If your cat meows, when you cuddle with it, this post will show you likely reasons why and what you can do about them.
So, why does my cat meow when we cuddle? Likely reasons why your cat meows when you cuddle are that it is intimidated, it is showing affection back to you or that it does not like the way you cuddle with it.
There are a number of possible reasons why your cat might meow when you cuddle and it might be due to a combination of reasons. However, there are some things you can consider when figuring out the main cause and there are some things you can do about it.
Reasons why your cat meows when you cuddle
Below are a number of likely causes and what would make each of them more likely.
Intimidation
A possible cause is that something has been intimidating it when it cuddles. This would be more likely if your cat does things such as try to move away from you, hiss, scratch, bite and it does not do things such as purr or knead. In this case, it would likely help to cuddle it in a different way or to stop cuddling it and to show affection by just petting it.
Injury
Another possible reason is that your cat has gotten an injury. This would be more likely if your cat has started meowing, when you cuddle, suddenly and if it has been showing other signs of being injured such as not walking like normal or not letting you touch it. In this case, the best option would be to take it for a checkup with the vet.
It is being affectionate
It might also be the case that your cat is showing affection back to you. This would be much more likely to be the cause if it also does things such as purr, knead and it does not try to move away from you.
It does not like the way you are cuddling it
Another possible cause is that your cat does not like the way you have been cuddling it. This would be more likely if your cat only meows when you cuddle it in a certain way and it tries to move away from you.
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 meowed when cuddling
If your cat did not always meow when you cuddle, it would help to consider what else happened when it first started doing it. If it started doing it suddenly, it might be due to things such as a change in the way you cuddle it or getting an injury.
What is different when your cat does not meow
If your cat does not always meow when you cuddle, it would also help to consider what is different when it does not meow. For example, if it only does it when you hug it in a certain way, it would be more likely that it does not like how you are hugging it.
What to do about your cat meowing when you cuddle it
Below are some options you have when dealing with the behavior.
Don’t force it
If your cat does not want to cuddle, it would likely make it worse if you try to force it to cuddle you. Instead, it would help to gradually encourage it to cuddle you by rewarding it when it does interact with you.
Be calm with it
If you are often loud or forceful around your cat, it might be causing it to get intimidated. Instead, it would help to interact with it calmly. It would also help to make sure the way you are cuddling it is one that your cat likes. If your cat does not like the way you cuddle it, it might be a better option to just pet it instead.
Let it do it
If your cat does not seem to be doing it because it wants you to stop, it would be likely that it is showing affection back to you. In this case, it would be an option to just let your cat continue doing it.