Does Your Ragdoll Cat Meow A Lot?
Originally published September 29, 2011.
I used to think that meowing a lot was not a Ragdoll cat behavior, but I am beginning to wonder if that’s the case. My Charlie is a meowing maniac. Trigg, not so much. Rags rarely meowed and it wasn’t until he was an crotchety old man that he started meowing – and by then I wanted him to meow so badly that I loved everything I could get!
Charlie is definitely the most vocal of the 8 Ragdoll cats in my family – as far as I have witnessed. Murphy, my mom’s 7-year old Ragdoll cat, is very vocal, but usually when spoken to or when he’s hauling around a toy of his. He doesn’t meow at you when you are on the phone, like Charlie likes to do.
Here’s a video of Charlie as a Ragdoll kitten meowing:
And here he is as an adult meowing:
Here’s a video of Caymus wailing at Petco:
And when we’re getting ready to leave, he’s still meowing:
Rags as an old man meowing (it’s a long video, forward to :32 to hear his meow – I think he meowed because his teeth hurt, but I am not sure):
Hank pretty much only meows when he wants food! Even if the bowl is like half full…he is so picky he wants it FULL. I’m like, “Hankie, you HAVE food!”
Cute – I love that you call him “Hankie” I would have to follow that with “Hankie Pankie”…
Charlie will just walk in the room and meow, announcing his presence and that I should be interested in it.
Boomer’s a BIG talker, too. He meows when he wants fed… and when he just wants me to walk him downstairs and *show* him his food bowl. He goes into the bathroom right next to my office and meows for me to turn his sink water on. He meows at his own reflection in the mirror on the shower door, as well as the ones in our home gym. He meows to get me to play with him (especially chase). He meows when he just wants attention. He does a combo trill-meow when he’s tearing through the house from window to window, trying to track the progress of something outside. Sometimes he even meows when he’s yawning–a sort of strangled little cut-off meow (as funny to see as it is to hear). And, like all good mommies, I recognize each meow, and know just what he wants.
Ragdolls, quiet? Ha!
Sounds like Boomer is related to Charlie. Does it ever drive you crazy? Sometimes I give Charlie a firm, “NO!” and he puts his ears back and lowers his eyes and goes and lays down. Sometimes I don’t know what the heck he wants other than attention!
No… I would be crushed if he *didn’t* talk to me all the time! I love listening to him (it’s a very *sweet* voice) and having conversations with him. 🙂
And I loved your videos–Charlie the (adorable little puffball) baby, then a year later, in the same spot, doing the same thing? So precious!!
I crack up when i read that Ragdolls are not supposed to be talkative. Taro and Jasper are/were talkers. Taro likes to meow for all sorts of reasons, similar to what GlamKitty wrote above. I’ve noticed that he’s developed a new meow lately, more whiney and high-pitched, when he’s especially needy. It always precedes him making biscuits on me or my husband. I am posting a link below which was supposed to be a video of my dog with her new toy, but Taro steals the show with his pitiful meowing in the background:
http://youtu.be/BMhwHqFs_gc
Taro’s meowing in that video reminds me of something Charlie would totally do – ignore the dog and want the attention himself!
By the way Jenny, i had to turn down the volume on your first video (Charlie as a kitten) cause his meowing was so high pitched! ADORABLE!
did you listen to the video at home? i would be curious if Taro would respond.
Zoey meows all the time! Most especially, when she wants your attention or if you talk to her. She loves to talk right back and she has different sounds for different moods. Sometimes when she’s annoyed or exasperated, she’ll sigh or give a quiet little “Ugh” sound. I hear that one a lot when she goes to the vet! I should really start video taping her more, but she’s notorious for KNOWING when she’s being photographed or video taped, and will purposefully stop what she’s doing! Haha!
That’s funny! Charlie totally has mood meows too. Currently, he is annoyed I am on the computer and not taking him outside – so it’s a loud obnoxious meow to get my attention. The “UGH” meow is usually when he walks into a room and plops down….
