Can Cats Growl?
Maybe you do have a little tiger in your home, after all.
You’re minding your business and watching the latest episode of The Traitors under a cozy throw blanket when your dog decides to get in your cat’s space. You hear a sound like the revving rumble of an engine emitting from your sweet kitty whose high-pitched mews are more of their standard fare. Yes, that was indeed a growl.
Our coworker, TK, is no stranger to hearing their cat, TK, growl either. Although it often isn’t one of their main vocalizations, household cats generally use growls much like their larger, wild relatives do. It’s a warning shot across the bow, letting other animals or humans know to back off, according to Dawn LaFontaine, founder of Cat in the Boxopens in new tab who also runs a cat behavior blog called Kitty Contemplations. But that’s not all that growls can mean. If you’re puzzled as to why your cat is growling, read on to learn more about this vocalization, how to decipher its meaning, and whether it’s a sign of a deeper issue.
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What is a growl?
A growl is a deep, guttural vocalization. It’s usually low-pitched, so much so that pet parents might not recognize the noise. A cat growls by opening up their mouth, forcing air through their vocal cords. Growling can be accompanied by an arched back, the puffing up of their fur, swiping with their paws, spitting, howling, and yowling.
Is growling an aggressive behavior?
Growling seems like the equivalent of dogs baring their teeth, but cats are usually considered more defensive than aggressive. Cats can, of course, attack if they feel threatened. “I would say that growling is actually rarely a sign of aggression in cats,” LaFontaine says. “Aggression could be defined as a behavior that’s designed to harm another living being. But much of cat behavior is intended to avoid physical confrontation with others.”
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That said, growling is a way of expressing negative feelings. Your cat will not growl when they’re happy or feel safe.
What growling means
Growling isn’t associated with just a single emotion. Cats usually use this vocalization to communicate a number of things, so it’s up to you as a pet parent to decipher what your cat is trying to tell you.
Fear
When a cat is growling and in a defensive posture, it means they feel threatened. For example, maybe your foster kitten hasn’t had good experiences with humans and you’re trying to pet them, when they growl, they’re telling you that they’re scared and to back off. This can also apply when another pet gets too close. Your cat is trying to tell you that they’re really stressed. Cats are so sensitive to changes in their environment. Case in point, they have to be introduced to other cats very slowly or their relationship might always be fraught.
Pain
Growling can also be a sign that your cat is hurt or doesn’t feel well. This seems like a natural reaction because they’re on the defensive. “Like most prey animals, cats are programmed to avoid showing signs that they’re in pain,” LaFontaine says. “Any display of weakness will catch the eye of a savvy predator.”
If your cat is growling, vocalizing more, or has a shift in appetite or activity, it is likely that something is going on underneath the hood. LaFontaine recommends taking your cat to the vet right away, because cats are skilled at hiding their pain.
Resource guarding
Cats, especially those who were feral or whose backstory you might not know, can have a tendency to grow protective over their food or wateropens in new tab, though toys can also be lumped into this category. Cats might guard their food from other pets and defend it by growling. This is a sign that your cat is stressed at mealtimes, so you should examine their set-up and see how you can adjust it to make them feel more secure for them. This might mean having them to eat in a separate room from other pets.
Territory
Yes, cats can growl over territory. Even a stray cat running through your backyard might be enough to provoke them into a hair-raising growl-and-hiss off. Although cats love living in a group, anyone who is not an exclusive member of their club will be treated as an enemy. This is also why it’s so important to introduce other pets, especially cats, very slowly.
Don’t punish your cat for growling
Much like shouting at a dog to stop barking when they’re scared doesn’t work, yelling at a growling cat will only cause them to become more stressed, fearful, and defensive. LaFontaine believes the biggest misconceptions about cats and growling is that a cat is being “bad” or “naughty” when they are just reacting naturally to a situation and showing their pet parent how they feel. They have no other ways to communicate that information other than having a physical reaction like growling.
“You can’t punish a cat for growling,” LaFontaine says. “Obviously, you can do those things, but they won’t be the least bit effective, and they will likely damage the precious relationship you have with your cat.”
How should pet parents respond when their cat is growling
Figure out the reason why your cat is growling. If your cat is growling at you or a human friend in your home who has invaded their boundaries, back up, get out of the room, and give your cat some space. If another animal is causing your cat to growl, separate them and try to re-introduce them again slowly. And if your cat usually doesn’t usually growl but is growling and seems to be moving and eating less, then they might be hurt and need a trip to the vet.
“Listen when your cat is trying to communicate with you,” LaFontaine says. “And if you’re lucky, you may get to experience the rarefied pleasure of a real relationship with another living being, built on mutual trust and respect.”
Creating a home that minimizes stress-induced growling
Cats are sensitive to big changes — a new family member (human or pet), a newly arranged space, new food, or even a new feed time. This can all cause your cat stress. If your cat seems to react strongly to new life changes, try to keep to a routine and give them a safe space, whether that be a cat bed or a box with their favorite blanket, to adjust to everything. “Try to make life as predictable as possible,” LaFontaine says.
Like prolonged stress can cause chronic health problems in people, it can with cats as well. “We humans tend to use the term ‘stress’ a little flippantly,” LaFontaine adds. “But, in cats, stress is actually pretty serious. Stress can trigger major health problems — everything from chronic bladder inflammation to liver disease.”
