One of the many baffling questions about cats is, why do cats meow when you sneeze?
Have you ever wondered this?
Or maybe your cat runs away when you sneeze, makes a chattering sound, chirps, or some other strange reaction
Whatever it is, it’s always somewhat amusing or confusing that cats have these reactions to the sound of a sneeze, right?
There are some reasons behind this that can help you understand your pet better…
Why Do Cats React to Sneezing?
The main reason your cat reacts to you sneezing, whatever their reaction is, is because they just heard a loud noise that broke the silence or background noise they were comfortable with.
Cats have very sensitive hearing, and if they are relaxing the last thing they want is a loud noise disturbing them. I’m sure you can relate to that.
How a cat responds is down to the individual cat. Some will make a chattering noise, some will run away, some will meow, but due to being disturbed almost all cats will respond in some way.
Why Do Cats Meow When You Sneeze?
Cats that meow when they hear a sneeze are using the way they communicate with humans to respond and acknowledge that you’ve just disturbed them.
Some people think they are checking you’re ok. Maybe they are just making a response back as they think you’re trying to get their attention.
Or, maybe they are telling you that the loud noise disturbed them and they would appreciate you not doing that again. (I think that is what my cats are telling me!)
Why Does My Cat Run When I Sneeze?
If your cat runs away when they hear you sneeze, first of all you need to stop sneezing around them.
It’s not always easy to hold or predict a sneeze, I know. But if your cat is jumping and fleeing when you sneeze it’s causing them some distress.
The reason is probably the same reason they respond in other ways to hearing a sneeze, it’s offending their eardrums!
There is also the possibility that the noise reminds them of a negative experience they’ve had before which triggers their fight-or-flight response.
