ELI5 - Why do cats meow at us?
Cats meow at us because they are trying to talk to people, not to other cats. This is the most important idea. Adult cats almost never meow at each other. They use body language, smells, and quiet sounds instead. But when a cat lives with humans, it learns that meowing works very well on us.
When cats are babies, they meow to their mother. The sound means “I need something.” It might mean food, warmth, help, or comfort. Mother cats respond right away. When kittens grow up, they stop meowing to other cats. But when a kitten grows up around humans, it keeps this baby habit. Humans respond to meows just like a mother cat would. We look. We talk back. We feed them. We open doors. The cat learns very quickly that meowing is powerful. Cats also meow because humans are bad at reading cat body language. Cats can show feelings with their tails, ears, whiskers, and posture. Other cats understand this easily. Humans usually do not. So cats add sound to make the message clearer. Meowing is like turning on subtitles for humans.
Different meows mean different things. A short, soft meow is often a greeting. It means “hello” or “I see you.” A loud or long meow usually means the cat wants something right now. It might be food, attention, play, or access to a room. A repeated meow can mean the cat feels impatient. A high pitched meow can mean excitement. A low or rough meow can mean annoyance or discomfort. Some cats meow more than others. This depends on personality and breed. Siamese cats are famous for being very talkative. Quiet cats still communicate, just in other ways. A cat that meows a lot has often learned that the human listens.
Cats also meow because they enjoy interaction. They are social in their own way. Meowing can be a way to start a conversation. The cat is not always asking for something. Sometimes it just wants your attention and your voice. So cats meow at us because they learned it works, because we respond to it, and because it helps them communicate with humans. In a way, meowing is a special language cats invented just for us.