How pets give your kids a brain boost - BBC

Choosing a pet starts with understanding how they fit into the home. Kelly Oakes explores what happens when animals join a family – and their profound impact on children's development.

FAMILY TREE | PSYCHOLOGY

By Kelly Oakes14th June 2022

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Pick up a book from a young child's bookshelf and you're more likely to find an animal protagonist than a human one. From very hungry caterpillars to great big humpback whales, children seem universally fascinated by animals. But while characters in a picture book are often far removed from reality, the pets many of us share a home with offer children a more realistic glimpse of the animal world – and a meaningful relationship that influences them in a whole host of other ways, too.

Understanding that relationship may not only help parents choose the right pet for their child, but also give them deeper insights into the factors that make for a truly successful bond.

For many people, pets are much-loved family members who provide support across many stages of life. They can help couples to cement their relationship, act as playmates for young children, and provide companionship for parents when children leave home. One study in the US found that 63% of households with a baby under 12 months old had a pet, and an Australian study found a 10% increase in pet ownership around the time the children start school.

Many parents intuitively feel that looking after an animal can offer children valuable lessons about caregiving, responsibility and empathy. "It's really important, especially for young kids, to learn that someone's perspective might be different from their own," says Megan Mueller, associate professor of human-animal interaction at Tufts University, US. "That's an easier lesson to learn, perhaps, with an animal than it is with, say, a sibling or a peer."

But claims about the beneficial impacts of pets on children go further, suggesting that pets can influence children's social skills, physical health, and even cognitive development, and that keeping them is associated with higher levels of empathy. For children with autism and their families, pet care may help reduce stress and create opportunities to form supportive bonds.

Other research shows that children gain from animals in-the-moment, too. In one pair of studies, children made fewer errors on an object categorisation task and needed fewer prompts in a memory task when there was a dog in the room. Research has even found that, for adults at least, the simple act of viewing our pets as family members improves our wellbeing – though headlines touting the wide-ranging benefits of pet ownership are not without criticism, since people often believe that their pets improve their health and happiness, even when objective measures don't show any difference.

A boy enjoys a session of dog-assisted therapy in France (Credit: Getty Images)

Interacting with pets – and with other people

So, are pets truly at the root of all these benefits, or do we just think they are? Hayley Christian, associate professor at the School of Population and Global Health at the University of Western Australia in Perth, is one of the researchers attempting to unravel cause from effect.

Using data from a longitudinal study of 4,000 children at ages five and seven, Christian and colleagues discovered that pet ownership was associated with fewer peer problems and more prosocial behaviour. In separate research they found that children aged 2 to 5 with a family dog were more active, spent less time on screens, and slept more on average, than those without a pet.

Crucially, it was the dog-facilitated physical activity – such as going on family dog walks – that made the difference.

Then, in a study published last year, they put these two pieces of the puzzle together. After controlling for factors such as socio-economic status, the researchers saw that children who regularly engaged in dog-related physical activity had better developmental outcomes.

"We can actually say that children having pets and interacting with them over time in early childhood does seem to cause these added benefits in terms of their social-emotional development," says Christian, who is also a senior research fellow at the Telethon Kids Institute.

That's not to say that every family should get a pet – or every child with a dog is better off than those without. Behavioural issues, complex medical needs and the financial burden of caring for an animal can all make life with a pet less than rosy. Families living in housing that is not pet-friendly face further barriers. "I don't think we're ever going to get to the point where we recommend that everyone with a kid gets a dog," says Mueller.

In fact, Mueller looked into whether the mental health of US teenagers with pets was better than their non pet-owning counterparts during the Covid-19 pandemic – and found that the animals appeared to make no difference. "My hypothesis is that Covid was a huge stressor and there probably isn't one thing that's enough to overcome it," she says.

It's also possible that the pandemic put a stop to one of the ways in which living with a dog can give us a boost. "We get the social benefits from interacting with the dog, but there's also this way in which animals can facilitate social interaction with other people," says Mueller. During lockdowns, teenagers might have stuck to their daily dog walks but avoided conversations with other dog walkers, losing out on small moments of social interaction.

