11 Cat Breeds That Trill

Aside from their famous meows and purrs, some cats also chirp, trill, hiss and yowl.  A trill in particular is a fascinating cat sound since they do it with a closed mouth, do not expel the air but instead push it through their vocal cords. While all cats can trill some breeds tend to be more vocal and will trill more than others. 

Here is a list of cat breeds that trill:

1. Siamese 

Siamese trill
Image: istockphoto.com / ovbelov

Origin: Siam/Thailand 

Physical traits:  Striking blue eyes; elegant bodies; sleek tails; pointy ears; glossy coat; fur colors may either be chocolate, seal, lilac, blue, red, cream, fawn or cinnamon and with a pointed pattern.

Personality: Affectionate, trainable, intelligent, very vocal, gets along well with other cats, dogs and children. 

Siamese cats crave attention from their humans and are very interactive. They communicate through vocalizations and seek attention by trilling, meowing or purring. They are famous for their low pitched voice called the meezer which is comparable to the sound of a crying baby. 

2. Bengal 

Bengal trill
Image: istockphoto.com / Kech

Origin: United States 

Physical traits:  Exotic and striking coat patterns, lean but athletic built, well-defined muscles, oval-shaped eyes, small and pointed ears that are round at the tips, spotted or marbled coat with glitter effect, fur has contrasted shades of bright orange to light brown.

Personality: Playful, energetic, friendly, intelligent, agile, loves to climb, affectionate, fun-loving, can learn tricks like opening doors and flushing toilets.

Bengal cats love to communicate with their humans and they like to catch their attention by meowing, chirping and purring. They also like to trill to express affection, happiness and to tell you that she wants you to pet her. 

3. American Bobtail 

American Bobtail Trill
Image: istockphoto.com / Jane-Khomi

Origin: United States

Physical traits: Large and athletic bodies; deep-set and almond-shaped eyes in any color; long back legs; exotic and wild look; stubby and bobbed tails; weighs around 16 pounds; coat patterns can come in colors like black, brown, chocolate, cinnamon, blue and lilac; distinct resemblance to a bobtailed wildcat.

Personality: Affectionate, docile, easy to train, sweet-natured, friendly, sociable, not aggressive, confident, make great companions and lap cats, easygoing, intelligent, dog-like personality, get along well with children and other four-legged pets, easy to train. 

American Bobtail cats are vocal in their unique way but not as much as the Siamese and some other breeds. They like to purr and meow but they can also trill, chirp and click when expressing emotions like happiness and affection.

4. Burmese 

Burmese Trill
Image: istockphoto.com / miroslav_1

Origin: Burma 

Physical traits: Medium-sized; stocky; muscular; short and glossy coat; slender legs; round-shaped head, chin and feet; oval paws; straight and medium-length tail; weighs around 12 pounds; coat colors come in blue, champagne, cinnamon, cream, chocolate, lilac, platinum, red, fawn, sable and tortoiseshell.

Personality: Intelligent, single-minded, playful, fun-loving, affectionate, good climbers and jumpers, may not get along well with other breeds, do not do well if left alone for a long period.

Burmese cats are considered just as vocal as the Siamese breed but they have a deeper and softer voice also called a rumbling voice. They interact with their owners by meowing, purring and trilling. 

5. Tonkinese

Tonkinese trill
Image: istockphoto.com / CarolinaSmith

Origin: Thailand/United States/Canada 

Physical traits: Medium-sized; Oriental build; gently rounded head; broad ears; eye colors range from green to light blue; well-balanced and muscular bodies; weigh around 12 pounds; short and silky coat;  coat patterns are pointed and mink; heavier and more muscular than the Siamese breed.

Personality: Sociable, affectionate, follow their owners around the house, love to cuddle, do not do well alone, strong-willed, can get along well with dogs, intelligent, enjoy activities like clicker training tricks, like to play fetch and hide and seek, playful and active.

Tonkinese cats are very vocal just like their Siamese and Burmese cousins. They like to communicate with their owners and crave attention. This breed has a very distinctive meow and also likes to purr and trill. 

