Every cat owner has heard it already, a cat constantly meowing while eating its delicious food, which sounds like crying. It’s cute to see and hear, but it may not be for some cats. There is one question people often ask in forums: why does my cat cry when eating? Well, we are here to answer that question.
The cry your pet cat produces is a constant meowing. The meow your cat makes when eating has lots of meaning. It may mean that your cat is telling you that the food is very delicious or telling you to add more food to their bowl. Meowing or crying while eating can also be a sign of underlying illnesses.
This article will examine why your pet cat cries when eating its favorite food or treat. Some of you will learn something that might surprise you. Aside from that, I will also answer various questions related to our subject. If you want to learn more about cats, let us move on!
Reasons Why Your Cat Cries When Eating
When your pet cat is making a crying sound, it is a meow. When a cat meows, they do it as a form of communication. So, if you hear your pet cat making this constant meowing that sounds like a cry, your pet cat is trying to say something. Below are the seven reasons why your pet cat produces a sound like crying when eating.
Your Cat Loves The Food
Like humans, we sigh loudly after chowing down on some of our favorite delicious food. Cats do the same thing too. A cat that is satisfied with his/her food will make a cry-like sound. This is their way of telling their owner that the food is delicious. In this case, this is a good thing, and you have nothing to worry about.
Sometimes, your pet cat wants more food. If your cat starts circling its food bowl, they want more food. You can give your cat more if it fits its feeding diet and schedule.
Here are some recommended food bowls that the cats love in our shelter. Plus, they help with the speed a cat eats so they don’t eat too fast, which results in the cat getting sick.
Your Cat Is In Pain
Sometimes, your pet cat makes a cry-like sound when eating because your pet cat is in pain, and you don’t realize it. Cats are very good at masking their injuries and illnesses because they rest all day. However, if your pet cat had a rough play session or fell from a high place, then your pet cat may be dealing with an injury.
If this happens to the stomach area of your pet cat, it can be painful for them to swallow their food. Same as the throat. If your pet cat has some throat injury, it may cry when eating. If your cat has an injury on the teeth, every bite your cat makes will also be a bit painful. That is why your cat may cry while chewing its food.
Cats that are in pain won’t do it once. It will be a constant meow! The best thing you can do if you hear your pet cat crying when eating is to check on them. Check your pet cat if it has some injuries. Check their stomach area, mouth, and other body parts. Also, keep an eye on your cat’s behavior before and after.
Your Cat Dislikes The Food
Cat food comes in all shapes, sizes, and flavors. The flavor is what your cat cares about more. Your cat does not care about the shape and size of its cat food as long as it is tasty, your cat will eat it. If the food you bought tastes bad, your pet cat may cry when eating. This might not be very clear to some pet owners, especially if the food they give to their cats regularly.
You must remember that when your pet cat ages, its tastes and preferences change too. Consider trying other cat food or treats. You can also put treats inside their cat food to encourage them to eat. Your cat desires novelty in food. If you feed your cat the same cat food daily, your cat may get bored and hate the food.
Your Cat Is Talking To The Another Cat
If you have multiple cats inside your house, you know how essential feeding them in their separate bowl is. Aggressive cats will show dominance if other cats try to eat in their food bowl. That is why you have to put the bowl of your cats in different areas to avoid any conflict or territorial issues. However, cats will continue to communicate when eating even if their food bowl is far away from each other.
Feeding time might be one of the parts of the day when your pet cats are not around each other. For some clingy cats, that is uncomfortable. That is why it is uncommon to see cats meowing for each other while eating. Also, your cat may talk with the other cat to ask if their food is good. You might see your pet cats switching bowls if this is the case.
If your pet cats are very close to each other, you will see this behavior when you separate them. It is not just about eating. It can happen after a vet visit, taking a bath, or after going outside. It is very cool and normal behavior.
Your Cat Is Confused
As I have said, eating is a very involved activity for your pet cat. It will not care about you if you mess up with your pet cat while eating. Their eyes are only focused on their food bowl! Because the food bowl consumes so much of your cat’s attention, cats can be confused once the feeding process is done, especially if you leave the room while eating.
Sometimes, cats will meow when eating, wandering the home to figure out where you will go. If the food area of your cat is separated from their play area, some cats might wonder how they even arrived there in the first place.
We usually see this in cats new to their home or kittens. This kind of behavior fades away as the cat ages and gets used to the routine of where they are and what they were doing before. Your cat will also stop doing this if they get used to your house.
Your Cat Is Talking To You
Next, your pet cat makes a cry-like sound when eating because your cat is talking to you. This happens if you are near your cat’s food bowl while it eats. Your cat may be telling you that the food you gave was bad, they want more food or are feeling something bad.
Your Cat Wants More Food
This was mentioned above already. Cats that meow when eating want more food most of the time. This commonly happens with wet food. In dry food, it can also happen but not too often.
Is It Normal For Your Cat To Meow When Eating?
Yes! It is normal for your pet cat to meow when eating. Meowing is their universal way to communicate something. When cats do when eating, it is because of the following reasons:
- Your cat wants more food
- Your cat is satisfied
- Your cat wants more food
- Your cat dislikes the food but still eating it
Aside from the reasons I gave above, there can be situations where your pet cat is feeling something bad, which is why they cry when eating. Your cat might be feeling some pain inside them. However, often, there is nothing to worry about.
Why Does My Cat Yowl When Eating?
The reason why your pet cat is yowling when eating is that your cat is in pain or discomfort. Your pet cat could have a loose tooth, or the dry food you gave them is too hard for them to crunch. If you can’t see any visual problems in your pet cat, bringing it to the vet is best because the problem might be internal.
Final Verdict
To conclude this article, your pet cat cries when eating because it is meowing. Yes! It sounds like a cry. Cats do this because your cat is satisfied with the food, wants more food, or dislikes the food. You should know the reason why your cat cries when eating so that you can identify if the cry-like sound is positive or negative.
