The cats' body language is much more complex than some keepers realize. We should not look only at a specific posture or body signal, but at a combination of all of them. Only in this way can we really understand what a feline wants to convey to us.
Likewise, we should not try to compare the language of this species with another, because unlike dogs, cats tend to notably inhibit certain emotions, and it is even difficult to notice the signs that indicate that a cat he is sick. Likewise, the signals of both species are very different.
In this article on our site we will talk about the body language of cats, explaining the meaning of the most common postures, the characteristics top of your moods and much more. Do you want to find out? Don't waste time and read on!
The language of cats
Before we delve into the body language of cats, analyzing some specific postures, we will review the positions of certain parts of their body The basic pillars of cat communication are the ears, the tail and the head, both towards people and towards other animals:
Head
The feline's face and its position indicate a lot about its state of mind. A head down can suggest fear, submission and even anger. On the contrary, when it is raised or forward it indicates well-being, trust and even tolerance or invitation to manipulation. We will also look at the eyes. When they are squinted, for example when we massage them, we can notice it as a sign of relaxation, while open eyes can be translated as a state of alertness, curiosity or fear.
The tail
The low tail in cats should not be common. It is a sign that he is scared, angry or depressed. Now, the tail up does not mean only happiness. When it is rigid and even vibrant, it indicates excitement and pleasure, while if it is arched it suggests curiosity, intrigue and even insecurity. Obviously, when he's snorting it's a sign of anger. The movement is also revealing, since when it moves slowly it suggests well-being, while when moves fast we should know that it is irritated.
Ears
Cat ears have around 25 muscles and are tremendously expressive. Upward and constantly moving means that the cat is attentive and alert to everything that happens. Conversely, backwards or to the side can suggest anger, fear, and ultimately a defensive or offensive stance.
Also…
As we have already told you, we must analyze these signals together We will weigh the body position, which can be tense or relaxed, stretched or arched. We will also value the meows of cats and their meaning, an important part of their communication with humans.
Another key aspect is the "rubbing" behavior which may indicate that it is "marking" us, as part of its territory. However, rubbing the head using the neck and mouth can indicate a friendly greeting. To finish, we could not forget the purr, which although it is usually associated with well-being, can also appear in sick felines that are not well.
The behavior of cats
There are certain behaviors of felines that we can misunderstand, especially if we compare them with the language of dogs, or if we do not really understand what they mean, we will mention some of them:
- The cat turns on its belly: it can even roll over. It translates as a state of trust towards the caregiver, as well as well-being and relaxation. However, the cat on its back is not an invitation to rub its belly, in fact, if we do, it is very likely that the cat will scratch and bite us.
- The cat is crouching: if you see him bent over, attentive and ready to start running you should be alert: something is worrying or worrying your feline.
- The cat lifts its paws: usually occurs when we hold out our hand to it. After raising his front legs he rubs against us. It is a greeting and a sign of affection on his part.
- Urine spray: can occur in males and females. When the cat urinates a small amount everywhere and as in "spray" we must pay attention to different meanings: sexual behavior, stress or marking.
Of course cat behavior will vary based on age, genetics, environment and many other factors.
Cat postures and their meaning
As you may have already noticed, the great variety of positions and signals that a cat can emit makes it impossible to summarize all the postures of cats, however, we have prepared an image withthe most common , which will help you to better understand the body language of cats, we detail them below:
- Friendly: A cat that is happy and eager to interact with its guardians or other animals will display a relaxed body posture, accompanied by ears forward and upright, as well as the tail raised. The eyes may be open and, if it trusts us, the cat will rub against us or come to sniff us in a sign of friendly greeting.
- Insecure: in this case we will observe that the posture is generally tense and is accompanied by a completely straight tail, except at the tip, which is curved. The ears will be erect, the eyes wide open and, in short, we will appreciate that the cat is alert and expectant before our reaction.
- Relaxed: a relaxed cat will have a very relaxed body posture, will be able to stretch and look away without any concern. The tail may or may not be raised, and the ears will be in a normal position. It can also show half-open eyes, as a sign of well-being.
- Annoyed: A cat that is upset for any reason will assume a straight, tense posture, accompanied by a constantly wagging tail, similar to that of a snake. The feline is alerting us and if we don't stop he can run away, bite or scratch. We will also observe the wide open eyes and, in some cases, the ears to the sides.
- Happy - A happy cat will show the same signs as the friendly cat, i.e. relaxed body posture, forward ears and tail raised. But in addition, if he is very happy, we can also observe that he meows in a way similar to a trill and that his tail vibrates.
- Annoyed: A cat that is angry will let its guardians or other animals it encounters know. The body posture will be conspicuously arched and probably accompanied by sideways ears and a noticeably puffed tail. It can hiss and even meow threateningly.
- Scared: A cat goes from being irritated to scared when the signals he has used have not worked or he cannot run away from the conflict. The posture and signals are much more evident, even reaching serious meows, hissing and hissing constantly with the mouth open. A frightened cat is likely to attack.
- Playful: A playful cat will use many parts of its body to communicate, seeking attention. It can nibble or scratch as a sign of play, but we will know this since there are no other signs that show obvious discomfort. We will observe forward ears, open eyes and other signs that indicate that the feline is looking for a motivation to play.
Cat Body Language Video
Have you been wanting more? In the following video we show you in detail the body language of cats with signs and postures, don't miss it!
