Random meowing?

I read somewhere that cats really don't meow to talk to each other but to talk to us. My Alex meows randomly on a daily basis. Just now he was sitting in the bathtub meowing. I came in there and he meowed at me once more and then rolled around in the tub while I petted him. He meows a lot at night as well. It's usually around two a.m. when he starts. The cats stay in the bedroom with us at night (to prevent mischief and accidents) and he might be hanging out anywhere in the room and will just randomly start meowing. At our old apartment the bathroom was his den, and every once in a while you'd hear him meowing from the bathroom. I wonder if he's calling Cleo or me, or if he's meowing out of boredom. The cats have to wait another two or three weeks before they get their cat tree. There he goes again, meowing. I think this time he's frustrated because he can't get to the top shelf in the closet. (I only let him in there supervised.)

Hi! I just came across your post about your cat randomly meowing. My cat Norman does the same thing! I am having problems with it more at night than during the day when he sleeps. Currently, I'm upstairs in my computer room, and I hear Norman downstairs meowing... my other cat is sitting right next to me, not moving. Norman has plenty of food and water, his litter box is clean... he does it all the time. I've always wondered why he does that too.

Have you come across anything yet to help you in your search for an answer? I wish I had one for you! but I share in your quest for an answer... sometimes it's funny, he lets out these strange baby meows... but sometimes its loooong and sad, like he's lonely. Sometimes I call to him and he comes running... like just now, I called his name, he came running up the stairs, and as I say "what do you want??" he meows. "what?" "MEOW" "what?" MEOW". It's strange! I have no real answer, I just wanted to share my silly cats meowing dysfunction. ,... my only guess is that he's looking for you, and wants to find you. Or maybe he's calling for your other cat? Now Norman is sitting contently in my lap. ... so try calling to him, it will let him know you are around.

Seom cats... are just loud. Like Siamese. They -never- stop talking. It could be that your kitty is just talking to be talking. Some cats do that. -=shrug=-

My Rome, on the other hand, only speaks when she wants to know where I am.

~ Midnight

I agree about cats meowing to communicate to their humans. All of mine do and never to each other.
QT meows when she wants treats, Joji when she wants attention, Skinny when she wants to play, and Wawa when he comes in from the garden. And what's more interesting, when I call out their names they respond with a single meow.

lol, maybe my Alex is just a silly, noisy boy. I only hope the neighbors don't hear him through the wall at 3 in the moring. He's kinda loud. Just one of his quirks I guess.

Originally Posted by tibsandnorman

like just now, I called his name, he came running up the stairs, and as I say "what do you want??" he meows. "what?" "MEOW" "what?" MEOW".

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I can just imagine that scene! My cat used to do the same thing. I would ask all concerned...."what's wrong?" nothing, just meowing.

My Kitty does the same. He just looks at me and meow's He'll have a full bowl of food and clean litter and toys. But he just looks up and meow's 2 or 3 times. I always ask him what do you want, but of course I can't speak cat. So I just give him some love and hope that is what he is asking for, he seems content by it.

As well as speaking to me, Ellie meows when she is excited, like when she is chasing a fly. It is like she is saying 'keep still!'

baby and brandie do that, so i meow back to them mimicking there meows. i must say i have a pretty good cat voice!

Milo meows all the time. He'll meow when there's a bug, when he wants to play, when he doesn't want to play, when Pixie's not around, when Pixie is around, he's just a big talker. It can get a little annoying sometimes, bc I'll think he wants something and then I realize he just wants to meow, lol.

Mitts meows non-stop, complete with one that sounds like "Hello!" We answer back so I am sure that we are encouraging it. But it's just so cute!

Ha ha tibs! Josie does the same thing, "what?" "meow", what?" "meow". She is very opinionated. She's learned that when I say "what?" if she leads, I'll follow and she can show me what she wants. Most often she wants to adventure into the closets, up to the attic, or down to the basement, which are all no-no's.

Joshua is quite a talker too. He sort of calmed down after I got Kinah though. Before he could spend like 10-20 minutes walking in the living room and meowing non-stop. and LOUD.
He did do it more often when he was upset or stressed but often it just seemed completely random.

Strange thing is my cats do meow at each other. Often Joshua will meow and Kinah will come running to say hi and meows back. Those are usually quiet meows. They keep the loud meows for me (they probably think I'm deaf!)

I do have conversation with Joshua on a regular basis. Except mine would probably be ground for commitment to a mental institution.
It usually goes like this:
Joshua: "Meow!"
Me: "What do you want?"
Joshua: "Meow!"
Me: "No, not now"
Joshua: "Meow?"
Me: "Because it's not dinner time yet"
Joshua: "Meow??"
Me: "Yes, I'm sure"

and so on...

Originally Posted by marie-p

Joshua is quite a talker too. He sort of calmed down after I got Kinah though. Before he could spend like 10-20 minutes walking in the living room and meowing non-stop. and LOUD.
He did do it more often when he was upset or stressed but often it just seemed completely random.

Strange thing is my cats do meow at each other. Often Joshua will meow and Kinah will come running to say hi and meows back. Those are usually quiet meows. They keep the loud meows for me (they probably think I'm deaf!)

I do have conversation with Joshua on a regular basis. Except mine would probably be ground for commitment to a mental institution.
It usually goes like this:
Joshua: "Meow!"
Me: "What do you want?"
Joshua: "Meow!"
Me: "No, not now"
Joshua: "Meow?"
Me: "Because it's not dinner time yet"
Joshua: "Meow??"
Me: "Yes, I'm sure"

and so on...

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CJ and I have that exact discussion everynight about an hour before his dinner, again at 30 minutes and another at 15. then when it is time to eat I ask him which flavor packet he wants, turkey or chicken?

I have read that meows are exclusively reserved for human communication.
That cats do not meow to each other.
I have one meow-meow-meower when he wants to eat and one quiet boy who only really "mrows" or "mrips"
when he really wants my attention.
Mine don't meow to each other.

i have a kitten that meows for no reason too =] as for the cats dont meow at each other thing, i disagree.... ive had pleanty of cats that have meowed to get the other cats attention to come play, and when they meow, the other cats run to them and they begin their games.