 Cat talk and non-verbal messages are sometimes puzzling. Cats have been regarded for centuries as mysterious, solitary, unpredictable creatures perhaps because humans have difficulty understanding what they're saying. While people rely primarily on speech to communicate, cats predominantly communicate in a silent language. Cats speak by using complex combinations of body language, vocalization, and sent cues. Learn how to recognize cat language basics, and figure out the most common combinations, to understand what your cat is saying to you and to the other pets in your family. With practice, you will soon be an expert at cat language, to the extent that you may even be able to answer back. Whether you're a first-time cat owner or have a long-term feline friend, there will be times where you wish you could know what your cat is thinking. Understanding Cat's Body Language Sometimes you might wonder about a change in your cat's behavior and what that could mean, or would like to know how you can tell if your cat is happy. Although cats might seem hard to read, there are lots of telltale signs that will give you an insight into what your companion is thinking, and what kind of mood they're in. You'll probably be able to tell some of your cat's more obvious moods already from their body language, facial expressions, vocalizations, and tail movements. But looking out for some other signals, such as the following cattail signs and body postures, can tell you even more. Cats have a wide range of basic emotions, they feel happy, sad, afraid, relieved, and even frustrated, just like us humans. The key to a good relationship with your cat is learning how to recognize these emotions, and respond where needed. Neutral or Relaxed This is how your cat should spend most of their waking hours, and is a vital part of cat language, relaxed, content, and comfortable in familiar surroundings. They should look like they're content to watch the world go by. If lying down, they could be stretched out, curled up into a ball, or lying on their front with paws neatly tucked underneath them. Their eyes might be blinking softly, or half-closed. Their ears will be relaxed, held casually upright and forward, although they could swivel around independently if your cat is listening to things around them. Their whiskers will be relaxed, away from the sides of their face, and they may almost appear to smile. Their body is nice and relaxed, with no tension to suggest they might be about to spring into action. Focused They may look cute and fluffy, but from birth, your cat is designed to be an excellent hunter, they can stalk and catch prey with ease, and are capable of focusing 100% on their target. If your cat is concentrating on a small, moving object, or on something new in their immediate area, you'll notice that their body language will change as they try to work out how to best respond to it. Their eyes will be open with pupils narrowed. Their body might be low to the ground as they stalk, with hind legs coiled under their body. Your cat's tail language will show focus by being held out low behind them. The end of their tail, along with their hindquarters, might be twitching as they get ready to pounce. This is one of the more obvious cat tail signs to look out for, once you see it, you'll know they're hunting. If the object of their focus is you, for example, if they're trying to get food or strokes, they might rub against you with tail held in the air. But don't be fooled, they're still focused on their end goal. Happy A happy cat is easy to recognize, you should be able to pick up their cat's body language easily. This is the state you'll want your cat to be in as much as possible, as it's the perfect state for quality time between you and your cat. When sitting, your cat will be relaxed and upright, with ears pointed up and forward, but relaxed, sometimes swiveling gently towards familiar sounds like your family's voices. When lying down, they may have their paws tucked neatly underneath them, or be lying stretched out on their side or even on their back, with legs spread outwards, which shows they are very happy. Hello. This video is sponsored by Beemix Pets. Are you looking for high quality cat collars at an affordable cost? Check out BeemixPets.com. Use coupon code KittenLife, to get 20% off. Anxious. Cats can be very sensitive, especially to change. It can take some time for cats to settle after unexpected changes, so learning to read the symptoms of anxious cat behavior can help you help your cat back to a relaxed state. The sooner you recognize this in your cat's body language, the sooner you can offer a reassuring stroke when they approach you for reassurance and some attention. Give your cat two to three days after any big change to become accustomed to it, and to return to normal. Vocalizing with meows, purrs, and more. Cats use vocalizations to express emotion. Meowing, purring, hisses, growls, and more are included in the feline repertoire, each with special meanings depending on their context. While adult cats normally don't meow at each other, domesticated cats have learned to meow at humans. Some scientists think this is a sign that cats see their owners as kittens because generally only mother cats and their kittens communicate through meowing. Your talk. Cats also express emotion with their ears, as well as intent. Forward-facing ears express interest. Generally speaking, the more a cat's ears swivel sideways and backward, the greater the cat's arousal or distress. Backward ears in a hiss or swipe are a sure sign your cat feels threatened or doesn't like what you're doing. I talk. Cats communicate with their eyelids, how open or closed they are, as well as with the dilation of the pupil, a black portion of the eye, a sudden dilation, enlarging of the pupil results from sudden arousal, which could be due to fear, interest, or any other strong emotion. Wide open eyes show trust while narrowing the eyes to a slit can signal fear or aggression. If your cat shows droopy, sleepy-looking eyelids, this is a sign that your cat is relaxed and trusting. Try a slow blink and see if your cat blinks back, showing a kitty kiss of affection. But if your cat is staring at another cat without blinking, that is a sign of dominance or aggression. Tail talk. The cat tail signals interest, affection, arousal, and more. The height of the tail, as well as the motion, has meaning. Cats hold their tails up when they wanna be approached. This is a sign that interaction is welcome. A flailing or thumping tail usually is a signal to keep your distance. A tail that's swishing back and forth could be a sign of play or that the cat is frustrated. If the fur on the tail bristles, it shows defensiveness. When held high and bristled, the cat is ready to fight. When tucked between the legs, the cat is very fearful. Fur talk. A healthy, calm cat's fur rests smoothly against the body. Cats are self-grooming animals, which means the state of their fur can tell you a lot about the health of the animal. Unkempt fur can indicate ill health and should not be ignored, especially when accompanied by other symptoms, such as lethargy or vomiting. But a suddenly fluff coat, including a bottle brush tail, suggests fear or aggression. It's best to back off from a cat exhibiting this kind of response. Smell and scent. Humans can't always detect or interpret the scent cues cats use for communication. However, among scent tools, cats employ strong urine and feces marking, bunting, body rubbing, behavior, and clawing to leave scented messages that other cats read. Cats are territorial, and the scents they leave behind are clearly designed to send the message that this territory is mined to would-be interlopers. Their sense of scent is so powerful that even very young kittens utilize scent before they can see clearly. Body talk. The cat's total body posture indicates everything from confidence to fear or submission. To understand the full message, the body talk must be read in conjunction with what the eyes, ears, tail, fur, and vocalizations express. A relaxed and happy cat would have ears point slightly forward, eyes relaxed, and whiskers are also pointed forward. The more you pay attention to your cat, the easier it will be to read its body language and learn what they're trying to tell you. If you enjoyed this video, kindly press the like button. 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