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Did you ever wonder what your cat is trying to tell you? Does a meow mean that your fur baby is hungry or just wants your attention? Sometimes it is very obvious like a loud cry by an empty food bowl but other vocalizations can be a mystery for pet parents.
Now a new AI-powered App can help you decipher what your cat is saying, according toThe National Geographic. Sergei Dreizin and Mark Boyes, who are both computer scientists, developed the MeowTalk app, which gives cat owners the tools to interpret their feline’s meows.
“Cats have [a] vocabulary,” says Dreizin. “And you definitely will understand your cat better if you’re actually paying attention.”
About MeowTalk
This free app lets you record your cat’s meows and translates them into phrases like “Feed me!” or “I love you.” MeowTalk was launched in 2020 and has been downloaded over 20 million times and Dreizin estimates that it has analyzed over a billion meows.
When Boyes and Dreizin were developing their app, they looked for information and came across a 2019 study that classified cat vocalizations. The study showed that different vocalizations had different meanings for feline/human interactions.
This encouraged the duo to build a computer program to analyze audio recordings of 21 adult cats meowing in different circumstances that included waiting to be fed, being groomed, or when they were alone in a new place. Each of these elicited different sounding meows that the program could classify.
The founders then used these recordings to develop their computer models which are AI-fueled. While some people have their doubts, the App has been scientifically proved to work. A 2021 study found that MeowTalk has an accuracy of 90 percent. But, of course, nothing is perfect. Sometimes you have to interpret by taking into account your cat’s actions and not just the meows.
Another approach to understanding your cat’s communications
If using an app doesn’t appeal to you there is another way to try to understand what your cat is trying to tell you, according to Medium. This method focuses on interpreting body language instead of meows.
The *Cat Body Language* eBook is a guide to the meaning of feline body language. Every slow blink, tail flick, or rubbing against you all has meaning. And understanding these meanings can help you understand what your pet is telling you.
The eBook aims to teach you how to understand what body movements mean, to spot when your cat is happy and playful, or when he or she is in distress. And there is even a section on decoding vocalizations. The eBook includes step-by-step explanations and guidance.
Either way, understanding what your fur baby is telling you is an important part of your relationship with your cat. So that when your cat meows, “I love you” you can give him or her the attention and affection they crave.
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