Why Do Cats Meow After Eating – What It Really Means!

We’ve all heard it, a cat meowing after a well-deserved meal. It’s cute to see, but for some, it might be concerning. So let’s answer the question; why do cats meow after eating?

Cats meow after eating to communicate their satisfaction with their meal. Meowing after eating can also be a sign of underlying illnesses such as kidney failure, dehydration, pain, or dislike of the food. 

In this article, we’ll dive into the many reasons why cats meow after chowing down on their favorite food. Some of what you’ll learn here might surprise you! 

11 Reasons Cats Meow After Eating

When a cat meows, they are almost always doing so as a form of communication. Doing so after they eat is just an extension of that. However, there are a few distinct reasons they do it after they eat. Below is a list of 7 reasons your cat might be meowing after eating.

Your Cat Is Satisfied With Their Meal

Much like humans let out a loud sigh after chowing down on some food, cats can do the same thing. A cat that is satisfied with its meal will often meow afterward. Many times the meow is a way to communicate a job well done to their owner. In this case, that’s a good thing and means there is nothing to worry about.

Other times, your cat is desiring more food, especially if they start circling around their food bowl. What you can do is give them a bit more if it fits within their feeding diet and schedule. 

Your Cat Is In Pain

There are times when a cat may be in pain and you don’t realize it. Cats are very good at masking injuries, particularly because they rest all day. However, if your cat has had a rough play session or has fallen from a high ledge, then they might be dealing with a bruise of some sort. If this happens in the stomach area, it can be painful for them to swallow their food as it passes through that area. This translates to when they go to the bathroom as well.

If there is an injury to the mouth area to the teeth, then every bite your cat takes will be a bit painful too. Because eating is a very involved activity, it’s not common to see cats make noise during the eating process. After they are done and can focus their attention on just how much pain they’re in, well, that’s when you’ll start to hear the meowing. 

Cats in pain won’t just do it once either, it’ll be a continual yowl. The best thing you can do is check your cat for injuries, feel their stomach area, and keep an eye on their behavior before and after. 

The Food Tastes Bad To Your Cat

Cat food comes in all shapes, sizes, and flavors. That last point is all your cat really cares about. Naturally, if the food tastes bad your cat will make sure you know about it. Cats will often meow after eating if the food tastes horrible to them. This might be confusing to some pet owners, especially if it’s the food they feed their cats regularly. However, as a cat ages, its tastes and preferences can change too. 

Consider trying out a new food dish, or sprinkling in some treats to encourage them to eat it. Chances are you’ll hear less meowing and more satisfactory grunts in return. 

They Are Communicating With Other Cats 

If you have multiple cats in the home, then you understand how important it is to feed them in their own separate bowls. For more aggressive cats, those bowls have to be in different areas of the home to avoid any conflict or territorial issues. However, your cats still live amongst one another and communication is key for them.

Feeding time might be the one part of the day when they are not around each other. For some cats, that’s uncomfortable. So, it’s not uncommon to see cats meowing for each other after their eating. Sometimes that meow can be to simply see if the other cats are done eating and ready to play. Other times it can be confusing because they are not used to being without their companion. 

Anytime your cats are separated you’ll see this behavior, it’s not just with eating. It can happen after a vet visit, taking a bath, or any other instance. It’s really fascinating to see and normal behavior. 

Your Cat Is Confused

As I mentioned earlier, eating is a very involved activity for cats. Seriously, have you ever tried to mess with a cat when they’re eating? They have eyes for nothing else but that huge bowl of savory food. Because it consumes so much of their attention, cats can often become confused once the feeding process is done. Especially if you’ve left the room while they were eating. 

Many times, a cat will frantically meow after eating, wandering the home to figure out where you’ve gone too. If their food area is separate from their normal play area, some cats might be confused by how they even arrived there in the first place. 

We often see this happen with cats who are new to a home or kittens. This behavior usually goes away as a cat ages and gets used to the routine about where they are and what they were doing before they ate. 

Your Cat Wants More Food

This was mentioned earlier, but simply put, cats who meow after eating want more food most of the time. This happens more commonly with wet food, but dry food can cause this to happen too. 

