How To Speak Cat

Everyone who has a pet has wanted at one time or another to understand what they are trying to tell you. Cats can tell you their thoughts and feelings if you just watch them. They display body language that tells we humans what is going on in their little heads.

I, personally, love to watch my cats and figure out what they are thinking or doing. It has become something of a passion for me to learn how to communicate with cats. I have helped many friends and coworkers by interpreting the body language of their cats.

This paper is designed to give cat owners and lovers a roadmap to what the cats are telling you. I hope you find it helpful. Remember none of these behaviors occur independently; knowing what each means can help to interpret what your cat is trying to tell you but remember to look at all the behaviors to determine her wants and needs.

The Body:

Your cat can express emotions like love, fear, annoyance, by positioning or posing in various ways. Your cat can tell you a wide variety of emotions, often using the body and other body parts. Understanding the body position will help interpreting what she is trying to tell you.

Swat - Annoyance. Cats swat to make humans stop whatever they are doing. They also swat at other animals indicating aggression. You will often see a cat swatting at another animal and also displaying a fluff tail and puffed body.

Kneading (making biscuits) - contentment. When a cat paws on humans or other animals they are displaying contentment. They feel safe and loving. It is thought that this is a behavior they learned as a kitten when nursing. When they nurse kittens paw on their mom to encourage milk production. This gives them pleasure and contentment; cats aren’t expecting milk, but the movement reminds them of the feelings they had when with their mother.

Rubbing - love. Your cat will rub against your leg as a sign of affection. Your cat may also rub the side of her face against objects. This can indicate excitement, such as seeing a liked person or pet. Your cat may rub her cheek against objects to also place her scent also.

Arched back - anger/fear. When a cat arches her back she is preparing to fight. Usually, the arched back is accompanied with the fluffed out tail and vocalizations. This behavior is observed most often when meeting another animal that may

Roll over - affection, trust. Your cat may roll onto her back and show you her belly. If she does this DO NOT RUB HER BELLY. When your cat does this she is telling you she trusts you, she would appreciate a scratch between her ears in acknowledgement.

Lying on back - Safe. :Cat does not want you to touch her tummy, but is displaying vulnerability, telling you she trusts you. As above a scratch on her chin and between her ears would be welcome. Saying her name, or talking to her is also accepted by your cat.

Head Buts - attention seeking. When your cat pushed her head against you she is looking for a pet or ear scratch. She is telling you “I’m here, pay attention.” If your cat repeatedly pushes her head against objects or walls it is usually a sign that something is seriously wrong, contact your vet.

Crouching (walking low to ground) - scared. If you see your cat hiding against a building or bush, or running crouched close to the ground, she has encountered a frightening situation and is trying to get away. The crouching makes her look smaller and hiding from the threat is easier. Once I saw my cat running close to the house and low to the ground. When she reached the door she demanded entry. Just after I let her in, I saw a large black male cat meander around the corner of the house. I suspect he was the father of her kittens! Being divorced I could relate.

Touching - “more”. This usually happens when you have been petting or scratching your cat. When you stop she may want more and will reach out and pat you to keep going. Unlike a swat they usually have their claws retracted.

Raised Butt - “Hello”. This behavior is usually performed in your face. Cats (like other animals) allow trusted cats to smell their butts. They are telling you they like you and feel safe, so you can smell my butt. (Please don’t kiss it).

Loaf sitting - contentment. Sitting with her paws under her indicates she is feeling safe and content. It is also a way for them to conserve their body heat.

The Cats Tail:

We will start at the end and move forward learning about cat language. The cat’s tail is very easy to observe and a very strong communicator.

Tail straight up - happy. When you see a cat walking with their tail straight up they are telling you they are happy, possibly happy to be with you, or the toy they have.

Tail up with light curl at end - Content. Cat behaviorists are mixed on this one. Some feel it is just another way to say happy and some say it indicates contentment. My observations with my own cats tend towards contentment. I see my cats meandering around with their tail up and crooked telling me they are feeling safe and comfortable.

Tail up and wiggling - Hello, I’m excited to see you. This is a greeting cats give humans when they are excited to see you. Some cats will do this every time you come home, some reserve it for special occasions (like I’m glad you’re home because my food bowl is empty).

Tail straight out - curious. Your cat might take this pose if there is an unusual noise outside, or a new toy that is unpredictable. It often precedes being scared or angry.

The Head

Cats have very few muscles in their face, and that means they have very few and subtle facial expressions. Also, cats, unlike other animals such as dogs, don’t have eyebrows which are a very expressive part of the human face.

Watch the ears:

Cats have thirty-two individual muscles in each ear. This allows for a kind of directional hearing; a cat can move each ear independently of the other. Because of this mobility, a cat can move its body in one direction and point its ears in another direction. If you watch carefully, you can see your cat communicating with other cats. Not only does your cat have a very strong sense of hearing, but she can also distinguish the sources of two different sounds that are within 3 inches of each other when she’s up to three feet away from them! Wow!

Ears up and forward - Most cats ears are in this position most of the time. This essentially is the happy or contented position for ears.

