Hearing a cat meowing is an everyday thing for you. You’ve probably got so used to it that you don’t even notice it that much.
The meowing frequency is different for every cat, but most of them meow, at least sometimes. This is a normal form of communication for them.
They meow for many different reasons, such as a form of greeting, to ask for something, or to express their contentment.
However, you could notice your cat meowing at a specific situation, while eating, to be more precise.
This certainly comes as a surprise. You would normally expect your cat to be too busy while eating to meow at the same time.
What’s happening? Why is my cat meowing while eating?
Let’s look at the five reasons for this, as well as how to stop your cat from vocalizing during mealtime.
1. Enjoying The Meal
Most likely, loud meowing during mealtime indicates that your cat is really enjoying its food.
It’s making a noise similar to us when we say nom nom nom while we’re having something tasty.
This is a good sign that your cat is eating well and that you’ve picked the right kind of food for your pet. If it continues to meow after eating, most likely it’s asking you to give it more food!
You can consider yourself fortunate, since many cat parents are struggling with their picky eaters.
Take a look at the video below showing a cute cat meowing while enjoying a tasty meal.
2. Disliking The Food
On the other hand, excessive meowing could also be a sign that your cat isn't too happy with its meal.
This is likely to happen when you change its diet. Felines dislike change in general and it may take some time for them to get used to the new food.
Your cat uses meowing in this case to inform you about its dissatisfaction. It has to eat since it has no other choice, but, this doesn’t mean it approves of the food!
Give your cat several days to see whether it starts accepting the new diet. If it doesn’t, it would be best to consult a veterinarian on some alternatives.
3. Food Guarding
Are there other cats or dogs inside your home?
If yes, this is likely to encourage territorial behavior in your cat. VCA Animal Hospitals explains that cats living indoors usually treat specific spaces as their own and will exhibit territorial aggression when another cat tries to approach them.
Territorial aggression can especially be related to food. While your cat is eating, it’s meowing simultaneously to let the other cats know they aren’t allowed to come near.
Cats don’t like to share and won’t be thrilled if they have to eat from the same food bowl as their household feline counterparts.
4. Attention Seeking
Your cat could use different silly ways to attract your attention. If you spend a lot of time on your phone (and who doesn’t these days, right?) it may even bite it to get you to focus on it!
Meowing while eating is another way for your cat to get your attention. In some ways, cats are similar to us. We also want to receive attention from our loved ones and feel neglected when we don’t get it.
You spend the entire day away from home. When you arrived, you just poured some food into your cat's bowl and left it to eat alone. Afterward, you lay on the sofa just to get a moment of peace after a long day.
Well, your kitty isn’t thrilled with this decision. It’s meowing from the other room as a way of saying: This isn't enough for me! Come on and spend some quality time with your favorite pet!
5. Pain
Loud meowing during mealtime can unfortunately indicate that your cat is in discomfort and pain.
Most usually, this is something related to dental health. According to Cornell Feline Health Center, between 50 and 90% of cats older than four years of age suffer from some type of dental disease.
Some of the most common ones are tooth resorption, periodontitis, and gingivitis. The good news is that feline dental problems are preventable and can be treated with proper dental care.
Your cat could also have other health issues that aren’t related to its teeth. It’s essential you observe its body and behavior to see if there are any other potential clinical symptoms.
How To Stop Your Cat From Meowing While Eating?
Hearing your cat meowing every time it eats is a bit annoying. But, the more important thing here is that this behavior could indicate something is wrong with your pet.
How to act here and what to do to stop it? Here are some useful tips you should try:
• If you establish your cat really doesn’t like its food, change it. You should do this in agreement with your veterinarian.
• Make sure each one of your cats has its own food bowl, as well as other items, such as toys and litter boxes. Cats hate to share and this can cause destructive behaviors in them.
• Give your cat enough attention every day. Play with it, pet it, and let it be part of your activities, even if this is just lounging on a sofa with you.
• Observe your cat’s behavior, body, and head carefully. Pay special attention to its teeth. If you find it necessary, schedule a vet appointment to rule out any potential health problems.
Summary
Why is your cat meowing while eating?
There isn’t only one answer to this question. However, as with any other feline behavior, there are a couple of potential explanations. No matter how silly a certain cat’s move seems to us, it always has its specific cause.
Loud meowing during mealtime could be just your cat enjoying a tasty meal and vocalizing about it.
On the contrary, it could be your cat’s way of rebelling against the food it dislikes. It’s also possible that your cat is guarding its meal from the other pets in the household.
Some cats meow while eating to attract the attention of their owners. Others do this to ask for help, since they’re in pain.
I hope this list has made you realize the exact cause of this behavior in your feline friend. I wish you the best of luck in resolving this issue!
