If you were to meet my Phoebe, you’d probably be surprised at how mouthy she is, and probably wonder how so many loud meows could make their way out of that little body. She’s the chattiest cat I’ve ever known, and she converses with many types of meows — we never have to wonder what she’s trying to convey to us.
Last year we had a cat calendar, and each month included cool facts about our feline friends. One of the months featured the different types of cat meows and what they mean. As soon as my kids and I read “double-meow,” we stopped, looked at each other, and said, “Phoebe!” According to the calendar, when cats double, or even triple meow, it means “This is exciting!” Ever since then, when Phoebe demonstrates that kind of vocalization, we say, “This is exciting!” It’s quite amusing … to us, anyway.
There are certain situations in which Phoebe goes nuts with this type of meow. Here are five of them.
1. Fresh water in the fountain
You know how many cats get excited when we fill their litter box? Phoebe goes out of her mind when we clean and fill the water fountain. She circles while we wash it and change the filter, and then races ahead as we carry it to its spot on the floor. The whole time, she exclaiming, “MeowMeowMeow!”
“This is exciting!”
2. Sneaking into my kids’ bedrooms
Phoebe loves nothing more than to hang out in my kids’ bedrooms. My kids, however, prefer she stay out because, as they say, “She messes with our stuff.” If she does manage to sneak into one of their rooms, she has to immediately express her enthusiasm. She’s like, “I’m here! What are we gonna do?” And again with the long string of ecstatic meows.
“This is exciting!”
3. Welcoming home
When we come home from being away awhile, Phoebe eagerly greets us at the front door with her multiple meows. Then she runs upstairs and goes to town on the scratching post, then she meows some more. She’s obviously thrilled with our return … and most likely would enjoy a treat.
“This is exciting!”
4. Snuggle-demanding
Phoebe loves her evening ritual with my husband. She follows him into the bedroom and demands a snuggle. If he’s not ready for bed, she sits in the doorway and stares at him. When he walks toward the bedroom, she immediately starts in with her animated vocals. She can’t wait for him to lie on the bed and will continue the long string of meows until he finally obeys her.
“This is exciting!”
5. Warm laundry
Like all cats, Phoebe loves a nice, fresh pile of warm laundry. She’s a smart cookie, and when she sees me walk up the stairs with a full laundry basket, she goes crazy and starts meow-meow-meowing. She follows me and impatiently waits as I empty the basket so she can burrow into the cozy warmth.
“This is exciting!”
Does your cats meow like crazy when they’re excited? Tell us in the comments!
Laugh with us:
- 5 Ways I Irritate My Cats — and I Can’t Help Myself
- 5 Ways My Cats Have Taught Me to Stay Warm
- Texts from Mittens the Cat: Holiday Misfortunes Edition
Read more by Angie Bailey:
- Do Your Cats Demand Snuggle Time Like Mine?
- Texts from Mittens: The “Antiques Roadshow” Edition
- And Now, 5 Photos of My Cats Caught in the Act
- What Happens When My Cats Tell Me What to Wear
- 5 Ways My Cats Completely Own Me
- My Cats Are Addicts: 5 Reasons They Would Land in Rehab
- Do You Ever Wish You’d Given Your Cat a Different Name?
- What if Cats Held Office Jobs? Worst. Cubicle Mates. EVER!
- 3 Ways You and Your Kids Can Help Big Cats
About the Author: Angie Bailey is an eternal optimist with an adoration of all things silly. Loves pre-adolescent boy humor, puns, making up parody songs, thinking about cats doing people things and The Smiths. Writes Catladyland, a cat humor blog, Texts from Mittens (birthed right here on Catster) and authored whiskerslist: the kitty classifieds, a silly book about cats wheeling and dealing online. Partner in a production company and writes and acts in comedy web series that features sketches and mockumentaries. Mother to two humans and three cats, all of which want her to make them food.
