Research overview: the vocal repertoire of the domestic cat

Domestic cats produce a diverse set of vocalisations that researchers have grouped into categories such as murmurs made with a closed mouth, including purrs and trills, vowel-pattern calls such as the meow produced with a closing mouth, and high-intensity strained calls such as growls, hisses, and mating cries. This overview surveys descriptive and acoustic studies of these call types, their contexts, and their gradual or discrete structure. It highlights how much of the meowing repertoire is directed at humans rather than other cats. The topic provides the framework for interpreting feline acoustic communication and for emerging research on cat vocal individuality.