A Ukrainian girl cuddles her pet at Warsaw train station. Children rank pets as some of the most important beings in their lives, research shows (Credit: Getty Images)

Building a strong relationship

When it comes to the positive influence of pets on children, the state of their relationship is key – not just living under the same roof. "Relationship quality seems to be a better predictor of some of these health outcomes than just whether or not you have a pet in the home," says Mueller.

Time spent with a pet is one factor. If your sibling has a hamster that lives in their room, you're unlikely to feel very attached to it, for example, compared to a family dog that you walk every day after school.

A child's age can also help determine how solid their relationship with a particular pet becomes. Children aged between six and 10 develop stronger bonds with animals that are more similar to humans, like cats and dogs, than with biologically far-removed species like birds and fish. But older children, aged between 11 and 14, report being just as attached to less closely-related species – including mice – as they are to their dogs or cats.

Family dynamics also play a part. The Australian longitudinal study saw that children without siblings can especially benefit from pets – perhaps because they sometimes act as a surrogate sibling. "Parents are more likely to allow their child to be independently mobile [for example, run an errand alone] if they went with a sibling or a friend," says Christian. "And guess what else? A dog."

Babies in households with a pet are better at recognising animal faces by the time they are 10 months old, research shows

Pets can even aid social interactions within households. In foster families, research suggests a pet can help facilitate close relationships between foster carers and children, as well as providing companionship in its own right.

When children get to know their pets, it opens them up to a deeper understanding of animals in the wider world. "They tend to learn from their pet, somehow, how to be more understanding, empathetic and responsive to animals in general," says John Bradshaw, former reader in companion animal behaviour at the University of Bristol, UK, and author of several books on cats and dogs.

One study in the UK found that children who had pets at home were more likely to have higher levels of belief about animals' minds, that is, thinking that animals have thoughts and feelings of their own.

"You can have all sorts of imaginary stories in your head about a lion, but until somebody takes you to Africa, you'll never meet one in the wild," he says. "But a dog or a cat is there and can teach you about what it's actually like to be an animal, that animals are not human, they have very special lives that belong to them and not to us."

Even young babies are watching and learning about the animals they live with. Research by Karinna Hurley and Lisa Oakes at the University of California, Davis, US, found that infants in households with a pet were better at recognising animal faces by the time they were 10 months old than those without.

What's more, a child's relationship with their pet could provide a much-needed link with nature. "To have a real living, breathing, slightly messy animal running around the house is a good way of making those connections," says Bradshaw.

A boy bonds with a dog at a hospital in Tokyo. Pets can benefit children's development in many different ways, studies show (Credit: Getty Images)

What do animals think of kids?

Remembering our pets' wild origins can give us an insight into how they see our families.

Dogs evolved to live alongside humans and have the potential to form very strong bonds with us. Cats, on the other hand, are solitary creatures at heart. Even so, they do seem to regard their human housemates as family. "Our cats greet us by raising their tails and rubbing around our legs – precisely what they do when meeting another cat they know well or consider a family member," writes Bradshaw in his book, The Animals Among Us.

But whether this kinship translates to children depends on a pet's own early life experiences.

Both cats and dogs have a brief window – for puppies this is between around eight and 16 weeks of age – where they learn about the sorts of people they might encounter in their lives. "We know that if puppies or kittens have not met children at all by the time they get to six months or so – depending on their underlying temperament – they can display really quite adverse reactions," says Bradshaw. "That suggests that they don't really recognise children as human, unless they've been introduced to them as part of the humanity package."

This makes perfect sense when you look at it from the animal's point of view, he says: "A baby is nothing like an adult human. It's much smaller, it can't stand up, it makes very different noises to an adult human, and it smells very different to an adult human."

Children rank pets as some of the most important beings in their lives – but pets can take time to get used to kids

Understanding how a pet sees the world is vital to making sure everyone gets along. If a cat urinates on a new cot or pram brought into the house, it's easy to jump to conclusions. "If you were not sympathetic to the way the cat thinks you might think, 'Oh, the cat's just getting cross because I'm going to have a baby, it must know'," says Bradshaw. "Of course, they don't know. It's very often the olfactory environment [the smell of the home] that's been churned up and the cat's lost its familiar points of reference."

