Published : 12 Nov 2026, 06:00 PM
Updated : 12 Nov 2026, 06:00 PM
Domestic cats meow more than four times as frequently when their human caretakers are in the room.
Researchers at the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil observed 38 food-motivated cats to test how they communicate, reports The Independent.
Each cat was presented with a favourite treat sealed inside an unreachable plastic container.
Scientists monitored the animals for one minute with an attentive person present, and again when completely alone.
The cats produced roughly 20 meows on average when left by themselves.
However, that figure jumped over fourfold once a human entered the room.
Furthermore, the felines frequently used "gaze alternation", shifting their eye contact directly between their caregiver and the sealed treat.
In contrast, solitary cats mostly stood still and watched the door.
Published in the journal Animal Behaviour, the study confirms that meowing is an audience-directed tool rather than an involuntary reaction, according to The Independent.
Scientists noted that living alongside people likely shaped cats to evolve flexible vocalisations tailored to human attention.
