Why Does My Cat Meow When He Can’t See Me?

Does your cat seem to meow all the time, even when there’s nothing to meow at? Does he seem to call you from other rooms? If so, you might be wondering why your cat is meowing if he can’t see you!

Why Does My Cat Meow When He Can’t See Me?

Cats meow for a whole range of reasons, but if your cat is persistently meowing when it can’t see you, the cat might be anxious and calling for you. The cat may also be trying to tell you something about that space, asking for food or water, or expressing boredom. 

Every cat owner knows there are several reasons a cat will meow even when they are in another room. Below are some of the most common reasons cats display this behavior.

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Why Cat’s Meow When They Can’t See You

Calling For Company

According to AnimalPath, this is the main reason that cats meow when they are not in the same room as you. They are trying to persuade you to come to them rather than coming to you. Why do they do this?

It’s possible that your cat wants you to come for the same reason that another human might want you to come. Perhaps they would like you to sit and pet them, but they want it to be on their terms, so you need to come into their space. The room might be warmer or feel safer.

You may be able to satisfy your cat simply by calling back. If the cat just wants to know where you are and that you’re at home, this might be enough. It is a vocal response to a vocal inquiry and could solve the yowling.

Often, it won’t, however – because your cat wants your physical presence. You will probably have to go into the room to find out precisely what your cat wants. If your cat then seems keen to interact with you, wants to sit on your lap, or circles around your feet, there’s a clear answer to what it wanted – attention.

If your cat doesn’t seem interested in interacting, it may just have wanted to be reassured that you were present and everything was okay. This is particularly likely if you have a clingy cat or anything that has unsettled it lately.

Calling For Food Or Water

If your cat is meowing in the room where it is fed, there’s a high chance it is asking for food (or, less likely, a drink). Your cat might have food in its bowl, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s not asking for more.

Cats like to leave some food in their dishes as a sort of emergency supply. They also do not like eating from the edge of the dish, as this involves their whiskers touching the sides, which they find uncomfortable.

Sometimes, you can persuade your cat to finish the food it already has by scraping it back into the middle of the dish. Alternatively, adding a little fresh food can encourage it to finish what was already there.

If you go into the room your cat was meowing in, and it’s circling or sitting beside its food bowl, this is a clear indicator that it wanted you to come and feed it. Doing so should stop the noise, at least temporarily.

Claiming Territory

Perhaps your cat doesn’t seem interested in interacting with you at all when in another room. If so, the meowing may not be intended for you. Your cat might be telling other cats that this is their space and to stay out of it.

You may not see other cats around, but that doesn’t mean your cat isn’t communicating anyway. It may be an “in case” meow, designed to ward off intruders that aren’t necessarily there. Your cat might have seen another cat earlier or might simply be staking their claim for anyone who happens to be within earshot.

This kind of meowing can be annoying if it’s persistent, but you may be able to lessen it by reassuring your cat about its rights over the home. Putting their belongings in the room, they are yowling in may help show that you agree it’s their space.

You can also purchase pheromone sprays that will help to relax your cat. 

These mark the room with a scent that says “it’s okay,” which could help calm your cat down if it feels its space is being threatened.

Your cat may stop doing this of their own accord, too, so give it a few days and see if they calm down. If a specific incident has unsettled them, they will probably stop yowling after a while. If they don’t, try the above strategies to show them that it’s okay and the space is theirs.

They Are Bored

According to BeChewy, meowing may be a result of boredom. Cats that depend heavily on humans for stimulation may get bored and anxious if they can’t see you. 

If you work a lot, they may not realize that you are in the house and might be shouting for attention from anyone or meowing to express their displeasure.

Boredom can be stressful for a cat, especially one that has separation anxiety. If it has been left alone in the past or suffered other trauma, or having nothing to do may make it anxious. You need to be patient with this kind of meowing, even if it seems impossible to work out what’s wrong.

Try playing with your cat to distract them from meowing. If they are bored, this will help. Even if you have misinterpreted the meow, a good game can distract them from other issues, too. Though it won’t help with the cat being hungry!.

Playing with your cat reassures them that you are there and that you care about them. It also gives them something to think about, stimulating their minds.

A cat that is often alone during the day, particularly one that is kept indoors, needs this sort of stimulation and exercise. It is similar to how humans would if they spent all day in the house without any human interaction.

Try bringing your cat some more toys to play with while you are out, as well. Add shelves for them to climb on, indoor cat trees, posts for them to scratch, and perches so that they can look out of the windows.

Here are some cat toys that will keep your cat stimulated. They will also prevent your cat from causing damage in the house due to boredom.

They Are Ill

Cats may meow to let you know that something is wrong. And it’s possible that they may not be feeling well. On the whole, cats will show this through lethargy and a low mood. But Petfinder lists injury or illness as potential reasons for excessive meowing.

Your cat may be trying to tell you that something is wrong. Why they do this when they can’t see you is unclear. But it may be because they are worried that you have gone and so are vocalizing their concerns more loudly and anxiously than if you are there.

If they can see you, they might use other body language (cat tail language) to try and express themselves, but when there is no direct line of sight, they have no choice but to turn to vocalization to clue you in.

When you can’t find a good reason for your cat meowing, a trip to the vet is a good precaution. It will let you know if there’s an underlying issue causing distress that they are trying to tell you about.

Final Word

Cats always vocalize for a reason. So if your kitty keeps going into another room and then meowing, don’t ignore them. Go and find out what they want. It may be annoying if they simply want attention. But you should still respond to their needs, even if it means walking into another room when you’re busy.

Don’t ignore meowing; it’s a sign that something – big or small – is amiss, and your cat needs you.

Related Articles

• Why Does Your Cat Meow At Your Bedroom Door In The Morning?
• Does Your Cat Get Sad When You Kick Them Out of Your Room?
• Do Russian Blue Cats Meow A Lot?

References

https://pets.stackexchange.com/questions/2770/why-does-my-cat-insistently-meow-at-me-when-i-shower

https://www.petfinder.com/cats/cat-behavior-and-training/why-cats-meow/

https://be.chewy.com/please-dont-go-how-to-manage-separation-anxiety-in-cats/

https://www.quora.com/Why-does-my-cat-randomly-meow-really-loudly-when-in-another-room