How Do Cats Communicate?

Cats, tigers, panthers, leopards, lions and cheetahs all communicate in similar ways. When you own a cat it is very important to understand how it communicates. By reading this short article you will learn the basics of cat communication. You will learn how to tell what mood your cat is in and if anything, what it wants. Your cat will communicate differently with you than other cats and animals. They use a range of different ways to communicate including noises, body language etc. If you spend some time observing your cat, sometimes it can be easy to understand what type of mood they are in and other times it can be impossible. This section will give you the right information to understand your cat's communication.

Noises and sounds

Cats can make a great number of noises and sounds; some scientists think they can produce up to 81 different sounds and pitches. All of these have different meanings. The amount of noise your cat makes depends on its personality; some cats don't make any noise. The most common out of all the sounds that cats make is 'meow'; it can mean that your cat is hungry, curious, angry, happy or welcoming you home. The second most common sound is purring, scientists don't know much about it, most of the time it is a sign of happiness and content but on rare occasions it can mean your cat has a serious illness. Other sounds such as growling and hissing mean that your cat is angry, upset or scared.

Body language

Cats use a variety of body language, some examples are the movement of its tale, the position of its ears and even how it is standing. The most obvious body language your cat uses is the movement of its tale. In general, the higher your cat's tale, the happier it is. When your cat is in an extremely happy mood it will point its tale directly up and when it is scared and afraid it will tuck it between its legs. When your cat is angry or annoyed it will throw its tale from side to side. Short quick movement's and twitching indicates restlessness and excitement.

In conclusion, when a cat is happy or excited it raises its tale to a vertical angle and rubs against you and may possibly lick you when you put your hand out, an example of this is when you are about to feed it. On the other hand when your cat is angry it puffs up its hair, its eyes become big, it growls, flattens its ears and spits. When a cat is happy and content, it lies on its stomach with its paws tucked under its body. When your cat wants to play it lies on its side with its paws and feed outstretched.