Cats have learned how to manipulate humans into doing what they want. Good job cats only want food and petting. The day they want a laser we’re all doomed.

Nicastro, a graduate student in the laboratory of Michael Owren, Cornell assistant professor of psychology, found a clear negative relationship between pleasantness and urgency, rooted in how the calls sounded. “The sounds rated as more urgent (or less pleasant) were longer,” Nicastro said, “with more energy in the lower frequencies, along the lines of ‘Mee-O-O-O-O-O-W!’ Whereas, the sounds rated as more pleasant (or less demanding) tended to be shorter, with the energy spread evenly through the high and low frequencies. These sounds started high and went low, like ‘MEE-ow.’”

Cat talk research

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