Science & Tech · Science & Environment · 1 hr ago
Food test finds cats meow more when their owners are present
Researchers in Brazil tested 38 cats to see whether their meows change when people are present.
They put each cat’s favourite food inside a box the animal could not open and watched the cats with and without their owner nearby.
The cats meowed more when their owners were there, often looking directly at them.
When alone, they tended to stare silently at the door.
This suggests meowing can be a signal to get human attention, rather than only a reaction to hunger or emotion.
The findings do not show that cats never meow affectionately; they suggest the sound may communicate a need.
The researchers did not describe any next steps.
A study found that cats meowed more when their owners were present during a test involving inaccessible favourite food.
Researchers observed 38 cats in their homes, with and without an owner present.
The cats also pointed their heads towards their humans during a greater proportion of their meows.
The researchers said the results are consistent with meowing serving as a communicative signal.
They said the findings do not show that meowing is necessarily an expression of affection.
- Who
- Researchers from the University of Sao Paulo studied 38 cats.
- What
- The study found that cats meowed more when an owner was present during a test involving inaccessible food.
- When
- The articles do not state when the study was conducted. The articles were published on 11 and 12 November 2026.
- Where
- The cats were observed in their homes; the researchers were from the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil.
- Why
- The researchers set out to assess whether cats’ meows are influenced by the presence of an audience.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Researchers placed each cat’s favourite food inside an inaccessible box in its home and observed the cat for about a minute, with and without its owner present.
Researchers found that cats meowed significantly more when a human was present.
Daily Mail published an article about the study.
Phys.org published an article about the study.
- Cats studied
- 38
- Research institution
- University of Sao Paulo
- Study location
- Cats’ homes
- Test food
- Each cat’s favourite food
- Observation period
- About a minute
3 sources
What people are saying
A signal is considered socially communicative, rather than simply a reflection of a motivational or emotional state, when it is influenced by the presence of other individuals – the so–called audience effect
These findings are consistent with meowing functioning as a communicative signal rather than just an expression of internal motivation or emotion.