Why do cats globally respond with meow when you meow them, even in Britain, this IS NOT English and such cats are unpatriotic or is it? I mean meow, is this English?
Great question—and it's a fun one that taps into language, animal behavior, and even a bit of cultural pride. Cats respond to "meow" globally not because it's an English word, but because "meow" is a human approximation of a sound cats make, not the other way around. In other words, we say “meow” because that’s how a cat sounds—not because we taught them English. So when you meow at a cat, you're speaking cat, not English. Now, how different languages write that sound does vary: English: meow French: miaou Japanese: nyan Spanish: miau Korean: 야옹 (ya-ong) But regardless of the spelling or language, it all points back to the same feline vocalization. So when a British, Japanese, or Moroccan cat "responds" to your meow, it's not because you're speaking English or betraying national loyalty—it's because you’re imitating a universal mammalian signal. Also, cats don’t meow to each other much as adults. They mostly meow to humans—it’s a l...