About once a week, Cat Clinic of Chattanooga practice manager Rachel Walker gets a call from an owner about a talkative feline.
While hair balls and loss of appetite are clear signs to owners that a cat may be distressed, meowing excessively is one way puss may be trying to express his discomfort as well, Walker said.
“The cat is doing it for a reason,” she said. “You just have to rule out medical, behavioral and safety.”
Sudden chattiness in an otherwise taciturn cat can indicate anxiety or health problems, including serious conditions such as hyperthyroidism or diabetes.
In the former case, a veterinarian may be able to prescribe mediation to calm the animal down, but any changes to a cat’s vocal habits should be addressed by a professional, after ruling out environmental causes such as boredom and lack of food or water, Walker said.