Spring calls of male and female domestic cats (Felis catus): when meow goes to cry

This study investigated vocal characteristics of calls, emitted by 10 male and 17 female domestic cats Felis catus in the mating season. We analyzed the relationship between vocal traits of “meows” and “rutting cries” and cat individual identity, sex, age, sex hormones, immunoglobulins and body mass. Compared with meows, cries were longer in duration, and lower in fundamental frequency, peak frequency and power quartiles. Cries were produced in series with regular intervals between calls and contained the articulation effect flutter substantially more often than meows. The occurrence of nonlinear vocal phenomena did not differ between cries and meows. Male meows and cries had significantly lower fundamental frequency than female meows and cries; durations, peak frequency and quartiles within meows and cries did not differ between sexes. Comparison of meows and cries of 11 individuals which provided both meows and rutting cries showed that individuality was stronger expressed in cries than in meows. We did not find significant correlations of body mass, age and blood serum parameters with vocal traits. All variables of the fundamental frequency of female cries did not differ from male meows. We hypothesize that during periods of estrus, female domestic cats decrease the fundamental frequency of their far-distant cries and that they mimic meows of males.