Cat Body Language

The Language of Cats

Watching kittens from their earliest stages of play clearly demonstrates the amount of body language that exists with cats. Simple play fights or other kitten games start to teach a kitten how to communicate through body language. As kittens play, they demonstrate body language traits that will stay with them throughout their lives. The cat's body language demonstrates to other animals important information such as submission, aggression or fear. Some of the body language is very subtle, however, watching your cat’s posturing will help you get a better understanding of your cat and his individual temperament.

Types of Cat Body Language

Cats each have their own special personality, so while many traits are common in most felines, that is not to say that your cat will conform! Your cat may well have different sets of body language that have been developed due to unique circumstances.

We are familiar with some of the main physical signs of a cat’s feelings. For instance, the way a cat’s coat will fluff up when they are scared or frightened, making them look bigger to another animal. Another common trait is the way that cats rub up against people and objects to leave their scent and mark their territory. There are many other signals that can be seen in a cat’s body language, however, which demonstrates his feelings.

Tail Movements

Anyone who has watched dogs for any length of time will notice how their tail wags from side to side when they are happy. Some dogs do this with great gusto, wagging their tail enthusiastically. This demonstrates that a dog is happy, wanting to play or just generally having fun. In cats, the message is completely different.

Cats don’t wag their tail with the same energy as dogs. A cat’s tail movement is more genteel, and more like a wave than a wag. When a cat waves his tail, he is saying that he wants to be left alone. A mistake that many new cat owners make, particularly those who are familiar with dogs and their body language, is to think that a cat waving his tail wants to play. Playing with a cat when he is exhibiting "leave me alone" signals is likely to end up with a few hisses and a feline sulk.

Tail waving also gives a clear message to other cats. A mother cat will wave her tail when her kittens are getting too robust, warning them that she does not want to play.

Crouching and Rear End Wiggling

If you see a cat that is crouched low to the ground with his rear end wiggling, chances are he is getting ready to pounce. In the wild, the cat would be preparing to pounce on prey. Domestic cats may well do this in the garden when hunting birds or small animals. It is also very normal to see cats do this in the house. They will get ready to pounce on their fellow cats, other animal house mates such as a long suffering dog, or even a handy human leg if nothing else of interest presents itself.

Rolling Onto the Side or Back

Animals naturally stay upright when alert. In the wild, this means that they can escape or attack quickly. When a cat is uncertain of his surroundings, he will remain in an upright position. However, when a cat is relaxed and comfortable, he will stretch out, exposing his underside. This puts the cat in a very venerable position. When a cat does this, you know that he is really feeling truly at home and at one with his family.

This is not to be mistaken with a stance that a fighting cat might adopt. Cats sometimes roll onto their sides when fighting as it frees up all four of their paws for fighting action.

Submission

When cats play or fight, often one will have had enough and will want to demonstrate to the other that he is submitting. To demonstrate submission, the cat will put himself at a level that is lower than the other feline. This might mean lying down, or lying on his back. However, this isn’t always a sign of weakness or over dominance; sometimes you will see adult cats submit to young kittens simply because they don’t want to play anymore.

Noises

Although meows and other noises are not cat body language as such, understanding what the different sounds mean does help you understand your cat better. A cat will make a very different meow when he is asking for food than when he is greeting other cats. For instance, he may sound a warning meow the first time he meets another cat.

Cats also make a distinctive noise when they bring in prey that they have caught. Many owners with cats that have strong hunting tendencies learn to recognize this sound and to act accordingly. Owners who keep cats as hunters to keep rats and mice at bay will look to reward the cat, whereas owners who do not welcome a cat's hunting skills may wish to discourage this behavior.

Watching a cat and learning his body language is both highly entertaining and interesting. It also helps you to learn more about your cat as an individual and to strengthen the special bond between the two of you.

Photo: Chi Hinks, Morguefile.com