Maine Coon cats are said the best the best exponents of the trill. Translated into the English language it means “Come with me” and is part of a greeting process. The sound is initially made when a mother wants her kittens to come near to her or follow her. It doubles up as a greeting when she has been away from them for a while.
In relation to adult domestic cats ‘talking’ to their human companions the rising trill is a greeting followed by a ‘come with me’ request. Under these circumstances the adult cat – who’s been acting like a kitten towards her human caregiver – becomes the mother and a true adult as she brings in a prey animal to show her caregiver as part of a food training exercise to show her ‘kitten’ how prey is killed and consumed.
One aspect of describing domestic cat sounds is that they are quite elastic in their production and they can overlap. And each cat has their own version. Some cats don’t trill. As mentioned, it is said that the Maine Coon is known for their trill.
I also feel that cats sounds are customised by individual cats in their own relationship with their human. This may change its meaning and the English translation ????. Essentially the chirrup is a form of greeting. A ‘close call’ sound made close up to the receiver. It is usually made when the cat is on the move.
