You can tell so much about your cat's mood just by understanding cat body language. Happy cats have their ears up high, and a straight tail. How ever ears that are swiveled off to the side, and a tail held high but slightly bent at the tip show the cat is very happy. A cat holding it's tail straight up is a cat body language sign that he's feeling average, and a drooping tail is a sign of unhappiness or illness. A bushy tail, usually means that your kitty is ready for battle or possibly afraid. Understanding cat body language is an important part to you and your pets relationship.
A mother cat will usually allow her young kittens to play with her tail, but when she gets tired of this it will thrash wildly, and teach them to leave it alone. Therefore, the thrashing tail indicates that a cat is about to lose his temper, while a slowly wagging tail means alertness.
Some tips for understanding cat body language
A cat can be telling you he's anxious from lip licking or subtle purring. Rapid blinking can show anxiety, a sign that a cat has friendly intentions and does not pose a threat to another cat.
When your cat is sitting there with his eyes half closed, or slowly blinking is a sign of contentment. There are many cat owners that believe blinking at their cat, when the blink is returned is the equivalent of a receiving a kiss. Dilated pupils indicate a cats interest, while smaller ones generally mean alertness.
Some more tips to understanding cat body language are the position of their whiskers. Drawn forward whiskers is a sign of pleasurable anticipation. This can occur when their awaiting their meal, or just after they've caught something. When a cat is snarling, either at another cat or animal the whiskers will be drawn back almost against their face. While yawning in the human world can be taken as a rude gesture, it's considered a sign of reassurance for a cat, so don't be offended.
Crazy Cat body language behaviors
This may drive you crazy but often a cat will refuse to use his cat flap to enter the home, instead he meows until you come to open the door. This is instinct, a cat will not enter or leave an area until they're sure they can see the area ahead is clear. This is used to protect them from predators waiting ahead. Because of this a cat will prefer that you open doors widely, and allow him to see clearly there is nothing waiting up ahead for him.
Cat flaps do not allow for this because as soon as a cat begins to go through the flap, he is committed. He cannot turn around and get back in because he will be trapped by the flap. This, and the fact that flaps have to be opened by pushing the head against them, accounts for the reluctance of most cats to use them. And if it is raining at the front door, chances are your cat will ask to be let out the back door, thinking that it might not be raining at the other side of the house!
These are just some of the funny mannerisms you'll begin to notice when you try to understand your cats body language. They live in a funny little world, but remember they are animals with instinct, and they'll follow that before anything else. So next time your cat sees it's raining at the back door, don't be surprised if he wants out at the back door, just to check and see if it's raining there also.
Mon Jun 23, 2008 4:49 am