Do Cats cry? Well, the answer is a ‘Yes’. One of the most frequent questions that we often hear from pet parents is ‘Why is my cat crying?’ If you’re worried about your furry friend crying and you’re unable to trace out the reason behind it then, this article is for you, folks.
If you notice a different vocalization from your cat for the first time and sounds like crying, you need to figure out the reason. Cats are unique pets that can make hundreds of vocalizations. A few of them include meowing, yowling, purring, screaming, hissing, etc.
In some situations, we can identify the noise that our cat is making. However, there will be some situations where we understand that the cat is crying. But, why is my cat crying? Your cat is trying to communicate with you by crying.
When a cat is hungry, it may start crying. In some situations, it may cry when seeking attention from its pet parents. There are different types of crying in cats and a myriad of reasons behind your cats crying.
Get to know the reasons behind your cat’s cries, the prevention of cat cries, and how to stop your cat’s cries by reading this detailed article. Take a look!
Contents
What is My Cat Crying?
Cats make a high-pitched meow referred to as a cat cry to exhibit their discomfort and anxiety. Do Cats Cry? Cats crying is nothing but a change in the cat’s vocalization when they’re experiencing any physical or emotional pain, aggression, discomfort, mating, hunger, attention-seeking, etc.
If your cat cries for simple reasons as mentioned above, you need not worry about it. But, if you find that your cat’s cry is a serious concern then, it should be taken into consideration. If your cat is crying out of boredom, you can keep it engaged by providing pet toys.
We all know that cats usually cry when they are looking for their litter box to get cleaned, feeling thirsty or hungry, etc. But, if your cat is crying constantly for no reason then, you must look into it as a serious problem. Whatever the reason could it be, you feel heartwrenching when your cat cries and you’re unable to identify the reason.
Types of Crying in Cats
Cats make a wide variety of vocalizations and each one has a different meaning. Crying is one of the vocalizations that cats make when they want to communicate with their pet parents. Even in crying, there are different types of cat crying. It includes the following:
1. Meowing
When your cat meows excessively, it appears as if your cat is crying. Meowing comes in various forms i.e., mild meows to short and high-pitched meows. Meowing is a kind of greeting when they see their human family members reach home in the evening.
2. Purring
Cats usually purr when they are feeling happy and are in a relaxed environment. Sometimes, cats purr to exhibit their emotions and requirements. Purring is a good sign that we can see in most cats. Cats do purring when they’re relaxed on their lap.
3. Hissing
Hissing means your cat is feeling discomfort, distress, and threatened. Hissing is a negative emotion exhibited by your feline friend. Hissing is a kind of expression saying that your cat is uncomfortable and insecure. When you visit a vet clinic or a stranger visits your home, your cat may start hissing.
4. Yowling
When cats are hungry, feeling bored, and seeking attention, they start yowling. Yowling is a long but low-pitched sound that comes from a cat’s throat.
5. Moaning
Moaning is often considered a mating call from female cats. It is also known as caterwauling slightly similar to crying. When female cats are in heat, they start to moan looking for a male mate.
Moaning is one of the most disturbing and different sounds that come from a cat’s throat. If you haven’t neutered or spayed your cat then, your cat moans looking to mate.
6. Chirping
Have you heard your cat chirp? Chirping is a unique vocalization that we rarely hear from a cat. Chirping is another sign that your cat is happy. When your cat is making a bird-like sound repetitively, it means that your cat is looking out of the window and trying to communicate with fellow cats outside.
7. Growling
Growling is another indication that your cat is annoyed, aggressive, scared, etc. When you notice this growling sound from your cat, make sure you leave your cat alone. When it is feeling stressed, it may exhibit by doing this sound. Try to figure out the problem of your cat and resolve it.
8. Screaming
Cat screaming is similar to cat moaning. When your cat is screaming, it indicates that your cat is in search of a mate. If you spay or neuter your cat, you can prevent your cat from screaming frequently.
Reasons for Cats Cry
Wondering Why Do Cats Cry? Well, there could be a plethora of reasons behind your cat’s cry. Some of the causes will be mild like hunger, attention-seeking, feeling alone, stressed, etc. If in case, the reason behind the cat’s crying is severe then, you must take your cat to the veterinarian.
