You hear a plaintive meow from the kitchen at 5am and get up to pour out the food. You see the cat paw at the empty bowl and you immediately fill it.
It looks like you're being taken care of, but in reality you've been taken for a ride.
Cats are genius manipulators, and their meowing has long ceased to be just “speech.” It is a finely tuned tool for controlling your behavior.

Interesting fact: adult cats almost never meow at each other. They invented this sound specifically for people.
In the wild, they communicate through smells, postures, and touch, but they quickly realized that humans respond to voices. And they began experimenting.
A short, high-pitched meow imitates a baby's cry - our brain is programmed to pay attention to this. A long, hoarse meow causes anxiety: "Help me immediately!"
And a quiet purring “mrr-meow” acts as a compliment: “You are the best owner, give me a treat.”
But how do they know what works? Cats learn through trial and error. If a pet gets a treat after making a loud cry once, it will repeat the sound in the future.
What's more, they remember which intonations trigger a quick response from you. For example, if you jump out of bed at the sound of a nighttime meow, your cat will use it every time she wants attention.
Another trick is the "invisible enemy." The cat can meow at a closed door, pretending that there is something there. You open it, check, and it proudly enters the room, as if it saved you from danger.
In reality, she just needed to get inside, but a direct approach (scratching) could cause irritation. Meowing, on the other hand, looks like a "noble request."
The most cunning cats can imitate sounds. Some imitate a baby's cry, others - their owner's cough. This is not accidental: this is how they increase their chances of being noticed. And if you ignore them, they switch to "heavy artillery" - they start hitting objects with their paws to create noise. All for the sake of you fulfilling their desire.
What to do? Don't give in to provocations. If the cat meows near the bowl you filled a minute ago, don't approach.
Ignore the late night concerts (yes, it's hard). But don't forget to give positive attention when she's quiet.
Over time, your pet will understand that silence is rewarded, but screaming is not. However, be prepared for the cat to come up with a new way of manipulation. The war for your attention never ends.