Raina hardly EVER meows. She will sit by her empty food dish totally silent until someone notices and fills it for her! She never cries for food, attention, or when she sees other cats. The only time she vocalizes is to “chirp” at birds and squirrels, and when she catches a fly she “moans” because she doesn’t know what to do with it! Occasionally she will give a kitten meow at bedtime if she is a in super lovey mood. Other that that, she’s a remarkably quiet cat!
Raina sounds like Rags was – delightful!
My tortie point mitted ragdoll, Kiva, is kind of like Murphy. She talks or coos quietly but only when spoken to or when she’s hauling around her toy pink furry ball. My new kitten Pixie, also a tortie point mitted ragdoll, is completely silent most of the time or on occaision makes the jesture but little or no sounds comes out. That is, unless I’ve been away for a while and just opened the door, then it’s a high pitch but soft and very feminine and kitten like meowing telling me I’ve been very missed.
Cute! Amie, how are they getting along? Is Kiva more accepting of Pixie now?
Hi Jenny – Yes, but it’s going very slowly. I had them both on the bed today sleeping and it’s best when Kiva can’t “see” the kitten. Pillows in the way, you know. 😉
What about your older guy? I cannot remember his name – does it start with a “J”? Does he mind the kitten?
Oh that baby charlie was too cute!! My ragdoll Frank hardly ever talked as a kitten but will meow occasionally now. Not much of a talker really.
My Becky has never meowed, really. She is two and a half years old and the closest thing I’ve heard is a bungled very quiet meow like she can’t make that sound. She purrs really loud and often though, so I guess everything is OK. I thought there was something wrong with her voice box – but I’m not complaining!
For my future Ragdolls, I hope they meow or make some kind of sound every now and then instead of remaining completely silent. Does your Ragdoll snore at all?
Charlie did when he was fat, but now that he is the ideal weight, no…
Finally got a free moment to enjoy all these Meow videos 🙂 Of all the cats in my life (a long life so there’ve been a bunch), some are or were vocal and others not. Both my Raggies were talkative, Moosie more than Gizmo. Could be their Siamese lineage. Baby Mew, my long-haired orange tabby, is my main speaker now; she earned her name the moment I brought her home. She’s too small and the wrong color to be a Raggie but otherwise has every characteristic: cuddly, attentive, just wonderful. I call her my Ragdoll in disguise 🙂
When Theo came to my house as a kitten, he wasn’t very vocal, but now he can be quite the talker! At first he meowed a lot when I was preparing his breakfast, but now he answers me when I talk to him in my crazy cat lady annoying voice hahaha
Everybody in my house is jealous because he basically only talks to me. My mother says when I’m not around Theo almost doesn’t meow. He also talks to get our attention to his needs, like ‘I want to drink from the faucet, can you open it for me?’, ‘I want food’ etc. Oh, a hilarious fact: whenever he’s going to his litter box he makes a special meow, announcing what he’s up to. I can’t help but laugh! He also meows when the family is having lunch/dinner, and, don’t fool yourself, because he’s not asking for food.. he wants us to make him company while he eats too.
I recently noticed that whenever we have guests to entertain, he becomes especially talkative to get our attentions back to him. He is one of a kind 🙂
that makes me want to meet Theo! he sounds hilarious – i especially like that he announces when he’s going the bathroom.
Lily meows loudly when it is time to go for her walk in the morning or to go out and play in the garage. If you ignore her, she meows even longer and louder. It is so funny as her tongue sticks out of her mouth in a point. If you talk to her when she is meowing to go out, she will rub against you to let you know she is there.
She also lets us know when she is in the litter box by meowing and when she brings us her favorite toy. She also calls for our Persian cat Ginger until she finds her. Lily can be very vocal at times.
Lilly does meow a lot -the litter box meowing would make me laugh every time. My mom’s Murphy also meows when he has his favorite toy. Do you think her meowing is funny?!
Charlie’s meow is still very kitten-like, it’s cute! I like it when cats meow every now and then, but not constantly meowing without stopping.
We have a ragdoll named Oswald who cries NONSTOP. All hours of the day and sometimes in his sleep. We think it’s that he’s trying to talk to us like we talk to him and to each other. I can’t believe it’s not a normal thing! PS: Love the website! Just saw your cards featured on Moderncat and had to check out your website.
