Below is a youtube video of a cat who sounds like he/she’s saying “nom nom nom nom nom” while eating. Based on the manner and place of articulation of these segments for human speakers, why should we not be surprised that we hear the same kinds of sounds produced by our animal friends?  In a similar vein, you might also consider the onomatopoetic sounds ‘woof’ and ‘meow’ that we, as English speakers, use to describe the sounds that dogs and cats make. Again, considering what you know about the production of these segments, why  would it be common for us to hear these sounds produced by other animals?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cl5Pfc5TyO0[/youtube]