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                              Our cats communicate with us and with each other in various ways.  We all know what it means when her hair stands up, her back arches, and her tail puffs up.  Body language is very important, but so are the different sounds a cat makes.  Scientists and vets have identified 16 unique cat noises, which all communicate different messages.  The sounds fall into three categories: murmurs or purring, vowel sounds, like meows, and loud, intense sounds.

Purring is one of the most common sounds your cat may make.  It means she is happy usually, but can also signal annoyance.  Any other noise your kitty makes with her mouth closed is considered a murmur.  My childhood cat, Skittles, used to make one of these noises when surprised.  If I snuck up behind her and poked her, she would make a noise more like a murr than a purr.  Another murmur most common in kittens is a grunting sound.  Adult cats may occasionally make this noise when foiled by an obstacle.

Meows can mean almost anything.  My loud cat, Bunsen, shouts at me frequently.  She meows very loudly to indicate that she needs attention or food.  That is all she seems to need.  When hunting a bird or squirrel through the window, cats make a short, chirrping sound.  A bewildered and demanding cat makes a long, loud meow that turns up at the end like a question.

Hearing a high-intensity sound from your cat is generally not a good thing.  A cat will growl when danger threatens or while fighting.  And of course, we all know the hiss, which is a threatening, provoking sound.

And now for a fun fact.  Most wild cats, like lions and tigers, cannot purr, while house cats cannot roar.