Thanks, Caroline. You could feature Oswald on the site! Have you considered featuring him as Ragdoll of the Week? Is he your first Ragdoll? That is funny that he talks in his sleep!
I thought about submitting for him to be featured but I’m actually not sure if he’s really a Ragdoll– all we know is that his grandmother is a purebred Persian, and he’s big and muscular, very docile, friendly (greets us at the door, etc), and very floppy. So Ragdoll seems the closest fit but we’ll never be sure.
oh, ok. well, he sounds like a cool cat nonetheless!
I rescued a Ragdoll and OMG this cat can talk. I’m seeing a trend on these comments. My cat Kenai screams. We think he is deaf and someone at some point tried to kill him, because his body is full of buck shrapnel. He is very sweet but very demanding. He starts begging for food about 5:00 pm then continues until bedtime. If a treat is not given at precisely 10:00 pm then sleep will not happen. It seems he forgets he ate 5 min ago and is not fooled by pretending to put food in the bowl nor can you take it out and reuse it. I love this cat to death but he is soooo loud. He gets anxiety when you go outside and will scream at the door until you come back. I have had the vet look at him, tried anti depressants but didn’t like the side affects. My house is never quiet, but would miss him if he were gone.
My ragdoll is very vocal too! Usually its because she wants something, but sometimes we have conversations too. Finally, someone who can empathize!! 😉 My vet actually told me that Ragdolls, in general, are pushy. Mine definitely fits that description. She wakes up at 6:00 am EVERY day and starts meowing to get everyone up. I got an automatic food dispenser which delivers the same amount of food to her at the same time every morning, hoping it would put an end to the demands, only to learn that what she really wants is for everyone to just get up and be with her. If you try to ignore her, she will actually carry on for hours (no joke) and if you put her outside the bedroom she will sometimes throw herself at the door. I’m in medical school and spend most days at home just studying and playing with her, so she is in no way starved for attention. I finally just adjusted my sleep schedule to coincide with hers. She does make a great alarm clock. When she wants food, she will sit by her dish and meow very loudly. Her meows gradually get more demanding and frustrated sounding if you don’t respond right away. If she gets angry enough she will actually knock over her canned food from the shelf as if to say “Hello stupid! THIS is what I want!” Meowing aside, she is the best cat I have ever owned.
Our Ragdoll cat only meows to my husband! When he’s away, she’s as quiet as my Persian cats. I wonder why. Maybe she likes him more than me as he spoils her… I’m not complaining! I love the quiet personality of my Persian cats. I just wonder why she only talks to my husband. I’m very curious!
Lulu meows ALL the time. She meows when she’s happy and she meows when she wants your attention. She’s very loud too – defiantly the most vocal cat we have ever had!
Well my Bug, a 1.5 yr old blue bi-color is extremely talkative. He has so many different meows we just crack up. For some reason after we all go to bed he wanders around talking for about 20 minutes. He, of course, howls for food too. My other seal point meows some but especially when my husband is in the bathroom, He talks non stop. We cannot figure out why! They are so comical. They talk way more than my past non Ragdolls.
how funny! for 20 minutes after you go to bed – i think i’d kill my cats if they did that! but it’s funny.
Bug has about 30 different languages. It’s so weird.
My Zoe, does more of what I call talking . It is amazing how many differ inflections and vocal tones she has for different needs. A meow for play with me. Another for going out to the balcony another when she want just a treat.
Loki, my seal mitted lynx Ragdoll talks all the tinme. I figured there had to be some Siamese in the Ragdoll background just cause he talks so much. He has many inflections in his voice for different needs too.
I have two total opposites! Jazzy is a talker but it’s not a meow. It’s more of a combination chirp and meow. If he wants the water turned on in the bathroom for a drink, if he can’t find me, or just to get my attention. He’s started a new thing every morning before I leave for work. He jumps on the washing machine, rolls over to his back and yells at me to love on him before I leave. It’s sweet and our special time. I’m always running behind because I spend so much time rubbing and loving on him. Now Cruz, I rarely hear a sound from him. I had never heard him meow until I took to the vet with an eye infection several months after I got him. He didn’t like the carrier and the trip needless to say. Anyway, he has starting making little squeaks while waiting for his dinner at night. I’m opening cans and feeding three cats and he can’t seem to wait. He stretches up the side of the cabinet and talks to me the entire time.
