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Ethology Study Finds Cats Meow More to Male Caregivers

Researchers say the Turkey-based findings likely reflect cats amplifying vocal signals to elicit responses from less talkative caregivers.

Overview

  • Cats produced an average of 4.3 meows in the first 100 seconds when greeting men versus 1.8 for women, according to the peer-reviewed paper.
  • The study filmed 31 cat–caregiver pairs in Turkey using chest-mounted cameras and analyzed a standardized 100‑second return-home window.
  • Researchers logged 22 behaviors and counted meows, purrs and chirps, finding the sex of the caregiver was the only factor linked to vocal frequency.
  • Greeting routines combined friendly signals such as tail-up approaches and rubbing with coping behaviors like yawning and stretching, indicating complex social communication.
  • Authors emphasize the small, Turkey-only sample and call for larger, cross-cultural replications before generalizing the result.