Twitching ears - Often this indicates your cat is listening to sounds in the environment, and are determining the location and danger level. You may also observe this when your cat is watching birds or squirrels in the yard. This is her way to locate and plan her attack. Ear twitching can also be a sign of a medical problem. If she is twitching her ears a lot, the ears look dirty, or she is trying to scratch them a lot she may have ear mites or an ear infection.

Ears facing sideways or back - Usually indicates that cat is nervous or anxious. With their ears in this position they are on high alert for danger. If you cats ears are in this position be cautious approaching her. If she feels anxious she may lash out at you if you try to touch or pick her up.

Ears flat on the head - This is usually a sign of aggression. Your cat is preparing to fight or flee, and should be left alone. Once a neighbor had a cat with an ear infection. She came to me because her cat would flatten her ears every time she tried to put the medicine in her ears. I explained she was protecting her ears from a foreign object (the medicine), and showed her how to administer the ear drops.

The eyes:

While cats can’t communicate through facial expressions, they can communicate through their eyes. Cats also have a third eyelid that is scientifically called the “nictitating membrane.” If necessary, this third eyelid can cover and protect the whole eye. It is usually no more visible than a small white or pink sliver in the inner corner of the cat’s eyes. If you can see more than a sliver of the third eyelid this can be an indication that your cat is dehydrated or ill and may need to see the vet.

Squinting or half closed eyes - are usually a sign of affection, relaxation, and trust. Try squinting at your cat and see what happens. Some refer to this behavior as a cat kiss. When you do make eye contact turn away slowly to prevent your cat from thinking you are being aggressive.

Staring - is used by cats to establish dominance with other cats and animals. If you stare at your cat and they look away they are telling you they know you are the dominant animal in the house.

Pupils dilated - have multiple meanings and you may need to evaluate the situation to determine the meaning. Dilated pupils can indicate excitement, fear, or surprise. It is not unusual for the cats pupils to fully dilate when they are really excited.

Constricted pupils - indicates agitation or anger. This is one of the most important body language signs to recognize and respect. If you see her eyes wide open, but the pupils are constricted to a pin prick, watch out she is preparing to attack. Remember, though, if other body positions indicate contentment but the pupils are constricted it could just mean the lights are bright!

The Mouth

Finally, we are at the most notable cat communication...vocalizations. We will also talk about other body language activities a cat uses her mouth for (besides eating).

Licking their human - is a sign of affection, You could call it a cat kiss.

Rubbing their cheek on your or objects - We covered this some in the body section, but using the rubbing her cheek on you or things is another way to mark ownership or territory. If they rub their cheek (scenting) on you it is the ultimate sign of affection. They are telling the world, and other cats that this human is mine!

Biting - this can be affectionate or anger, and believe me you will know which it is without any explanation from me. But, because I love to talk, I will explain. A light nip is a sign of affection. A tight nip that doesn’t let go, but doesn’t break the skin could indicate hunger, pain, or annoyance. A hard bite that breaks the skin is aggression. This could be because you surprised or scared her, touched her when she was on “high alert”, you hurt her (touched an injured area), or maybe didn’t watch the tail and kept petting or loving on your cat past her desired time.

Sticking her tongue out - is believed by some that this is a sign of contentment or happiness. Others think the cat was licking and just didn’t pull her tongue in completely. Believe what you want.

FINALLY

Vocalizations

Cats do not “talk” to each other. They developed their vocalizations to communicate with humans, and it worked. A mama cat will make quiet vocalizations to her kittens, but does not usually meow at them.

One meow - can indicate greeting. For example you cat may meow to you when you come home, or when she enters a room you are in. They may also want to get your attention with a single meow.

Constant meowing - is an indication they want or need something. They do know how to become annoying when they want something--being fed, attention, fill my water, clean my box, etc.

Chirps and trills - is the way mama “talks” to her kittens, telling them to follow her, or watch what she is trying to teach them. Sometimes you can hear adult cats using these sounds with other adult cats.

Chatter - if often heard when your cat is looking out the window and watching birds or other animals. This is thought to be an indication of excitement and frustration.

Purring - is usually interpreted as being happy, and most often it is. You cat may also purr when frightened, sick, or in pain. An interesting fact about the cats purr is its healing effects. Studies have shown that the frequency of the cat purr can accelerate bone healing in humans.

Yowl - can mean you just stepped on their foot or tail. It can also indicate injury or pain. If your female is not “fixed” it may also mean she is in heat and needs a man!

Growl, spit, and/or hiss - usually means your cat is anxious, angry, upset, or scared. It is good to let your cat be when they are upset. My son had a cat who loved pizza crust. If he had one skin could indicate hunger, pain, or annoyance. A hard bite that breaks the skin is aggression. This could be because you surprised or scared her, touched her when she was on “high alert”, you hurt her (touched an injured area), or maybe didn’t watch the tail and kept petting or loving on your cat past her desired time.

Sticking her tongue out - is believed by some that this is a sign of contentment or happiness. Others think the cat was licking and just didn’t pull her tongue in completely. Believe what you want.

I hope you have found this article helpful. As I said in the beginning, none of these behaviors appears individually. Your cat may be purring, bumping her head against with ears and tail up. From this you can safely say she is happy and content. Or she may be wagging her tail, quietly growling, ears back, pupils constricted, and swatting; It would be a good time for you to leave your cat alone and let her work out her anger or fear.