Don’t be a sourpuss. Sure, the Judgment cat meowing sound may have you up in arms (or should that be paws?) during many of the game’s Search Mode sequences, but there’s actually a very good reason for it, as you’ll soon find out. Here’s an explainer as to why cats meow while you’re investigating, as well as how to stop the cats meowing. It might just save your sanity.
Judgment Cat Meowing Sound | Why is a cat meowing during Search Mode?
The confusion around the sudden cat cameos perhaps stems from the fact that the game never outright explains what’s going on, nor does it funnel you down the path of a particular Friend Event which, if missed, can mean you go on without context for the entirety of the game.
Once you’ve started Chapter 2, you’ll be allowed to find some more Side Cases and Friend Events. One of these is the orange tracksuit-wearing Masakazu Nekomiya, who can be found just off of Nakamichi Alley (see above for the exact location on your map).
If you speak to him, he’ll ask you to keep a look out for Kamurocho’s stray cats, particularly a Calico to get things started. This will, at the very least, provide some answers as to why the cats keep crying during investigation scenes, though it doesn’t stop them from meowing entirely. There’s a special trick to doing that, as you’ll soon see.
How to stop the cat meowing in Judgment
Hear a cat meowing? It means there’s one hiding in the area during a search. You’ll have to find it (which is easier said than done, admittedly) and interact with it by pressing X. It’ll only nab you a tiny amount of XP, but it’ll make Masakazu happy as well as stop you from tearing your hair out at the game’s incessant nails-on-a-chalkboard feline symphony.
