Yes, Maine Coons totally meow. The awesome thing, though, is that they make a wide range of vocalizations, like my girl is doing below (I just can’t catch her meowing on camera).
Don’t be surprised by the wide range of sounds your Maine Coon is making. Your cat just might be trying to tell you something important! In this blog, I’m breaking down how Maine Coons communicate verbally.
Do Maine Coon Cats Meow?
As I shared above, Maine Coons do meow. Hearing your Maine Coon cat meow for the first time can startle you.
Maine Coon cat meows have a much higher pitch than people expect. These meows are also much cuter than what people expect to come out of such a massive cat.
Maine Coon cats essentially maintain a “baby” meowing voice forever. So do Maine Coon cats meow a lot? The answer is that it depends. Your Maine Coon may not meow, but can still be a very vocal breed through unique vocalizations.
What If They’re Not Meowing?
What does it mean if a Maine Coon cat never meows? This is a personality thing. If your Maine Coon has never meowed much, there’s a good chance that your cat simply doesn’t prefer meowing as a communication style.
Now, if your formerly talkative Maine Coon has stopped meowing, this could point to one of the following medical conditions:
- Upper respiratory infection (URI)
- Hyperthyroidism
- Laryngeal paralysis
- Kidney disease
- Tumors or polyps on the vocal cords
These are all serious issues that require the attention of your veterinarian. You should also see your veterinarian if your cat’s meow suddenly changes.
A hoarse, strained meow could be caused by any of the medical conditions listed above.
Is Your Maine Coon Meowing Too Much?
What are some reasons why your Maine Coon cat is meowing a lot? These highly intelligent beauties will meow excessively to let you know that they need something.
Excessive meowing from a Maine Coon that comes out of the blue could indicate that your cat is lonely, thirsty, or in pain.
Here’s the checklist to consider if your cat’s meowing is suddenly off the rails:
Hungry or Thirsty
It’s possible that you’re not making food and water available enough for your cat. Review the daily nutritional requirements for cats to ensure that you’re providing a robust diet, especially with enough protein.
Fresh water needs to be available to cats 24 hours a day. Have you recently changed your cat’s food? Constant meowing may be your cat’s way of telling you that she’s unsatisfied or hungry again.
They Are Lonely
“Cats who are left alone for long periods of time each day may be more likely to meow for attention,” according to the ASPCA.
Like all cats, Maine Coons are social creatures. See if spending extra time playing with, stroking, or talking to your cat each day cures the meowing problem.
Happy and Excited
“Cats often meow to initiate play,” according to PetMD. It’s recommended that you give your cat at least 10 minutes of dedicated play per day.
In addition to helping your cat expend some pent-up energy, play provides much-needed exercise that improves circulation, boosts heart health, and fights feline obesity.
Wants to Change Locations
Your cat may have a craving to go stretch out in the sun on the patio.
Are you keeping your cat contained in one room of the house? She may be meowing because she’s ready to explore more rooms.
Pain or Injured
Cats are good at hiding pain or injury, but if you are their special person, they will inform you. These could be cries of pain. Do a head-to-tail inspection of your cat’s body if she’s meowing excessively. You should be looking for blood, cuts, sores, and lumps.
If you don’t notice any surface wounds, look for limping, wobbling, or changes in gait that could indicate that your cat has a breakage or sprain.
Anger and Irritation
Consider any new changes that could be upsetting your cat. This could be new food, a new pet entering the home, changes to your daily schedule, or something similar.
Birds Watching
“Cats are really excited when they see a bird or squirrel and they want to get their mitts on it,” says Dr. Marci Koski, Ph.D.
Does your cat seem to pipe up when she’s by the window? There’s a chance she’s trying to communicate with birds, squirrels, and other critters outside.
Night Zoomies
The common “night zoomies” can be caused by excess energy, boredom, or a desire to hunt in the night. It can often be defeated by giving your cat enough exercise during the day.
Other Vocalizations
Maine Coons are also famous for chirping, trilling, growling, and hissing.
- Chirping is interesting because it’s actually a sign that your cat is focused on hunting. Chirping is equivalent to “licking one’s lips.”
- Trilling is conversational for Maine Coon cats. Your cat is really just filling you in on her day when she does it!
- Growling and hissing are signs of aggression. If you’re hearing these noises, something is irrigating your cat.
Other Weird Things Maine Coons Do
Here are a few other weird things Maine Coon cats do that are perfectly normal.
- The first is picking a person. Yes, you can expect your Maine Coon to have a favorite in the house.
- Maine Coon cats also have a tendency to follow their favorite human around. Yes, we have all stepped on or almost stepped on our cats because they are right under foot sometimes.
- Maine Coons also obsess over water. You are definitely going to find your cat pawing at water in the sink at least once. Keep fish tanks in high areas for this reason!
- Maine Coon cats act a lot like dogs and some love to go on walks. You can also train a Maine Coon cat to play fetch. Of course, many other cat breeds also love these activities.
I’m Gary Hu, a proud cat dad to a 15 lb Maine Coon. Have taken care of outdoor and indoor cats for over 10 years, and learned tons on behavior, habits, health, and products. I help new Maine Coon (or any other cat) parents with common questions and issues based on real, practical experience.
