Welcome to Mike’s Meowling’s – I am at your service to tell you all you need to know about feline attitude or cattitude as it is known in my house.
One question I am asked often is ‘how do cats communicate’. It is acknowledged that dogs meet socially so owners are used to their little ways, but what about us?
Your cat uses vocalization to tell other cats (or you) what they need. Different pitches, as well as the intensity and volume of their meowing, reflect the different emotional and physical requirements.
Murmurs (purring)
Vowel sounds (meowing)
High-intensity growls and howls
To interpret a cat’s subtle body language, you need to consider the combination of all their features and movements. Understanding their moves (of the eyes, ears and tail) along with body position can tell you a lot about what exactly is on their mind.
Cats take on different postures for different situations, either in the presence of other cats or humans. But I’ll simplify things by saying that basically these movements break down into two categories:
“Come closer” or “Go away.”
Rolling over and showing the tummy is their way of issuing a “Come closer” invitation. On the other end of the spectrum, arching her back, puffing up her stiffened tail, baring her teeth, unsheathing her claws — that all basically means, “Go away! I will fight if I have to.”
A cat’s main form of communication is through scents. If you have more than one cat, you may see them butting heads or rubbing their cheeks together. This natural rubbing occurs only when the cats are comfy with each other.
Cats use scents (ranging from urine to scents released by paw pads or the facial glands) to leave messages to other cats. Scents are used to mark territory, to threaten or to announce a cat’s presence.
Well – really not that much different to dogs.
Mike
