Cats are particularly good at communicating with one another and humans.
They have a considerably larger vocabulary than dogs, with most cats being able to make over 100 different sounds.
These sounds can range from purring, to hissing and growling, spitting, wailing and howling, and many different combinations in between.
“Meow!” As cat owners, we hear it every day — usually many times a day. But what does it mean? According to Dr. Nicholas Nicastro, you probably understand its meaning more clearly than you might think. Dr. Nicastro wrote his PhD thesis in psychology at Cornell University on humans’ ability to understand the meows of cats.
Medical researchers have discovered a miracle cure that can reduce stress, lower blood pressure and improve mental well-being — no pills required. The cure is your cat, according to a recent conference held by the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine Research Center for Human-Animal Interaction.
“Research in this field is providing new evidence on the positive impact pets have in our lives,” explains Rebecca Johnson, Ph.D., an associate professor at the MU Sinclair School of Nursing who helped organize the event.