Cats are complicated animals, and communicating with them can be a challenge. Cat whispering hasn't gained the popularity and success that dog and horse whispering has, but there are ways to communicate with your cat.
You can read your cat's body language to understand her feelings, and you can send her positive messages to let her know she's loved and appreciated. Here are some tips on how to understand what your cat wants and to help you to better understand and communicate with your cat.
Cat Communication
Cats show their expressions with intricate changes of their body from head to tail. For example, here are some signs of cat communication:
A happy, relaxed cat will have her ears upright in their normal position with her whiskers fanned out straight from her face. Her eyes may blink or wink a lot. Her tail will be either upright or relaxed, and she may purr.
An angry or aggressive cat will make direct eye contact and lower her body close to the ground, ready to attack. She will have constricted pupils with her ears flat and pulled back against her head. Her hair on her back and tail may stand up. The tail will swish or thump the ground, and she will probably hiss and growl.
A frightened cat has dilated pupils, and her whiskers may be pulled back. Her ears will be pulled downward and may twitch; the hair on her back and tail may stand up.
An annoyed cat usually hisses at its source of irritation, flattens her ears against her head, and flicks the tip of her tail. A sick cat may have half-closed eyes with exposed third eyelids.
The sick cat may hunch her back, tuck her tail between her legs, and have droopy ears and whiskers. Sick cats often purr to comfort themselves.
By watching your cat’s behaviour, you can better communicate or understand what he or she is saying. As every cat lover knows, cats are complex animals. This is merely the basic body language of a cat, but every cat is different and has her own quirks. Observation and bonding are important to learn the specific ways your cat expresses her emotions.
What have you noticed about your cat’s behaviour compared to those featured here?