Who Knew? Cat's Meow Had Subtext

By Ana Veciana-Suarez

Cats Cats control their humans

This just in: Cats control their humans.

Why, you may wonder, is this even news? Anyone who has ever loved -- or resented -- a feline companion has also experienced its stinging rejection. If you doubt who's in charge in this two-legged, four-pawed relationship, try teaching your kitty to walk on a leash.

(I confess: I did, with predictably disastrous results. To this day, I have no clue what possessed me.)

In any case, cat behavior made headlines recently when a university study, published in Current Biology, concluded that household cats control us with "a certain type of urgent-sounding, high-pitched meow," described as a purr mixed with a cry. For the uninitiated, it sounds a lot like a human infant bawling.

Cat people -- and this is not in any way a reference to Batman's Catwoman -- readily recognize this urgent meow. It may mean one of several things: Feed me. Rub me. Let me sit on your lap. Or, Pay attention to me, fool. Boy George, my current cat, has perfected it. I can set my clock by that cry-purr -- 5:40 a.m., when I'm standing over the bathroom sink with a mouthful of toothpaste.

But not everyone is as familiar with the intonations of what the University of Sussex researcher calls the "solicitation cry." The world, as most of us know it, is divided between animal lovers and those who care not a whit. The former group is further segmented into cat people and dog people. Non-cat lovers might consider this purr-cry a supreme annoyance, testament to the ungrateful aloofness of felines. Not true.

The "solicitation" cries, suggests researcher Karen McComb, may subtly take advantage of a human's sensitivity to baby cries. (She should know of what she speaks; she studies vocal communication in mammals and has a cat that consistently wakes her in the morning with his cry.)

Not all cats use this form of purring, McComb found. It usually is found in those that have a one-on-one relationship with their owners. These cats did not meow in the same way in front of strangers, which led researchers to speculate that "cats learn to dramatically exaggerate (the cry) when it proves effective in generating a response from humans." Kind of like the whining of a toddler who wants something from mommy.

This kind of research can prove useful to cat owners, particularly those of us who ramble on about the bond we have with our pawed progeny. As we understand our cats better, the relationship between a non-cat-loving spouse and a meowing family member may improve. Truces will be called. Scratch marks on the furniture may be forgiven.

Case in point: My Boy George, named for the androgynous pop singer. B.G. and I have developed a form of communication that is uniquely our own. By the timbre of his voice I know if he wants dinner early or if he simply wants to be noticed. One of his favorite ways to express affection is to lick my big toe under the dining table.

Recounting these intimacies to non-cat people (read: my hubby) elicits eye-rolling skepticism. But for cat owners everywhere, this study vindicates what we've known all along. Finally, we have proof that cat-human communication is more meaningful than your average purr -- or in my case, the average toe-lick.

PET STORIES and PET ARTICLES ...

Pets | Who Knew? Cat's Meow Had Subtext