Both cats and dogs rely heavily on their noses, so having lots of new smells in the house is like "coming home and finding that someone has painted your walls completely opposite colours," says Bradshaw. On the flip side, familiar scents can keep them happy. In one trial, Bradshaw and his colleagues put a t-shirt that had been worn by a dog's owner into their bed. "That familiar smell seemed to work wonders for the dog, they were much more relaxed," he says.

Not anthropomorphising our pets – meaning, expecting them to think and behave like humans – is especially important when it comes to a child's safety. "You can never be 100% sure how a dog is going to react in any one given situation," says Bradshaw. "There's all sorts of possible things which can trigger the dog into a different mode of behaviour, maybe one that the owner has never seen before."

Ultimately, each child-pet relationship is unique, with its own quirks, benefits, and pitfalls – and in some ways researchers are only just starting to understand what makes a child's relationship with their pet mutually beneficial. "The field is really moving towards looking at these more individual differences," says Mueller.

Meanwhile, children themselves rank pets as some of the most important beings in their lives, seeing their animal companions as a comfort and emotional support, as well as being infallible confidantes for a secret. Some of those benefits "are very difficult to quantify because they're very individual, and science deals in populations and big numbers," says Bradshaw. "Just because it's not very tangible and easily measured, it doesn't mean it's not real."

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20220609-do-pets-help-childrens-development

FAMILY TREE

This article is part of Family Tree, a series of features that explore the issues and opportunities that families face all over the world. You might also be interested in other stories about children's behaviour and development:

• How Arctic kids learn resilience
• Why Germany loves "school cones"
• Asia's new love of forest schools

Climb new branches of the Family Tree on BBC Worklife.

 

5 Things That Will Help Your Dog Live a Longer, Healthier Life

Animal Expert Shares 5 Things That Will Help Your Dog Live a Longer, Healthier Life

JACQUELINE BOYD, THE CONVERSATION

30 AUGUST 2021

As anyone who has ever lived with a dog will know, it often feels like we don't get enough time with our furry friends. Most dogs only live around ten to 14 years on average – though some may naturally live longer, while others may be predisposed to certain diseases that can limit their lifespan.

But what many people don't know is that humans and dogs share many genetic similarities – including a predisposition to age-related cancer. This means that many of the things humans can do to be healthier and longer lived may also work for dogs.

Here are just a few ways that you might help your dog live a longer, healthier life.

1. Watch their waistline

One factor that's repeatedly linked with longevity across a range of species is maintaining a healthy bodyweight. That means ensuring dogs aren't carrying excess weight, and managing their calorie intake carefully.

Not only will a lean, healthy bodyweight be better for your dog in the long term, it can also help to limit the impact of certain health conditions, such as osteoarthritis.

Carefully monitor and manage your dog's bodyweight through regular weighing or body condition scoring – where you look at your dog's physical shape and "score" them on a scale to check whether they're overweight, or at a healthy weight. Using both of these methods together will allow you to identify weight changes and alter their diet as needed.

Use feeding guidelines as a starting point for how much to feed your dog, but you might need to change food type or the amount you feed to maintain a healthy weight as your dog gets older, or depending on how much activity they get.

Knowing exactly how much you are feeding your dog is also a crucial weight-management tool – so weigh their food rather than scooping it in by eye.

More generally, good nutrition can be linked to a healthy ageing process, suggesting that what you feed can be as important as how much you feed. "Good" nutrition will vary for each dog, but be sure to look for foods that are safe, tasty and provide all the nutrients your dog needs.

2. Plenty of walks

Exercise has many physiological and psychological benefits, both for our dogs (and us). Physical activity can help to manage a dog's bodyweight, and is also associated with anti-ageing effects in other genetically similar species.

While exercise alone won't increase your dog's lifespan, it might help protect you both from carrying excess bodyweight. And indeed, research suggests that "happy" dog walks lead to both happy dogs and people.

3. Teach them new tricks

Ageing isn't just physical. Keeping your dog's mind active is also helpful. Contrary to the popular adage, you can teach old dogs new tricks – and you might just keep their brain and body younger as a result.

Even when physical activity might be limited, explore alternative low-impact games and pursuits, such as scentwork that you and your dog can do together. Using their nose is an inherently rewarding and fun thing for dogs to do, so training dogs to find items by scent will exercise them both mentally and physically.