In some cases, your cat cries and you may witness tears coming out of their eyes. In such a case, you may get worried thinking ‘Why Is My Cat Crying’. We have mentioned the reasons behind cats crying and an explanation for each reason in this post. behind We have gathered a list of the potential reasons for cats to cry below. Have a glance!
1. Seeking Attention
Cats are social animals that often love to be with humans and interact with them. When they are pets to some family, they seek attention from their pet parents. Cats start crying when they observe that they’re not getting the attention they are looking for from their owners.
They wish their parents could spend some quality playful time with them and pamper them for some time. If you notice your cat is crying and rubbing against your legs, butting its head in you, and getting onto your lap then, it indicates that your cat is seeking attention.
2. Feeling Hungry
Cats usually have a default clock that tells them it is mealtime. Whenever you don’t provide food at that time and delay for so long time, it may start crying.
Mostly, pet parents say that their cats cry excessively when their kitty is hungry. As the cats have their food routine and a sense of schedule, you must make a note of it and feed it accordingly.
3. Trying to Communicate
Your cat may be trying to communicate or seeking to send a message to its pet parent. That’s one of the reasons behind your cat crying constantly. Whenever you get back home after working at the office the whole day, your cat will come to you soon after seeing you.
The cat starts rubbing their body against your legs which indicates that it is trying to communicate with you or greeting you. By interacting with your cat for some time every day, you can prevent your cat from crying.
4. Threatened
Cats are likely to cry when they feel scared. In general, cats feel threatened when they are taken to the veterinary clinic for checkups. In some situations, cats will cry when they come across strangers in the house.
Whenever a cat is frightened, it tries to hide immediately and remains silent. It doesn’t want to grab attention from anyone else when it is scared. In such a situation, try to understand your kitty’s fear and try to soothe it using certain pheromones.
5. Sick or Illness
Cats are extremely good at hiding their pain. But, when your cat is suffering from some serious illness, it starts crying out of severe pain. Some of the serious health issues that your cat may suffer include Thyroid, Dental problems, kidney problems, etc.
Apart from these, there could be some underlying medical conditions that may cause your feline friend to cry so much. When it’s a serious condition then, it must be addressed by the vet as early as possible.
6. Want to go Outside
When your cat tends to go outside, it may start crying. Mostly, cats assume that they are on the incorrect side of the door. If you experience your cat crying too much to go outside then, it’s a good idea to get pet doors for them. Your cats can access safe rooms in your house, and garden area outside the house.
7. Kitten is Alone
You may sometimes witness your cat crying when it’s feeling alone. Try to spend some playful time with your little kitty to give assurance that it is not alone.
If your cat is feeling lonely and bored, try to engage it into playing with a variety of pet toys. There are a variety of cat toys available in the market to keep them active both physically and emotionally.
8. Want to use a Litter Box
Another reason ‘Why Do Cats Cry’ is because the cat needs to defecate. When your cat is trying to use the litter box but can’t find it then, it may start crying. If the litter box isn’t clean, it could be another reason for your cat’s cry.
9. Aging / Lost or Confused
If your cat is older then, you can witness some cognitive issues with it. Old cats may cry so much when they are confused about routine things. Sometimes, they forget their room or the location of the litter box in the house. In such a case, they feel lost in the house which leads to confusion and crying. It’s a serious medical issue that must be addressed to the vet immediately.
How to Know My Cat is Crying?
Can Cats Cry? Yes, cats do cry but, how to know my cat is crying? To decode a crying cat, you need to observe your cat’s behavior throughout the day. You need to watch your cat’s behavior while eating, petting, travelling, etc. By doing so, you will be able to understand the meaning behind your cat’s vocalization.
- To figure out the Warning Signs Your Cat Is Crying For Help, keep an eye on the behavioral changes in your cat. When your cat is hungry but you haven’t arranged food in its bowl then, it becomes impatient. In that case, the cat’s crying goes extreme as it is asking the pet parent to fill the food bowl.
- Cats usually don’t like staying behind closed doors. As a result, they start crying at the closed doors signaling you to open them. If you continue to neglect their continuous cry, their demand to go out will become more.
- If you are grooming or petting the cat extremely and your cat doesn’t like you petting it anymore, it makes your cat get into aggressive mode. As a result, your cat starts crying expressing its dislike towards your petting session.
