Understanding Your Cat

Basic body language your cat uses to communicate with you

- Jackie Gray

From the flick of a tail to a look that could kill – there are basic gestures that cats use to communicate with us. While dogs try to please us with every action they take, cats can’t give a dime about your feelings. They make it quite clear how they feel, and they almost expect you to know what they are thinking.

Cats use their bodies to communicate with us, and any cat owner will agree that their voices, eyes, ears and tails are their main communication tools. Feline communication falls broadly into three categories: vocal, postural and marking.

Vocal Cats can make over 100 different vocal sounds, while dogs can only make 10. These sounds encompass a variety of meows, purrs, gurgles and ‘meeps’. The more you talk to your cat, the more your cat will talk back and extend her vocabulary. This will help deepen your bond too.

Hissing, spitting and growling are obvious signs of hostility. In other words, your cat wants the threat to go away. Spitting is usually accompanied by a quick forward swat and retreat. Cats who are trying to avoid being attacked or who are protecting their young display this sort of behaviour.

All cats purr at the same frequency of 25 cycles per second. Exactly how they do this remains a mystery. See our article on why cats purr in the August 2017 edition of Animaltalk.

Posture