Scientifically, cats cry to indicate discomfort, hunger, attention-seeking, or distress; for instance, studies have shown that cats develop vocal patterns that elicit human responses, often mimicking the frequency of a baby's cry to attract attention; a crying cat may also indicate health issues such as pain or cognitive dysfunction in older cats; and meowing or yowling are vocalizations that cats frequently use to communicate a need or emotion, but they are not related to crying like humans.