Do Birman Cats Meow A Lot? What To Expect

Known for their stunning blue eyes and luscious coat, the Birman cat breed has a very warm and affectionate personality. Their docile nature and distinctive features make them an ideal pet for everyone! But are they as vocal as other cat breeds? Let’s find out!

Do Birman cats meow a lot? Birman cats are known to be quite soft-spoken and not meowing a lot. Though they are highly social and communicative in their own ways, they do not prefer to make much noise. If you have a Birman cat and you’ve noticed that it has recently been meowing a lot, then it could be an indication of something serious.

Your cat could be meowing for a number of reasons. It might be due to an illness or nothing serious at all. Let us go over the possible reasons for your cat’s excessive meowing and weigh the potential reasons behind its meowing against one another.

Reasons Why Your Birman Cat Has Been Meowing Excessively

A cat may suddenly change its vocalization due to many reasons. If your cat has meowed frequently since the day you first got it, then it might just be a habit by this point.

Vocalization in cats doesn’t just mean meowing, but the term also covers groaning, howling, or hissing.

If your cat has suddenly been meowing more often than usual or there is a sudden increase in the frequency, degree, or type of vocalization, then it could be due to one of the following reasons.

Attention-Seeking Behavior

Your cat’s sudden increase in meowing doesn’t necessarily have to be due to something serious like an illness or pain. Cats in general vocalize and meow to catch the attention of their owners.

It is their way of claiming, “Love me, Hooman!” Some breeds like the Siamese are more vocal than the others and that is why you’ll just have to accept this behavior and tend to their needs.

Meowing for Food

A meowing cat could be a hungry cat. If you’ve been rewarding your meowing cat with treats, petting or cuddles then by now you’ve conditioned the cat into believing that meowing will get it these things.

However, if the meowing behavior has seen a sudden change along with some changes in the appetite, then it would be a good idea to consult a vet and eliminate the possibility of an underlying illness.

Loneliness In Birman Cats

Have you recently been too busy to give some time to your cat? Have you perhaps brought in a new pet that has been taking up all the attention?

In some cases, even parents paying attention to a newborn baby can develop the feelings of loneliness in the cat.

The cat that once enjoyed undivided attention now has to share it with another pet or human being, or maybe you’ve just been too busy to spend time with your cat. Meowing could be your cat’s way of expressing its loneliness.

Anxiety

Another reason behind your cat’s sudden increase in meowing could be anxiety. Separation anxiety, conflict, fear, or situational distress can cause your cat, which was otherwise a comparatively quiet cat, to suddenly become vocal.

Evaluate yours and your cat’s behavior and try to ascertain if this could be the reason behind the excessive meowing.

Territorial Behavior

Cats don’t like the encroachment of their territory. If you’ve recently gotten another pet that your cat feels threatened by then that could be another reason behind the excessive meowing.

This might even be triggered by a cat in the vicinity or neighborhood and result in your cat growling or meowing instinctively in fear of encroachment of their territory.

Mating

Cats in heat often yowl or meow to attract potential mates. If this is the reason behind your cat’s meowing, then there’s nothing to worry about, as the excessing meowing will subside once your cat is no longer in heat.

Again, a veterinarian will be able to recognize if this is the reason behind your cat’s excessive meowing.

Aging

It is not uncommon for cats to become much more vocal with age. As their vision, hearing and other senses become dulled, it results in the development of fearful or aggressive behaviors in the cat.

Physical discomfort or a chronic disease resulting in discomfort could also be the reason behind this. Senility is another reason to keep in mind that could be contributing to the excessive meowing or vocalization in your senior cat.

Physical Illness

Just like humans, cats too get sick and just like humans they too express their discomfort. Sudden and excessive meowing from your cat could be an expression of pain, hunger or even thirst.

Illnesses like chronic kidney disease or diabetes may result in excessive thirst in your cat, which can, in turn, lead to frequent meowing. In short, discomfort as a result of a chronic disease or illness could be the possible reason behind your cat’s excessive vocalization.

How to Prevent This

Provided that you’ve been able to nail down the specific reason behind your cat’s meowing, you might now be wondering what the next step should be? What can you do that can help stop or prevent your cat from meowing excessively?

Find Out Why Your Birman Cat is Meowing So Much

Carefully monitor your cat’s and even your own behavior. Take note of its excessive meowing and try to narrow down from the possible reasons we’ve listed to the one most likely.

Once you’ve finally found the reason behind your cat’s excessive meowing, then you can move forward with trying to fix that.

• If your Birman cat has been meowing for attention seeking purposes, then it would be better to ignore it until it stops meowing. If you instead try to fix this behavior by giving your cat the attention it is crying for, then you are only promoting that behavior. Pet and love your cat when it has stopped meowing. Put it down and walk away whenever it starts meowing again.
• If your beloved pal meows to ask for food, then you need to stop feeding it when it cries. You need to teach your cat that meowing will not earn it what it’s seeking, and eventually, you will see that your beloved pal will stop meowing. You can feed your cat on a schedule, as this is also an effective way to teach your cat to wait for the food instead of going bonkers and crying repeatedly. By feeding your cat when it meows you are only treating it for the meowing and promoting the behavior.
• If your cat cries out of loneliness, why not get him or her a new friend? Consider getting another pet that will keep him or her company when you’re gone. You could also opt for a pet sitter if you tend to stay outdoors for extended periods of time.
• If your cat is meowing because it is in heat, you may need to get it spayed or neutered.
• If your cat meows to be let in or outside, then a good idea would be to install a cat door like this one. Don’t forget to reward your cat for not meowing by giving them treats and plenty of attention, care, and love!

Getting Regular Health Checkups

If the meowing does not stop or you are unable to figure out the reason behind the cat’s meowing, then it would be a good idea to take your cat for a health checkup.

It might very well be that excessive meowing is due to pain or discomfort caused by some illness. Regular checkups are a surefire way of keeping your cat safe and healthy.

A health checkup usually consists of physical exams and tests that are carried out to evaluate the overall health of your cat.

Blood and urine samples might also be collected during the checkup so that any hormonal imbalances, electrolyte disturbances, acute infections or chronic diseases can be ruled out.

A physical exam can also be performed, which will help the veterinarian rule out physical or localized pain (e.g., pain that could be the result of a broken bone).

If no environmental or physical cause can be determined behind the excessive meowing of your cat, then your veterinarian might refer your cat to a behavioral specialist for further testing.

Stay in contact with your veterinarian until the problem has been successfully resolved.

If your cat hasn’t had its regular checkup in a long while, then you must go for one as soon as possible, as it might help with the timely identification of chronic diseases you are yet unaware of.

As a precaution, therefore, it is always better to get regular health checkups of your cat so that the issues can be identified and sorted out at the right time.

Related Questions

Can a Birman cat be left alone at home? Though some cats prefer to remain alone, the Birman cat breed is not one of them! Birman cats are known to be highly social and need a lot of attention. Therefore, they should not be left alone for extended periods of times.

How long does the Birman cat breed live for? The average life span for a Birman cat breed is known to be around 15 years or more. Good husbandry does influence their life span a lot. The right food, exercise, play, and company are essential for a long cat life.

How much do Birman kittens cost? The average price for a Birman kitten is around 700 to 1000 dollars. Birman cats can rarely be found in shelters. However, they cost way less there.