A Meow Is for Us, the Nose-Rub Is for Them

Have you ever wondered why your cat meows at you, but when she’s with other cats, she’s oddly silent? Adult cats rarely meow to each other. Kittens do meow when they need mom’s attention, but that habit normally fades with maturity—unless there’s a human around. It’s almost as though cats rediscovered their “kitten voice” specifically to interact with us. In essence, they’ve adapted a vocal signal for a new species—homo sapiens.

With each other, cats rely heavily on scent and body language. The nose-rub—where they press their face or nose against another cat—transfers their signature scent, reinforcing territory boundaries or friendly intentions. We might see nose-rubs as an adorable gesture, but to cats, it’s the real conversation: marking a friend, claiming a spot, exchanging social cues. That’s why two cats meeting might have little interest in meowing; they’re busy exchanging sniff-based “messages” instead.

So while dogs evolved eyebrow lifts to tug our heartstrings, cats went the route of a babyish vocal approach—those oh-so-cute meows—to keep us engaged. Nose-rubs remain strictly for feline-feline communication: an invisible aromatic handshake that we’ll never fully translate. The beauty in all this is that these animals invented entirely different systems just for interacting with humans, layering new signals on top of their ancient instincts. It’s a testament to how deeply our lives and theirs have become intertwined, revealing that in the everyday meow or wag, there’s a story of evolutionary change and cross-species cooperation.