A groundbreaking AI system translates cat meows with up to 95% accuracy, utilizing advanced algorithms developed by former Alexa engineers to interpret vocal signals. This technology deciphers meanings such as hunger, desire for attention, or contentment, offering cat parents unprecedented insight into their feline companions’ needs and emotions.
Get Fluent in ‘Meow’!
The MeowTalk app has analyzed thousands of feline vocalizations and currently identifies 11 distinct emotions, marking a significant breakthrough in understanding cat communication after 12,000 years of human-cat coexistence. Ongoing research aims to expand this capability to recognize 40 different vocalizations, promising even deeper insights into our feline friends’ feelings and needs.
The MeowTalk technology translates cat meows into visual “sound maps” that are analyzed similarly to images, enabling deeper insights into cat communication and bringing us closer to understanding their language.
Since its launch in November 2020, MeowTalk has achieved remarkable milestones, including over 20 million downloads globally, more than 280 million recorded meows, and the creation of over 8 million unique cat profiles, showcasing its popularity and impact in the cat communication space.
Decoding Cats
While MeowTalk is a popular app for translating cat meows, Decript.co reports that Chinese tech giant Baidu has filed a patent for a system capable of translating animal sounds, including feline meows, into human language. The patent, published on May 8 2025 by China’s intellectual property authority, describes collecting animal vocalizations, behavioral patterns, and physiological signals such as heart rate.
In May, entrepreneur Vlad Reznikov unveiled Feline Glossary Classification 2.3, a system that identifies 40 distinct cat call types with over 95% accuracy, though it has yet to undergo peer review.
Scientists on the other hand say the technology may still be chasing its tail.
“The idea that we can directly translate animal languages is… kind of total nonsense,” said psychologist Kevin Coffey, who studies animal vocalizations.
Yet, he acknowledges AI’s role in helping scientists better categorize and interpret animal sounds.
Baidu’s proposed system stands out for its comprehensive approach, integrating body movement, temperature, and heart-rate data to enrich contextual understanding. Beyond simply interpreting meows as commands like “feed me,” it aims to capture emotional nuances, enabling more empathetic and precise interactions with pets.
Before AI
Long before AI technology, in 1944, New York psychologist and cat lover Mildinred Moelk compiled a paper that showed that cats meow differently to humans than to fellow house cats. She categorized 16 sounds used in cat-human and cat-cat communication. To this day, “Vocalizing In the House Cat: A Phonetic And Functional Study” remains the basic guide for understanding feline vocalizations.
