(dpa) - Cats speak their own language, not only using sounds, but also gestures and scents that humans don’t understand all that well.
Sometimes they purr, sometimes they claw at the furniture. What does it all mean?
Feb 6, 2020
Viola Ruedele
When your cat struts, holding its tail in a vertical position, approaching you with the tip of its tail bent while nuzzling against your legs, it's a good sign, experts say.
“This means your cat is feeling friendly, wants to greet you and wants to lavish you with attention,” says Daniela Schrudde, a veterinarian at the Berlin-based Welttierschutzgesellschaft animal welfare society. By rubbing its head against you, your cat is telling you it accepts you as one of its own, she says.
Cats have glands behind their ears that release smells when they want to mark their territory, and they like to do this whenever their owner comes home. But the message gets lost in translation - humans can’t pick up the scent.
Experts also advise you to stand still and talk to your cat, rather than wordlessly approach it.
“This feels less threatening to the cat than when the owner approaches it,” says Schrudde. If the cat comes closer, then you can give it a cuddle.
Another common scenario is the cat lying on its back or side, blinking or with its eyes closed, cleaning itself. This means the cat is feeling content and relaxed. Cats also take little breaks from cleaning themselves when there is something new for them to discover. And in these moments, they welcome being stroked, says Schrudde.
While many cats love cuddles, there are of course some scenarios in which it is advisable to approach one’s feline with care, according to Schrudde.
Those wanting to pamper and stroke their cats should approach them cautiously.
“If the animal sits up, then it is better to pause and talk to the cat, so that it doesn’t feel threatened,” she says.
“Not every cat wants to be stroked in the stomach,” Schrudde adds. And if your cat sits down on your laptop or your newspaper, this means it is bored and would like to be occupied with something.
What does it mean when the tip of your cat’s tail swishes back and forth while the rest of its body remains still, spine hunched?
Your cat is feeling afraid or aggressive, and wants some peace and quiet. Schrudde advises that you exercise caution. Cats express their moodiness by wagging their tail, which is sometimes misunderstood by animal lovers who also have dogs.
“If the cat’s aggression is directed at a certain object, then it should be removed,” she added. Otherwise, it is a good idea to wait until the animal's ears have returned to their normal position.
According to Schrudde, when a cat claws at furniture, “they are telling you that the spot belongs to them.”
She suggests standing firm with your cat, even if it’s a difficult thing to do, and preventing it from scratching furniture from a young age by offering it alternatives.
“Your cat can sharpen its claws and expend excess energy on a scratching post,” says Schrudde.
If a cat urinates outside the litter tray, this could mean a lot of things. “Your cat could be having kidney problems, causing it pain when it urinates,” she says. Otherwise, it might also be cat flu.
But it could also be a psychological issue. “Cats are very sensitive,” Schrudde says. Your cat could be protesting about some kind of change they are not happy with, which could be as small a deal as their new bowl being a different colour.
Schrudde recommends taking your cat to the vet to find out whether its issues are physiological or psychological.
Alongside expressing themselves using a variety of gestures and behaviours, cats also have a wide repertoire of noises.
The famous ‘meow’ sound is mostly directed at humans, says Susanne Schoetz, a professor of phonetics based in Lund, Sweden. Cats, being very smart, have noticed that people communicate with words, and have adapted accordingly. When a cat’s meow is high-pitched, it is usually feeling weak and wants attention, according to experts.
Meows turn to coos when your cat needs something quite urgently, like food or a toy.
A deep, long growl indicates that the cat is feeling aggressive or defensive. This is how your cat tells foes not to come any closer.
A deep and short growl, on the other hand, means “good” or “thank you!”
Purring can have all sorts of meanings. It can indicate contentment, hunger, fear or pain. To interpret your cat’s purrs, you should consider the circumstances, says Schoetz.
“If your cat is lying on your lap, then it is feeling content. But on a visit to the vet, it would probably be feeling anxious.”
According to Schoetz, those who really want to figure out what their cat is trying to tell them should focus more on the quality of the noises they make. For example, a gentle, calm sound indicates that your cat means you no harm.