There Is an Underlying Illness In Your Cat 

When it comes to illness, cats have a unique way of hiding it. Internal illness is especially tough to see in cats. However, when something is wrong, they use meowing to communicate that. If a cat is eating and something just doesn’t feel right, whether that be gas, trouble digesting the food, or an issue with the kidney or liver, they will meow to show their discomfort. 

Underlying illnesses shouldn’t be the first thing your mind goes to, however, if the cat is older than 10 years, or has a history of food allergies, you may want to check them out. 

Gas Movements In Your Cat

Cats process their food at different rates, so it’s not uncommon for them to experience gas shortly after eating. Those gas movements can be a bit uncomfortable. As a result, your cat will meow while they are dealing with those gas movements in the body. Again, nothing to worry about, but something to consider! 

Your Kitty Wants Attention From You

Cats want your attention as much as possible. While feeding time is a chance to get a break from your kitty, don’t expect it to distract them for too long. Shortly after eating, cats will communicate with you ready to resume their play sessions. This is entirely normal and something you should be expecting them to do, especially if they are young kittens. 

Your Cat Is In Heat

If your cat is not neutered,  chances are they might be in heat. So in fact, eating their food may have nothing to do with their meowing. You just may hear the meow after any activity that is distracting them from the real problem. This is an easy fix of course, but something to consider if you hear them meowing after eating. 

Kidney Failure May Be On The Horizon For Your Cat

Sadly, a cat who is meowing after they eat might be suffering from kidney failure. This is especially prevalent in cats who are 10 years or older, but it can happen in younger cats too. 

Acute renal failure can for example develop almost suddenly, and it can be caused by incidents like trauma or simply an infection. Or, if your cat has recently come in contact with something poisonous like a plant or pesticides in the house, they could be experiencing some kidney failure. 

While this is not a likely cause of why your cat would meow after eating, it’s something to consider, especially if your cat has recently been acting weird. 

In the case of cats meowing after eating, what you’ll want to look out for is uremic gastritis. This causes inflammation which you can feel in the stomach area as you check your cat. This particular condition causes a lot of pain for your cat, especially if they are trying to pass food. Your cat won’t be able to properly filter out fluids and will experience acid reflux; another sign to look out for. Things like vomiting, odd smells, diarrhea, and more problems will occur as a result. 

Is It Normal For Cats To Meow After Eating

Yes, it is normal for cats to meow after eating. Meowing is the universal way cats communicate something. When they do it after eating its likely for the following reasons:

• They want more food
• They are satisfied
• They dislike the food

Beyond those 3 reasons, there can be situations where there is some reason for concern, such as your cat is in pain or has gas. But oftentimes, it’s nothing to be concerned with. 

Why Does My Cat Moan While Eating

Cats moan while eating because the food tastes good to them. Moaning is more often seen from cats who are hungry and are eating for the first time that day. Sometimes moaning can be accompanied by fast-paced chewing.

Because of this, you want to keep an eye on your cat so they don’t choke on their food or get sick from eating too quickly. The best way to combat this is to set a feeding schedule and portion the food in fair amounts so your cat does not feel a need to splurge with every meal. 

Why Does My Cat Yowl When She Eats

Cats yowl when they eat because they are in discomfort or pain. Your cat could have a loose tooth, or perhaps the dry food is too hard for them to crunch. If there are no visual problems you can see, it may be time to take your cat to the vet to see what the underlying condition may be. 

Why Does My Kitten Meow After Eating

Kittens meow after eating because they are satisfied with the meal. Kittens might meow after eating if they are scared too. Remember, kittens are also young and are more prone to being scared if left alone to eat. So, it’s important to stay in the room with them so they are less likely to meow after eating because you are around. 

Things To Consider

Whether it’s meowing or yowling, anytime a cat makes noise after eating, it can be concerning. 

Some things to keep in mind are the frequency and loudness of the noises they are making. A cat that is meowing nonstop after eating is usually in some sort of pain or discomfort. However, if it’s small little whimpers accompanied by a circling of the bowl or nudges to the pet owner, then it’s likely your cat just wants more food.

If the meowing or yowling behavior takes place during the eating itself, then the pain is the likely cause, and your cat will need to get checked out by a vet. 

Ultimately, this behavior is nothing to worry about in most cases. The best thing you can do for your cat is to make sure the food is satisfactory, fed in good portions, and stay consistent with a feeding schedule.