Understanding cats’ body language is essential to avoid conflict with them and to act appropriately based on their feelings.
The same happens with dogs and there is an article we have published previously where we explain how to interpret the language of dogs.
In this post, we are going to give 5 tips to understand what your cat is trying to communicate according to its behavior.
Cats are not like dogs
Cats are different from dogs, but the language in which they communicate can be similar.
It is important that you can understand what your cat wants to say and what the things it needs are, for example, if it is hungry, if it wants to be alone or if it wants to be petted.
Understanding how your pet communicates will allow you to enjoy his or her company better.
It will also help you to maintain order in your home because cats and dogs need to be educated to avoid bad behaviors.
Some cats destroy and scratch furniture, bite objects, or even worse, show aggressive behavior with any of the members of your family.
Continue reading so you can discover what your cat wants to tell you through its language.
Common gestures and behaviors in cats
There are common gestures and behaviors in cats that facilitate communication with their owners and allow us to interpret three basic moods: if the animal is afraid, if it is calm or if it is angry and defensive.
Knowing how the cat is and what it wants at any given moment greatly facilitates the relationship with the people who live around it, whether they are adults or children.
The facial expression of the animal provides a lot of information, but also its behavior, or even the shape of its tail.
Tip #1 Pay attention to the eyes, ears, and tail.
If the cat doesn’t move, withdraws, only moves its eyes, has alert ears, as if it wants to listen to everything that happens around it, with a distant look and, above all, if it has very dilated, round and large pupils, it is better not to approach it because this means that the animal is very scared.
If the ears are backward and the tail is swollen, go away immediately, because the cat is ready to attack.
It is also relatively easy to detect and interpret when a cat is afraid.
It tends to become very bristly, curled up, its ears are far back, and sometimes its pupils are very dilated.
Its meow is very clear, like a scream or growl.
As is also unequivocal the meow of the cats when they are in estrus is extremely deep and usually very annoying.
There are also intermediate states of mood, as when they keep the tail straight and move only the tip.
In this case, experts in veterinarians say, the best thing to do is to let the cat “smell you, as it is gradually losing its fear”.
Also, you can detect when a cat is hungry and wants to eat because its meow is clean, its body is relaxed and its pupils are vertical, looking at the person who can feed it.
They strive for attention and usually, they can easily get it.
An example: a cat that approaches us, that looks for us, that even rubs with us, is a cat that is calm and wants to interact.
Tip #2 Pay attention to urine and nail marks
Understanding cats requires considering many other factors beyond body language.
In cats, auditory and especially olfactory communication is extremely important.
Cats are territorial animals and experts recommend not to cover up the urine marks with other odors or clean the marking of cats because it can cause them stress.
Tip #3 Pay attention to the purr
When a cat purrs it is not always asking to be petted, because all it is saying is that it feels comfortable.
When it asks for caresses it usually does it in a very explicit way, looking for contact with the human.
Tip #4 Identify if your cat is hungry
If your cat keeps an eye on you, has a relaxed body, a clean meow, and vertical pupils, it’s asking for food!
Tip #5 Observe your cat’s whiskers
Also, if your cat has its whiskers back in the area of its cheeks, it is probably sick, as a healthy cat’s whiskers are fully extended.
Another clear sign of illness is scratching more than usual, as this implies that your cat may have fleas, ticks, or mites.
As you can see, cats and dogs have different ways to communicate.
Do you have a cat and want to understand it better?
Read again all the tips and keep calm observing your cat’s behavior.
Related articles:
About the Author:
Mónica Chacín, SEO Copywriting specialist and author of a
book of reflections and poetry known as “Serendipia de sueños”
www.monicachacin.com