- Observe your cat’s behavior when you are travelling with your cat in the car. Your cat may feel stressed and threatened while travelling and starts crying. This is one of the situations to understand your cat is crying.
Prevention of Cats Cry
We have already mentioned the potential reasons behind your cat’s cry. To prevent a cat from crying, you can follow some simple tips and techniques furnished below.
- If your cat is crying due to its age, it’s not possible to prevent the cat from crying. However, you can prevent the situations that arise due to aging. Once your cat gets older, it’s recommended to take your cat to the vet for regular checkups.
- After performing necessary physical tests, the vet will figure out the underlying age-related sickness of your cat and provide the necessary treatment. This way, you can enhance your cat’s possibilities to recover quickly.
- Take proper care of your cat by providing them with a stress-free environment so that your cat leads a happy life. Also, keep the cat’s surroundings clean and often clear the litter box and maintain neatness.
- Provide healthy food to your cat and maintain adequate hydration to keep your cat healthy.
By taking the necessary steps, you can prevent your cat from crying.
How to Stop or Reduce Crying in Cats?
There are various ways to stop or reduce your cat’s crying. If you rule out the necessity for medical treatment, you can try out multiple techniques to reduce your cat’s crying in the house. Go through the tips to stop your cat’s crying.
- Follow a standard routine for your cat so that the cat understands its food timings, playtime, and others.
- To prevent your cat from crying frequently, try to increase your interaction with your feline friend and spend quality time with it.
- Try to give a variety of pet toys to your cat and indulge your cat in playing with the cat toys for more time.
- Before going to bed, play with your kitty for some time daily. Let your cat play until it gets tired and falls asleep easily.
- To calm down your cat while crying, you can use spraying pheromones on them.
- You can sometimes stop your cat from crying by ignoring them. This way, your cat will understand that the owner isn’t rewarding its behavior and stops crying.
When is Cats Crying Serious?
If your cat has started crying suddenly and isn’t stopping even after some time but crying excessively, you must pay attention to the reason behind the crying. You must consider your cat’s crying as a major concern when your cat is in pain or suffering from a chronic condition.
In that situation, you must visit the veterinarian as early as possible. If your cat is crying out of pain continuously then, you must consider it as a serious condition. One of the serious illnesses that makes a cat cry is cognitive dysfunction. This particular health condition may affect the old cats.
In general, aged cats don’t have much memory power which confuses them. Other serious health problems that may cause your cat to cry include kidney diseases, overactive thyroid problems, etc.
When to Call Vet for Cats Crying?
After ruling out the common reasons behind your cat crying i.e., hunger, aggression, stress, attention, loneliness, scared, and communication, if your cat is still crying then, it’s time to call the vet for your cat’s excessive crying.
Once you visit the veterinarian, he/she will diagnose your cat’s problem behind your cat crying. If you notice some serious health issues in your cat such as vomiting, lethargy, low appetite, diarrhea, distress, etc., you must contact your vet immediately.
FAQs
Here are some of the frequently asked questions related to the cat’s crying, the reasons, and preventive steps to reduce your cat crying. Check it out!
Why is My Cat Crying with Tears?
If your cat is crying with tears then, it may not be a sign that your cat is in pain or sorrowful. Cat Crying tears are a medical issue that includes a blocked tear duct, general eye infection, conjunctivitis, eye injury, irritation of the cat’s eye, some foreign object in the eye, etc.
Why is My Cat Crying during Night?
Your feline friend may cry at night as they feel alone, unstimulated, feeling bored, and trying to go out. Sometimes, your cat may cry during the night due to some serious health issues such as Thyroid, Kidney problems, etc.
Why do Cats Cry like Human Babies?
In general, female cats cry like human babies at night especially when they’re in heat.
Conclusion
Bringing a new cat as a pet to your home will be an exciting thing. But, the thing is you must understand your cat’s behavior and raise it accordingly. As a new pet parent, if you’re worried about ‘Why Is My Cat Crying’ then, you will find your answer in this post.
We hope this article has given adequate information about the reasons behind cat crying, types of crying in cats, and steps to prevent and reduce your cat’s crying. If you still have any queries, feel free to drop your comments in the comments section. Visit our website TheCrazyCats.Net for more articles related to pets, pet behaviour, etc.
