If your cat meows when you yell, this post will show you why and what you can do about it.
So, why does my cat meow when I yell or shout? Possible reasons why your cat meows when you shout are feeling threatened, feeling scared, or it is defending you.
Your cat might meow when you yell for a number of different reasons and it might be due to a combination of them. However, there are some things you can consider when figuring out the main cause and there are some things you can do about it.
Why does my cat meow when I yell or shout?
Below are likely causes and what would make each of them more likely.
It finds it threatening
It could be the case that it does it because it thinks that you are being threatening. This would be more likely if you show threatening body language by doing things such as standing over it, staring at it and pointing. Instead, it would help to be calm when interacting with it and to avoid making aggressive-looking movements.
It is scared
The reason why it does it might also be that it is scared. This would be more likely if it shows signs of being scared in its body language by doing things such as hiding, crying or making itself appear smaller. Again, to prevent this, it would help to be calm around your cat since it is likely very aware of your emotions.
Mistreatment in the past
The cause might also be that it was mistreated in the past by someone that shouted at it a lot and was aggressive towards it. This would be more likely if you adopted your cat when it was an adult. It would also be more likely if it shows signs of being scared when you do it and if it is not very trusting of other people.
It thinks it will be punished
The reason could also be that it does it because it thinks you are going to punish it. This would be more likely if it meows when you are yelling at your cat directly and if it happens after it does something that it shouldn’t. Instead, it would help to try to prevent it from being able to misbehave or to encourage it to behave the way you want using rewards.
It is defending you
It might also be the case that it does it because it is actually being protective. This would be more likely if it does not seem to be meowing directly at you and if it does it when you are being loud at someone else or on the phone.
It has been encouraged
If you tend to give your cat rewards such as positive attention when it comes and meows when you shout, the cause could also be that it has learned that the behavior is rewarded.
Things to consider
Below are things to consider to help figure out the main cause.
If your cat has always meowed when you shout
If your cat did not always meow when you shout, it would help to consider what else happened when it first started doing it since an event might have caused it to start.
If it started doing it suddenly, it might be because you punished it one time causing it to now feel threatened when you shout.
What is different when your cat does not meow
If it does not always meow when you shout, it would also help to consider what is different when it does not do it.
For example, if it only meows when you are shouting directly at your cat, it would be more likely that it feels threatened by it especially if it also shows threatening body language.
How to get your cat to stop meowing when you shout
Below are some options you have when getting your cat to stop doing it.
Interact with it calmly
If your cat meows when you shout, it is likely that shouting causes your cat to feel discomfort in some way. Cats can also be aware of their owner’s emotions. As a result, it would help to interact with your cat calmly and to encourage it to behave the way you want by rewarding it when it behaves that way.
Avoid encouraging the behavior
As mentioned above, it could be the case that it has been meowing because it has learned that it gets rewards for doing it. Instead of giving it things it wants, when it meows, it would help to reward it when it behaves the way you want to and to stop rewarding it when it starts meowing.