Great re-post and videos, Jenny! I wish Miss Pink Sugarbelle were more vocal but perhaps it’s good that she isn’t (since we apartment dwell). She will meow very daintily if we are both in front of the closet and I’m about to get out her “fishy pole” (wand toy) from the depths of said closet. She also will meow when it’s time for Daddy to get out of bed each morning. She only does this with my hubby and not me. She lets me sleep for the most part. (But if I’m in bed too long, according to Her Highness’ thinking, she’ll let me know and try to wake me up with very loud meows. And, it works. lol 🙂 <3
Other than that, though, she's very quiet. She does communicate very well with her big blue eye expressions and sometimes a tilt of her sweet head. 🙂 <3
Big hugs!
Patti & Miss Pink Sugarbelle 🙂 <3
Our little seal mitted Luna is only 5 1/2 months old but boy is she a talker. Last night she was following me around meowing and she didn’t stop until I stopped what I was doing. Turns out she wanted to play so she led me to my office/her room. She also has a habit of meowing in my face around 5.30 every morning because she wants to be fed. She never does this to my boyfriend, only me. We’re getting a seal bicolour kitten in 5 weeks so I’m hoping she doesn’t teach him her tricks.
Love those videos Jenny and apparently so do Illaria and Grace. Illaria got up and looked all around and even behind the computer screen to see where that kitty is. Grace was sleeping at my right shoulder and began to look at Charlie upside down. She was mesmerized by his meows. So funny cause both of them were concerned that there was something wrong with him. Ilaria is a talker, especially when I’m fixing their food at breakfast and dinner and she thinks I’m not going fast enough for her. Grace talks all through the day to me with thrills and chirps when she wants attention, to be brushed or played with, and has recently been “talking” to her new little buddy, a blue tailed salamander that is out on the window sill every day. Currently we are all in bed (nighttime) and Miss Mari is over on the left asleep. She didn’t respond to the meows in the video. She talks a lot every day and don’t know if that is normal for Maine Coons. She makes the very distinctive WA, WA, WA sound when she is bringing us a favorite toy. The first time I heard that, thought she was hurt, but have come to know that she is bringing a toy and will drop it at our feet while making that sound. Neither of the babies do that yet.
Caymus and Murphy do the favorite toy meow – love it!
At least they have their big kitty voices. Me still uses da same kitty mew squeak as da day me was born. And me chats mommy up all day long and into the night. MOL
Luv ya’
Dezi and Lexi
I am so glad that my Gisele is not the only noisy Ragdoll. I swear she got the meowing trait for her and at least 10 other Ragdolls. On top of being so vocal, she also has a raspy meow, which sometimes leads people to believe that she is angry when she is just talking. Apparently, I am also the person to talk with for Gisele. My parents watched her for me when I was on a trip last fall for 10 days and they never heard a peep from her. The minute she heard my voice when I got home, the meowing started up. I could do with a little less chatter from her sometimes, mostly 20 minutes before my alarm goes off when she starts up at the top of her lungs.
My boy is a meower. And I usually don’t mind. He will just cruise the house meowing. He has food, he has attention but he just likes to meow – probably to hear himself “talk”. The only time it really gets to me is the middle of the night. And he’s LOUD. I mean, really LOUD. And will do it for about 15 to 20 minutes straight. Of course, I always drag myself out of bed to check on him and he just looks at me as if to say “what? what are you doing awake at this ungodly hour?” Crazy cat. (thankfully he doesn’t do this every night. Just random nights. Sometimes we can even go a full month without the kitty siren call” 🙂
My 8 year old blue bi color ragdoll, jack is so funny. He doesnt meow excessively, unless he wants food or treats. He will start with soft, quiet meows and continue, non stop with each meow becoming progressively louder and longer. He also makes an adorable, funny sound when he almost hops through the house. It sounds almost like a turkey gobbling, but not as loud. Another thing he does is make a single peep type of sound when he jumps onto the bed. He amuses me with his gentle, unique personality and odd sounds.