Other exercise such as hydrotherapy – a type of swimming exercise – might be a good option – especially for dogs who have conditions which affect their ability to exercise as normal.

4. Bonding

Like many companion animals, dogs develop a clear attachment to their caregivers. The human-dog bond likely provides companionship – and often, dog lovers describe them as a family member.

A stable caregiver-dog bond can help maintain a happy and mutually beneficial partnership between you and your dog. It can also help you recognize subtle changes in your dog's behavior or movement that might signal potential concerns.

Where there is compatibility between caregiver and dog, this leads to a better relationship – and even benefits for owners, too, including stress relief and exercise. Sharing positive, fun experiences with your dog, including playing with them, are great for cementing your bond.

5. Don't skip vet visits

Modern veterinary medicine has seen substantial improvements in preventing and managing health concerns in dogs. Successful vaccination and parasite management programs have effectively reduced the incidence of disease in both dogs and humans – including toxocariasis, which can be transmitted from dog feces to humans, and rabies, which can be transmitted dog-to-dog or dog-to-human.

Having a good relationship with your vet will allow you to tailor treatments and discuss your dog's needs. Regular health checks can also be useful in identifying any potential problems at a treatable stage – such as dental issues or osteoarthritis – which can cause pain and negatively impact the dog's wellbeing.

At the end of the day, it's a combination of our dog's genetics and the environment they live in that impacts their longevity. So while we can't change their genetics, there are many things we can do to improve their health that may just help them live a longer, healthier life. 

Jacqueline Boyd, Senior Lecturer in Animal Science, Nottingham Trent University.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

https://www.sciencealert.com/animal-expert-shares-5-things-that-will-help-your-dog-live-a-longer-healthier-life

Dogs, cats can't pass on coronavirus, but can test positive

Pet cats and dogs cannot pass the new coronavirus on to humans ....

6 March 2020

© Provided by Associated Press A dog is seen at a pet shop in Hong Kong, Thursday, March 5, 2020. Pet cats and dogs cannot pass the new coronavirus to humans, but they can test positive for low levels of the pathogen if they catch it from their owner. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

HONG KONG (AP) — Pet cats and dogs cannot pass the new coronavirus on to humans, but they can test positive for low levels of the pathogen if they catch it from their owners.

That's the conclusion of Hong Kong's Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department after a dog in quarantine tested weakly positive for the virus Feb. 27, Feb. 28 and March 2, using the canine's nasal and oral cavity samples.

A unidentified spokesman for the department was quoted in a news release as saying. “There is currently no evidence that pet animals can be a source of infection of COVID-19 or that they become sick."

Scientists suspect the virus known as SARS-CoV-2 that causes the disease originated in bats before passing it on to another species, possibly a small wild mammal, that passed it on to humans. 

However, experts from the School of Public Health of The University of Hong Kong, the College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences of the City University of Hong Kong and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) have unanimously agreed that the dog has a low-level of infection and it is “likely to be a case of human-to-animal transmission."

© Provided by Associated Press A woman wearing face mask, walks her dogs in Hong Kong, Thursday, March 5, 2020. Pet cats and dogs cannot pass the new coronavirus to humans, but they can test positive for low levels of the pathogen if they catch it from their owner. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

The dog, and another also in quarantine which has tested negative for the virus, will be tested again before being released. The department suggested any pets, including dogs and cats, from households where someone has tested positive for the virus should be put into quarantine.

In general, pet owners should maintain good hygiene, including washing hands before and after handling animals, their food and supplies and no kissing them. People who are sick should avoid contact with pets and a veterinarian's advice should be sought if changes in a pet's health conditions are detected.

“Apart from maintaining good hygiene practices, pet owners need not be overly concerned and under no circumstances should they abandon their pets," the spokesman said.

https://www.msn.com/en-my/news/world/dogs-cats-cant-pass-on-coronavirus-but-can-test-positive/ar-BB10O9XD?

Feline language decoded: What is your cat trying to tell you?

(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.

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

  

6. 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.

7. 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.

   

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. 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.

13. 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.

14. 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.

15. 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.

16. 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.

17. 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.

http://www.missioncats.net/blog/different-types-of-cat-languages






https://laughingsquid.com/ways-to-pet-your-cat/




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All Black Cats Are Not Alike

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