6. Balinese-Javanese

Balinese-Javanese Trill
Image: istockphoto.com / GlobalP

Origin: United States

Physical traits: Medium-sized; medium coat length; can weigh up to 16 pounds; regal and aristocratic appearance; silky coat; luxurious tail plume; muscular; triangular ears; coat colors are colorpoint and include seal, red, chocolate, cream, blue, lilac, lynx and tortie point.

Personality: Fun-loving, sociable, wants to be with their humans all the time, intelligent and entertaining companions, extroverts, get along well with children and other four-legged pets.

Balinese-Javanese cats are talkative and chatty but not as vocal as the Siamese breed. They like to interact by trilling and meowing. 

7. Peterbald 

Peterbald Trill
Image: istockphoto.com / PetrMalyshev

Origin: Russia 

Physical traits: Medium body size; muscular; coat can be bald, flock or chamois, velour, brush or straight; lithe and thin tail; slender; big and triangular ears; long legs; almond-shaped eyes.

Personality: Calm, affectionate, extroverted, dog-like qualities, loyal, affectionate, even-tempered, sociable, balanced character, ideal companions of children.

Peterbald cats are medium chatters and although they like to trill, meow and purr they are not as loud and talkative as other breeds like the Siamese. 

8. Japanese Bobtail 

 Japanese Bobtail trill
Image: istockphoto.com / fuiyau yap

Origin: Japan 

Physical traits: Medium-sized; have longhair and shorthair varieties; long and slender; highly-developed muscles; longer hind legs compared to the front legs; stands in a level stance; oval eyes; large and wide-set ears; broad and triangle-shaped head.

Personality: Sweet, affectionate, highly intelligent, active, sociable, playful, get along well with other cat breeds but prefer the company of other Bobtails.

Japanese Bobtails cats like to chat in soft and sweet tones. They enjoy trilling and meowing and they never emit loud and irritating yowls.

9. Sphnyx 

Sphnyx trill
Image: istockphoto.com / pabloborca

Origin: Canada 

Physical traits: Medium-sized; striking appearance; hairless; wrinkled skin; large ears; sleek and muscular body; nicely muscled; can weigh up to 12 pounds; colors can be white, blue, red, cream, black, silver, brown, golden and cameo.

Personality: Energetic, acrobatic performer, mischievous, outgoing, playful, cuddly, sociable, loves to greet their owners, highly intelligent, has a dour expression but has an unexpected sense of humor, gets along well with children and other pets. 

Sphynx cats are chatty and can be very vocal. They have a raspy or hoarse voice and like to trill, purr and meow to catch the attention of their owners. 

10. Ocicat 

Ocicat trill
Image: istockphoto.com / kenez

Origin: United States 

Physical traits: Medium to large size; smooth and satiny coat; spotted markings are scattered around the body and belly; graceful and muscular; resembles a wild cat; almond-shaped eyes; moderately large ears; long tails; can weigh 15 pounds.

Personality: Playful, devoted, outgoing, friendly even to strangers, not aggressive, curious, highly intelligent, easily trained, like to retrieve toys and learn to walk on a leash.

The Ocicat breed is talkative just like its Siamese ancestors but not as loud and demanding as the latter. They can trill and purr a lot at times but they do not seek as much attention as the Siamese. 

11. Turkish Van 

Turkish Van Trill
Image: istockphoto.com / slowmotiongli

Origin: Turkey 

Physical traits: Muscular and large bodies; well-balanced and strong in appearance; have white-colored bodies and distinctively colored extremities like the head and tail; large ears; oval-shaped and expressive bright amber or blue eyes; can weigh 12 pounds; rings on tail and thumbprint pattern on shoulder blades.  

Personality: Friendly, very intelligent, excellent companions, love to play games with humans and other cats, lively and energetic, good jumpers and climbers, affectionate, love to cuddle with their humans. 

Turkish Van cats are very vocal but compared to the Siamese breed they have soft voices that are not as irritating to the ears. They enjoy trilling and meowing especially if they want to play and interact with their humans. 

Conclusion

Certain cat breeds are naturally vocal and talkative like the Siamese, Burmese, Sphynx, Peterbald, Bengal, Tonkinese, Turkish Van, Ocicat,  and Japanese and American Bobtail. They like to express themselves by producing sounds like the trill to get the attention of their humans and to convey positive feelings like affection.