How to Make a Cat Meow More: Make Kitty a Chatty Cathy!
The most talkative cat I have ever known is the cat my brother adopted into his home from a shelter way back when he wanted his own first kitty.
This cat’s name is Walker, and boy does he talk up a storm!
Catit Design Senses Play Circuit Light Up Ball Track Cat Toy – Amazon / Chewy
Did he start out that way? A little, yes. He was always talkative to begin with.
But boy was he trained to talk and meow a heck of a lot more than he originally did. And so he’s become over time probably the most vocal cat I know to date. And is ever so charming and endearing because of it.
It’s hard not to feel Walker is almost humanlike because of how much he communicates. And no, it’s not just meowing. He meeps and chatters and murrs and makes all sorts of noises as well.
But it’s that meowing and basically chatting back to us humans when we talk to him that’s got our hearts all tied up in knots for him. And yes, there are ways the humans in his life encouraged this behaviour to get him to the point where he’s gotten to now – a true Chatty Cathy of a kitty cat!
Here are some things I can think of that we did and that you can do off the top of your head, and if you can think of more, or have experience with Chatty Cathy kitties or how to help cats become more chatty, let me know in the comments section down below! Love hearing your stories and thoughts.
How to Make a Cat Meow More & Be More Talkative
1. If your cat meows at you, meow back!
This is the simplest most fundamental thing you can do if you want your cat to meow more. Just meow back at him or her when he or she does this!
A lot of cats will reciprocate the meowing back with more meowing, and then it’ll turn into some kind of a cute little conversation!
Other cats aren’t so vocal, and might have been meowing because they wanted something from you, and thus might be confused when you meow back.
If you continue to do so, however, they might begin to think you’re meowing back to send them a message that they’ve been heard, and if you eventually give them what they want, they’ll probably think this communication method back and forth is a way for them to get what they’re after.
Perfect – if what you want is to train your cat to be more talkative. Just know that this is a double edged sword to an extent, because once you’ve trained your cat to meow more, it’s hard to undo that and get them to talk less! So you’d better be in it for the long haul.
Catit Digger Food Tunnel Toy – Amazon / Chewy
2. Figure out the types of things that make your kitty meow in the first place. Then meow back and reward them with what they want when they meow.
Every cat is likely to meow and not meow about different things. I’ve learned this over time and experience having many cats in my life.
Some of my cats like to meow to inform me they are going to be using the restroom (and yes I’ve checked, no UTIs! They just like to bring awareness to the situation!).
So I’ll typically talk back and say, “Yes, yes,” or “Good boy,” but if I wanted my cat to meow more, I would probably spend that time meowing back and keep doing this on and on until the cat had stopped meowing.
Some of my cats like to meow at me when they’re demanding food because it’s nearly time for them to eat.
Of course you can and should encourage this if you want more meows by meowing back, and then giving in. Pay attention to those moments when they meow for something and meow back, and then reward them.
Other cats hardly ever meep or meow, and instead use other methods of grabbing my attention, like reaching their paws out or even using their paws to touch my face.
It’s adorable and sweet, and if you want to couple these with meeping or meowing, you can see if your cat ever lets out a little meep or meow during these moments and then reward them by automatically giving them what they want in the moment.
This will sort of become a trigger, where your cat will see the meowing as a button they press to get the things they want from you.
And the more you meow and oblige, giving in to what they want, the more they’ll see meowing as a form of communication with you, using it to charm you into handing over what they happen to want.
3. Remember to only use the meowing back in the contexts you want your cat to meow.
If you don’t mind your cat meowing in any setting, don’t worry about limiting meows back. Every time your cat meows, meow back, or start meowing and then start talking or chatting to him or her, whatever you prefer.
If you do mind some contexts with regards to the meowing, you might find it’s hard to turn off a Chatty Cathy and you may have created a monster with regards to so much meowing that you can’t stand it anymore.
In which case, it’s time to tone it back and stop giving into the meows. But I’m guessing that’s not you if you’re looking up how to make your cat meow more.
If you want your cat to be a cute little meow machine, just keep at the chatter box conversation with your cat, give in to what he or she wants, and your cat will quickly learn that in the context of wanting play or cuddles or food or whatever the case may be, if he or she speaks up with a meow or two and is chatted with by you, then he or she will get what she wants.
And in no time you should have a Chatty Cathy Kitty on your hands!
Your Thoughts on Making Cats Meow More?
Have you ever had a cat that meowed a lot? Did you love all the little conversations you’d end up having with him or her?
What would you recommend for pet parents who love their kitty’s meowing and want to encourage more of it?
Would love to hear your thoughts and stories and opinions on cats who meow a lot and their ever-so-cute charming appeal in the comments down below!
Elise Xavier
Have three pet cats, Avery, Bjorn, & Athos whom I love to bits. Obsessed with cats. Figured I might as well blog about ’em.
Fond of my fluffies? See more of them on my personal blog, E&T. Dig KittyClysm? Check out all the other blogs I pen & photograph.
Elise’s Favourite Tip
One of the most frustrating problems I’ve had to deal with as a pet parent is staying on top of my cats’ desire to play. While this is typically hard to do, toys like these that allow cats to play by themselves make the job one heck of a lot easier.
The hits in my household are ridiculously affordable: cat springs, ball track toys, & kick sticks. I have a slew scattered around the house, so when my cats get bored, even if I’m busy or not even home, my furries are able to actively play.
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Hi, I’m Elise! Welcome to KittyClysm – a blog for cat lovers & kitty keepers. Join me & my three grumpy-lookin’ old man cats – Avery, Bjorn, & Athos – as I discuss cat topics like funny cat behaviours, cat training tips, feline facts, pet care advice and so much more!
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