Does your cat meow when you cough, sneeze, or make a loud noise? Cat owners often find it puzzling when the feline friend is weird when someone sneezes.
In this article, we are going to cover one of the popular queries we often get & that is – ” Why Does My Cat Meow When I Cough ”
Whenever one goes ‘achoo’ near a cat, it can either meow, run away, or even make a sweet chirping sound. One cannot predict how a cat will react to sneezing, and it is funny how cats and sneezing don’t mix.
When we are talking about cat behavior, no one can be sure of the reason for it. But we have provided a few reasons for this weird behavior in this article.
Why does my cat meow when I cough? 7 Possible Reasons
We have curated all the theories that may explain the reason why cat meows, cries, or chirps when one coughs.
- It can be the cat saying, bless you.
- It might be the cat asking if one is okay.
- Cats are probably mimicking your sneeze.
- Automated response to being startled by the cough
- To express irritation
- Cats can respond to the hissing sound of sneezing.
- Responding to the cough as if it was a chatter
So in short, you cat meow when you cough probably because of they are mimicking your sneeze or expressing irritation. Either way, it’s not something you should be worried about.
Side note: You can give them toys like this ( my personal favorite ) to keep them distracting if their meow irritates you.
Humans always project their emotions or responses to their pets. Many cat owners believe that the sounds are the human-like response to sneezing.
We can consider that the cat is responding with a little verbal communication as humans do. We would love to think that our dear feline is saying “bless you” in their way. However, far-fetched it may sound, one can always respond with thanks.
It is a human tendency to ask if the person is okay after a loud cough or an allergy fit. This can also probably be the reason why the cat is meowing after a bad sneezing fit.
The general tendency to project our human conscience on our pets is responsible for this reasoning. One can look at the bright side and believe that it was the cute cat asking if one is okay.
Cats communicate using their meows and chatters. It is an interesting theory to assign the reason for the cat’s meows to the unique character of your cat.
Sometimes the chatty cat can try to mimic the loud noise one makes while sneezing. As meowing is the only form of communication they have with humans, they are meowing to respond to the cough.
It is human nature to get startled by something like a loud noise or a large object coming into our sight out of nowhere.
Cats prefer peaceful surroundings, and a loud cough can easily disturb them. So, the cat making a sound after hearing a loud noise can be as same as humans responding to something startling.
Cats can get irritated if someone disturbs their slumber or calmness in their surroundings. Humans also behave similarly if someone is too obnoxious.
One easy way of finding if this is the reason for your cat’s meows is sneezing quietly and observing the reaction of the cat.
If the cat does not respond to the quiet ones and responds to the loud coughs, then it is a clear indication that the cat is bothered by the noise. The cat is trying to express its discomfort just by meowing or chattering.
It is a popular opinion around the internet that some of the cats can mistake sneezing to be hissing. If the cat is getting overly aggressive after a sneeze and goes as far as biting or scratching one, the cat is probably mistaking it to be a hissing sound.
Most cats do not behave in such a manner. Cats sneeze themselves similarly and should know how a human sneeze should sound like.
But as we have said earlier, some people can be loud and obnoxious while sneezing. In those cases, cats can perceive them to be a hissing sound and become aggressive.
Cat owners often talk to their cats, and it is the responsive nature of cats that we like so much. Cats respond in their way when one talks to them.
They either meow or purr to express that they are listening. If a cat, who is prone to respond to chatter, is somewhere close to a person who is sneezing, it is only natural that the cat is considering it to be chatter. As a result, they meow in response to it.
One should also know that all cats do not respond to cough or loud noise. So, don’t worry if the cat is not bulging after hearing a loud cough.
Cats are moody & that includes some weird behavior like they do not let them touched etc, and they can retort to a situation however they want. It is almost impossible to be sure why the young feline is responding in such a manner. We can just keep the worry aside and realize that we can never understand cats.
Reference:
1 ) https://www.catster.com/cat-behavior/cats-and-sneezing-why-your-cat-acts-weird-when-you-sneeze
2) https://kittyclysm.com/cat-meows-when-i-sneeze/
3) https://baseballandzooey.wordpress.com/2012/08/27/does-your-cat-meow-when-you-sneeze/
Hi There, AJ Oren here. I am the founder of this amazing pet blog & a passionate writer who loves helping pet owners to learn more about their pets through my articles. I am also the content manager of this blog. I have experience in pet training and behavior, sheltering, and currently working for a veterinary clinic.