, the make a "meow" mouth, but there is simply no sound at all. Sometimes you can hear air escaping, but mostly they are just "mouthing" it.

 

[babywukong]

Originally Posted by GingersMom

Both of my bengals give me the "silent meow treatment," and the youngest is going to be 2 in February, so I don't think it's an age thing, I just think it's an individual thing.

Neither of my moggies do it, but both moggies have a trilling chirp that they use to communicate with, so

And to answer BabyW's question, yes, it looks exactly like what it is described as: they open their mouths, the make a "meow" mouth, but there is simply no sound at all. Sometimes you can hear air escaping, but mostly they are just "mouthing" it.

Ah cool, thanks for answering my questions! So sweet that your bengals silent meow at you

 

[carolina]

My Lucky does it!!! And she also says "Hi"!!! I am NOT kidding!!! I say "Hi", and she responds right back....

 

[c1atsite]

I often get a mini-education when I visit this site and this time's one of them. I now know about the silent meow but I doubt I've ever received one. An acquaintance told me her cat would open his mouth as if to say something but only silence would come out so she named him Marcel, as in, Marcel Marceau. If I encounter the silent meow I'll recognize it now. As far as kittens staying kittenish, that's like my kitty Daisy. Penny definitely has a grown up "tude"

 

[nance]

The new kitten we adopted last month does this all the time..she is 4 months old now..I thought there was something wrong with her...cause she seems to have no voice...but lately at times I am starting to hear a very faint meow.....I don't know if its the same thing as a silent meow but I know its as cute as ever

Nancy

 

[tab]

coco does this! she looks so funny as she seems to be trying to meow but you can hear nothing but a bit of air! very occasionally a little squeak will escape but on the whole she is silent.

that article was really interesting babywukong, i think the non-verbal communication between cats is a fascinating thing.

 

[wesley's mom]

Wesley has done this before. He was outside on the steps when I came home from being out and I walked up to him and he opened his mouth like a meow, but no sound came out. I just thought he was being lazy and decided it would take too much effort to meow!

I never knew there was such a thing as a 'silent meow'!

 

[caleeko]

Angel is anything but silent. In fact, she has almost a caterwahling meow.

 

[minniesmommy]

My Minnie is Emily's twin! Looks just like her too. The silent meow was the oddest thing when I first took her in. My husband thought she didn't know how to meow at first, so he kept meowing with her. (Now they have their own conversations lol) Anyway, I'm glad my Minnie isn't alone and that I'm blessed with the silent meow (:

 

[nekohugger]

My Mellow does this all the time and i thought it was because he's still a kitten but i just watched a video on youtube saying that it was a hunting meow and is so high pitched that we simple humans can't hear it?

Both are interesting though i feel like the article makes more sense unless he is hunting me >.

 

[fyllis]

A cat's Silent Meow isn't really silent. We, as humans, just don't hear it.

Humans can hear low-range sounds equivalent to what a cat can hear, but when it comes to high-pitched sounds, as cat's hearing is about 1.5 times greater. Their ear flaps can move independently and this is what assists them in hunting prey - they can hear those little mouse squeeks from a yard away and determine the location of the mouse within 3 inches of where it stands (or hides). Other cat's are capable of hearing the Silent Meow and I think they assume humans can hear them as well. Unfortunately, we can only 'see' it... when we are looking. 

So, when does a cat use the Silent Meow?  Since it is a high-pitch, are they 'screaming for attention'? Is it a cry of pain? Are they simply demanding breakfast? I think the key in determining what you cat is or isn't saying to you is reading and understanding their body language associated with their various Meows. Keep in mind that, while it looks cute, it isn't always a 'sign of affection'. A human scream could mean someone is very happy and just won the lottery or, it could mean they just cut their hand off! Pay attention to what is going on - what your cat is doing and where they are doing it - to help you better understand what they are saying to you. 

And don't just assume that because your cat's mouth is open and their is no noise coming out that they are giving you a Silent Meow. They could be smelling something! 

Cat's also have scent organs in the roof of their mouths and you might see your cat with it's head lowered with a slightly wrinkled muzzle, mouth slightly open with the tongue protruding a bit. S/he could just be sensing the moment you open the bag of treats or can of tuna and not meowing at all!

I've seen each of my cat's 'gaping' at different times and for obvious different reasons. Keeker was sitting near his food dish and I glanced down and noticed his bowl was empty. Was he 'sniffing' or 'tasting the air' to see if food was on it's way? Kricket was, ironically, in the bathroom when I caught him. He walked in, looked around for a second and there he was, 'gaping'. Then he looked at his litter box, looked at me, and walked out in a huff. Yes, his box needed scooping! 

As far as actually witnessing a Silent Meow by either of them, I haven't done so as yet. I'm sure they do it, but I just haven't 'heard' it because I wasn't looking directly at them at the right time.  

 

[walkingrock]

Oliver gives me silent meows! [emoji]128571[/emoji]