Cat Language- How To Better Understand Your Cat

Have you ever wondered what your cat is thinking about? Cats are really good communicators. Unlike cats humans rely heavily on words. If we start to pay close attention to our cat’s behaviors, mood, body language, sounds, we may begin to understand cat language.

Cats try to communicate with us using their language and behaviors.  It is not an exaggeration to say your cat talks to you every single second trying to get closer to you. You just have to do a little more observation on your part. When we pay more attention to our cats we can begin to learn the way they communicate.

Rarely do I need to set an alarm clock these days. First thing before I wake up, my cat Sage runs and pounces on my belly. He is my wake up call, and letting me know he is ready for breakfast. It’s not hard to read the signs when my cat is hungry. How else is my cat trying to communicate with me?

Being able to understand your cat’s language can make your relationship stronger and help you spot if something is wrong.

Types of Cat Language

Sounds

The sounds your cat makes are a great way to learn about how they are feeling, much like the cries of our babies. If you can learn to identify your cat’s meows, you can better satisfy their needs and wants.

Meows

Cats meow to greet us, as a general ‘I’m here, you may love me now’, or a simple ‘hey, human, I noticed my food bowl is empty, want to fix that?’.

Purring

That chest rumbling vibration of a cat’s purr tells us they’re happy. It can also mean they’re anxious or sick. Purring is another multi-purpose noise that cats make depending on the situation.

Hissing

Cats hiss when they’re annoyed, tired, angry or feeling threatened. It’s their way of saying ‘please leave me alone, I can’t cope with anymore right now.’ If your cat is hissing its best to leave them alone but still pay close attention. It could be a sign of an injury and they may need to see a vet.

Yowl/ Howl

This is the noise a cat makes when he/she is in BIG trouble; physically wounded, utterly distressed, in pain, or is trapped somewhere. You’ll know that blood-chilling cry that sends you into panic mode.

Cats Body Language

Ears

Ears tell us more than we think. If a kitty’s ears are forward-facing, it means they’re interested and happy. If they’re turning like they’re listening for something, they are! If they’re turned backward, flattened out like wings on an airplane, or turned sideways, kitty’s annoyed, or frightened.

Tail

If their tail is straight up, fur normal, you have a happy, alert, and curious cat on your hands. However, that changes if the fur is all fluffed out, that’s one scared or angry cat! One more ‘message’ tails tell is if the tail is fully erect and shaking quickly – this can be two things, one is that your cat is very happy to see you. The other is if your cat hasn’t been neutered, it could be getting ready to ‘mark’ territory.

Now you know if his meow sounds more like a growl and his tail is swishing, that he’s angry, or if he’s giving me head-bumps and chirps that he loves you.

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