Auditory Communication
Meow. A meow is a movement used by cats to signal a request to their mother. Adult cats do not normally meow to each other, and so the meowing to human beings that domesticated cats exhibit is likely partly an extension of the use of this plaintive signal. When communicating with human beings, adult cats express variations of this tone to demand food or attention, register complaints, and convey bewilderment. An alteration in tone, pace, or punctuation changes the meaning, however slight.While cats occasionally vocalize to one another with purrs, growls, and can emit long, articulated meows. Most vocalizations recognized as “meow” are specifically for human interaction.
Purr. A purr is a sound made by all species of felids. A tonal buzzing can characterize differently between cats. Domestic cats purr in a frequency of 25 to 1,500 vibrations per second. Purring is often understood as signifying happiness; however, cats sometimes purr when they are ill, or during tense, traumatic, or painful moments.Although purring is a universally recognized phenomenon, the mechanism by which cats purr is elusive. This is partly because the cat has no unique anatomical feature that is clearly responsible for the sound.
Hiss etc. A cat hissing and arching its back to make itself appear larger to ward off a threat.Most cats growl or hiss when angered or feeling threatened, which serves as a warning to the offending party. If the warning is not heeded, a more or less serious attack may follow. Some may engage in behavior or batting with their paws, with claws either extended or retracted. Cats sometimes make chirping or chattering noises when observing prey. Proposed explanations for this behavior include that it is a threatening sound, an expression of excitement or frustration, or an attempt to replicate a bird-call (or replicate the call of a bird’s prey, for example a cicada). Recent animal behaviorists[who?] have theorized that it is a “rehearsal behavior” in which the cat anticipates or practices the killing of prey, because the sound usually accompanies a biting movement similar to the one they use to kill their prey (the “killing bite”, which saws through the victim’s neck vertebrae).
Source. Pic: Chika Nadya at Flickr. Text: Wikipedia.