Posted to X on Oct 18 with 3.9 million views, a man finds a cat on a low roof and meows to it. The cat’s eyes get wider with each meow and it starts backing away from him. With another meow, the cat leans toward him, looking shocked. One comment with 885 likes said, “Dude just insulted that cat’s whole bloodline😂.”
Another comment said, “The cat has a story to tell for the rest of its life🤣”
Conscious Cat released an article titled, “Do Cats Understand Human Meows? Facts & FAQ.”
Author Crystal Uys began by asking the following questions: “When our cats hear us meow, is it a recognizable thing? Or rather, is it like trying to repeat a foreign language with awful pronunciation and inflection?”
She explained that though we might think our meows sound exactly like a cat’s, to them it most likely is just “another weird human sound.” Meows have specific frequencies and vibrations that only cats can produce simply because of their unique anatomy. Uys continued, though a cat may respond to a meow, it’s because “they recognize you’re speaking to them” and they want to respond to you.
Cats do have the ability to understand a few specific human words, like their name. Many cats can recognize when you’re calling for them and will respond to it.
Uys concludes, “Just like people, cats have different personalities and vocalize in various ways. Your cat might be quiet unless they really need something, and another might just like hearing themselves meow.”