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Why does my cat meow when I pick it up?

If your cat meows, when you pick it up, you might be wondering why and what you can do about it. This post will show you a number of possible causes and what you can do about them.

So, why does my cat meow when I pick it up? Possible reasons why your cat meows when you pick it up are that it does not like being picked up, injury, intimidation, you have been picking it up the wrong way, or that it is surprised.

There are actually a number of possible reasons why your cat has been doing it and it could be due to a combination of reasons. However, there are some things you can consider when figuring out the main reason why and there are a number of things you can do about it.

Why does my cat meow when I pick it up?

Below are a number of possible causes and what would make each of them more likely to be the main cause.

It does not like being picked up

The reason why your cat meows when it is picked up could be that it does not like being picked up. This would be more likely if your cat has always meowed when being picked up and it even meows when you do it very gently.

Related: Why does my cat meow when I shower?

Injury

The reason why it has been doing it could be that it is injured. This would be more likely if it has started doing it suddenly, if it has been showing other signs of being in pain or if it has been behaving unusually in other ways as well. If it does seem like injury might be the cause, the best option would be to take it to a vet.

Intimidation

It could also be the case that it gets fearful when you pick it up. This would be more likely if it tends to cry more when you approach it quickly, when you pick it up forcefully and if it often cries when you do not pick it up as well.

Related: Why does my cat grab my arm?

You have been picking it up the wrong way

It could also be the case that the way you have been picking it up has been painful for it. This would be more likely if you have been picking it up quickly or forcefully and it does not cry when you pick it up gently.

Surprise

The cause might also be that it was not expecting you to pick it up. This would be more likely if it only cries when you pick it up suddenly or when you pick it up from behind.

Things to consider

Below are some things to consider when figuring out the main reason why your cat has been doing it.

If your cat has always cried when being picked up

If your cat did not always meow when you used to pick it up, it would help to consider what else happened when your cat first started doing it. If it started doing it suddenly, it might be the case that there was an event that caused it to start doing it. Possible causes could be that you started picking it up more forcefully or because it got an injury.

What is different when your cat does not cry when being picked up

If your cat does not always cry, when you pick it up, it would help to consider what is different when it does not cry. For example, if it does not cry when you pick it up in a certain way, it might be the case that the issue is with the way you have been picking it up.

What to do about your cat crying when you pick it up

Below are some options you have when dealing with the behavior.

Take it to a vet

If it has started doing it suddenly, it has been showing other signs of being injured or you are not sure why your dog has been doing it, the best option would be to take it to a vet. By doing so, you should be able to get expert advice tailored towards your particular cat and to see whether or not injury is the cause.

Pick it up gently

If you have been picking it up quickly or forcefully, it would help to avoid doing so and to pick it up slowly and gently instead.

Be calm with it

It might also be the case that it cries because the way you interact with it when you pick it up, causes it to become fearful. Instead, it would help to be calm when interacting with it and to avoid picking it up forcefully.

Why is my cat crying suddenly when being picked up?

If your cat has started crying when being picked up, suddenly, it would be more likely to be due to things such as injury or a change in the way that you pick it up.