Despite wanting to appear as a solitary animal, cats do vocalize quite a bit. In nature, while they might not be deeply social, they still do need to “talk” to fellow-felines at times. However, cats are quite smart and have realized, to some extent, that humans can and will respond to their noises, so they tend to be more “talkative” among us.

Research suggests that house cats are generally louder than wild cats, as they are perpetually around us, who they perceive simply as larger, clumsier fellow cats. Since we find them adorable, it’s no surprise that we record, film, and photograph them speaking to us. 

While the cats here are mostly “yelling,” felines have a variety of ways they can make noise and communicate needs and moods. From meows, to purring and hissing, they are very capable of different sounds when needed. Researchers believe that there are 16 to 21 varieties of distinct cat noises. 

Alongside the “meow,” a purring cat is one of the most distinctive noises. While it's commonly held that a purr represents happiness, this isn’t always the case. Often, a cat that is ill or in pain will also purr. As a result, some researchers believe that a purr represents a positive social mood, not happiness per se. A cat in pain still wants to be comforted, for example. 

Purring also helps relax the cat, which perhaps contributes to healing if it’s hurt or sick. Since it normally purrs during positive moments, it's possible that it uses good associations to help itself calm down. Cats aren’t the only felines that purr, big cats have been known to do it as well, making a significantly more impressive noise with their larger bodies.

But, as everyone knows, the dog goes “woof” and the cat goes “meow.” This precise spelling, in English, dates back to 1842, while before that, writers used a variety of versions to describe the sound of a cat. "Miaow", "miau", and "meaw" were all present, which aren’t too far away from how modern humans on the internet talk about their cats. 

While it might seem a bit unnatural for cats to “talk” that much, animal behavior specialists believe that, in most cases, a talkative cat is a happy cat. A cat that vocalizes with its owner no doubt believes that it is understood and trusts the owner to some degree. However, if your cat is quiet, don’t fret, some simply have that sort of personality. 

The use of the word “talk” isn’t accidental, cats are intelligent beings and recognize that we are talking to them. So often they will respond with a meow to your speech, creating a sort of conversation. This is more likely when the cat likes and trusts you, which should be the goal of any owner. 

In the wild, cats seldom meow to each other, although they will do it with kittens. So when your feline friend meows to you, it isn’t so much that they think you are a kitten, they simply think you like to meow (talk) a lot. However, domesticated cats will at times meow to each other, if they feel comfortable together. 

If your cat has access to a window that overlooks any concentration of birds, you have no doubt heard the strange chattering noise they make at times. This is generally from excitement and is in some ways a strange evolutionary development, as, presumably, it could give the cat away to its prey. 

Of course, this entire collection simply proves that we love our cat friends, no matter if they are talking, sleeping, or just goofing around. So if you want to see more cat content, Bored Panda has got you covered. Check out our other lists of very, very talkative cats or felines that love to meow meow meow.