To those still struggling to understand their feline friends, the best advice is to patiently listen and make note of behavioural changes, Schoetz adds.
https://www.dpa-international.com/topic/cat-trying-tell-feline-language-decoded
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/591097519826174059/visual-search/?x=16&y=16&w=530&h=671
Different Types of Cat Languages
Posted on October 18th, 2017 by admin
We don’t exactly know it but our cats speak to us on a daily basis. It’s true. They may seem cold and snobbish on the outside but even the subtlest hint of looking at you says something so much about them. As a cat parent, it’s very crucial to understand cat languages.
http://www.missioncats.net/blog/different-types-of-cat-languages
They can’t speak to us through words but they do express through body movements. There’s a great number of Cat Hotel in San Francisco area that could tell you a few of these body languages since they’re experts when it comes to taking care of your cats. But for a more extensive list of this delicate cat language, read on and see if your cat does any of these behaviors.
- Peering over the shoulder shows interest.
Do you ever catch your cat looking over her shoulder whenever you say something? That doesn’t mean she saw a mouse she wants to hunt. It actually means that she’s listening and very interested to whatever you’re mumbling about. Mostly, it’s either because the tone of your voice is really soothing or just plain irresistible.
- A tail that sticks straight up signals being friendly.
Aside from showing confidence and contentment, when your cat’s tail is as straight as a flag pole on a Monday morning, it means you can approach her with love and affection because she’s being super friendly.
- Sitting straight with tails in front displays attention.
Your cat does pay attention to you, and you should be glad. Whenever you see her sitting up straight with her tail right in front of her, with eyes just staring right to your soul, that’s when she’s giving you all of her attention.
- Lying down carelessly signifies being relaxed.
Most cat parents think that when cats are sleeping, they are relaxed. But sometimes they’re not. Right when you want to caress their fur, they’d go all blades on you and scratch you. But when you see them lying down gently on their back, as if they don’t care, that’s when you can give a little bit of patting on the back.
- Lying on the back exposing tummy means trusting.
When your cat suddenly lies down on the floor showing its belly to you doesn’t mean that she wants you to rub her belly. Sometimes it just means that she trusts you won’t do anything stupid to her and entrusts her entire life to you.
- Sleeping sometimes means being content.
Some cat parent finds it quite vexing to see their fury babies just sleeping the day away, without making any interactions. In some way, that’s actually good because it means that she’s content with the life you’re giving her.
- Stiff body with tingling ears means being cautious or conflicted.
This would be all too familiar if you catch your kitty cat in action face to face with a dog. When your cat sees something that frightens her, she usually twinges her ears and acts uncomfortable.
- Reaching for things shows being playful.
Your cats often climb on to the counter and reach some stuff that you don’t want them to reach. Sometimes you just got to understand this behavior because they’re actually just being playful.
- Scratching signals being excited.
Being a cat parent means bracing yourself for damaged furniture and tapestries because your babies just love to scratch everything. But little do you know that it actually shows how excited they are to meet you or to know that you’re already home.
- Rubbing its skin means marking territories.
If your cat constantly rubs itself against you, that’s when you know you don’t own your cat but your cat actually owns you. You’re her property now so you better do what she wants you to do and feed her generously while you’re at it.
- Floppy ears displays being anxious.
Your cat gets anxious probably when you go out of the house and leave her alone. You probably don’t notice that but next time, if you see her tail sagging on the floor, with her ears flopping on its side, then you should probably either cancel that appointment or take her with you.
- Crouching on the floor shows predatory mode.
If you’re afraid of cats, all you need to do is to see if your cat’s crouching on the ground like a predator sensing a prey and then you’ll know that a mouse is somewhere in your vicinity.- Tucked body and tail signifies being worried.
Your cat gets worried to. If you want to know what worries her, just observe what things make her want to crawl into a ball and act all strange.- Loud meowing and aggressiveness means being threatened.
This is a basic cat language that all owners know. It’s not a good idea to threaten cats unless you want to get your face scratched.
- Arched back and flattened ears shows being terrified.
Whether it’s a loud noise or a stranger she hasn’t met before, when you see your cat’s back arched at a point and looking all confused, that actually means that she’s afraid of something.
- Wagging tail displays irritation.
You know when your cat irritates you when she wags your tail at you while looking at you in a very judgmental way. So if your cat finds you vexing, it’s a great idea to stay away and let her cool off.- Rejection of food means being disgusted.
It’s not that she’s picky when it comes to food or that she’s full. It actually means she doesn’t like what you’re feeding her and basically her liver can’t contain whatever it is that you’re giving her.After reading this list, you should probably be an expert when it comes to decoding your cat’s actions. It really pays off when you get to understand your fur babies because you will know how to act around them and what to do when they’re acting in a certain way.If you couldn’t find your cat’s behavior in this list, feel free to add them on the comments below.
https://laughingsquid.com/ways-to-pet-your-cat/
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