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Cats are often branded as aloof and solitary creatures who spend their days plotting their human owner’s demise, but such characterizations couldn’t be further from the truth.
In fact, our feline friends are constantly communicating their feelings of affection to us, whether through their whiskers, tail, face, or body language.
In her dazzling new book Kitty Language: An Illustrated Guide to Understanding Your Cat, author Lili Chin – with the help of animal behaviorists – explains how to interpret your pet’s movements.
Below are some of the most common behaviors and what they can signal.
Our feline friends are constantly communicating their feelings of affection to us, whether through their whiskers, tail, face or body language
1. Spray urine on a wall/object
This means your cat is feeling stressed or insecure, perhaps due to changes in its environment.
By plastering its own scent, it tries to make the environment feel like home again.
Spraying urine on a wall or object means your cat is feeling stressed or insecure, perhaps due to changes in its environment
2. Rubbing his face against walls or objects/using claws to knead and scratch
Your cat is actually transmitting chemical signals from its snout and toe glands that it feels comfortable in that space.
It will pick up the signals it leaves when it returns. It provides familiarity and comfort because it tells the cat that it has been there before or lives there.
Your cat is actually transmitting chemical signals from its snout and toe glands that it feels comfortable in that space
3. Tie his tail
While dogs wag their tails when excited, a cat that wags its tail back and forth could mean it’s overwhelmed, overstimulated or frustrated.
It can also mean excited, depending on the context.
4. Whiskers spread forward
Even the small movements of his whiskers can indicate a cat’s mood. When spread forward and away from the face, the cat is in a curious or excited state.
It can also measure the distance between itself and a nearby object.
5. Whiskers pushed back
However, when the whiskers are pushed back and bundled together, your furry friend may feel anxious or overwhelmed and doesn’t want his whiskers touched.
6. Vibrating tail
You may have noticed that when your cat greets you or rubs against your legs, its tail points to the sky and twitches or twitches.
This means that it feels extremely happy, dizzy or excited. In other words, they are very happy to see you and to have received a good pat or scratch.
7. Flattened ears
Other visual cues are more obvious, including flattened and downward-pointing ears, meaning the cat is scared or anxious and doesn’t want to be approached.
8. Anxious
Other signs of fear include crouching close to the ground while keeping his tail low or down.
This means that the cat predicts upcoming danger or discomfort.
Signs of fear include crouching close to the ground while keeping his tail low or down
9. No tension
On the other hand, you can tell that your cat is happy and content when there is no tension in the body or face and the pads of the feet are not touching the ground.
The body will appear soft and flexible, indicating that the cat is in a relaxed state.
10. Move confidently
And a confident cat will step forward with its head at shoulder height or higher and its tail in a high and gently curled position.
This indicates that he is in a friendly mood and comfortable.
A confident cat will step forward with its head at shoulder height or higher and its tail in a high and gently curled position
11. Stalk attitude
When your cat’s body is low to the ground with his neck extended forward, it means he’s stalking something.
Your pet will likely be fixated on something and will calculate the distance between itself and the object before deciding whether or not to jump on it.
When your cat’s body is low to the ground with his neck stretched forward, it means he’s stalking something
12. Scared
Cats get scared too and they will shrink themselves to reflect that fact.
They do this by squatting and tucking their head and limbs in, keeping all four soles of their feet on the ground. Their pupils will also be dilated.
Cats get scared too and they will shrink themselves to reflect that fact. They do this by squatting and tucking their head and limbs in, keeping all four soles of their feet on the ground
13. Feeling insecure
If your cat stops moving and assumes a slight crouching position while holding his head below shoulder level, he is probably feeling insecure or wary.
His limbs will also be tucked in as he decides whether to approach or retreat.
If your cat stops moving and assumes a slightly crouched position while holding its head below shoulder level, it is likely feeling insecure or wary