Cats are often labeled as aloof and solitary creatures who spend their days plotting their human owner’s downfall, but such characterizations couldn’t be further from the truth.
In fact, our feline friends are constantly sharing their feelings of affection with us, whether it’s through their whiskers, tail, face, or body language.
In her insightful new book, Kitty Language: An Illustrated Guide to Understanding Your Cat, author Lili Chin explains — with the help of animal behaviorists — how to interpret your pet’s movements.
Below are some of the most common behaviors and what they might signal.
Our feline friends constantly share their feelings of affection with us, whether it’s through their whiskers, tail, face, or body language
1. Spray urine on a wall/object
This means your cat is feeling stressed or insecure, possibly due to changes in their environment.
By emitting its own scent, it tries to make the area feel like home again.
Spraying urine on a wall or object means your cat is feeling stressed or unsafe, possibly due to changes in her environment
2. Rubbing/clawing and scratching face on walls or objects
Your cat is actually sending chemical signals from her face and toe glands that she is comfortable in that space.
It will receive the signals it leaves when it returns. It provides familiarity and comfort as it lets the cat know it has been there before or lives there.
Your cat is actually sending chemical signals from her face and toe glands that she is comfortable in that space
3. Tie down the tail
While dogs wag their tails when excited, a cat wagging its tail back and forth could mean it is overwhelmed, overexcited, or frustrated.
Depending on the context, it can also mean that it is excited.
4. Whiskers spread forward
Even the small movements of their whiskers can reveal a cat’s mood. When they are spread forward and away from the face, the cat is in a curious or excited state.
It may also measure the distance between itself and a nearby object.
5. Whiskers pushed back
However, if the whiskers are pushed back and bunched up, your furry friend may be feeling anxious or overwhelmed and doesn’t want their whiskers to be touched.
6. Trembling tail
You may have noticed that your cat’s tail points skyward and quivers or vibrates when greeted or rubbed against your legs.
This means they are feeling extremely happy, dizzy, or excited. In other words, they are very happy to see you and to have received a nice bump or scratch.
7. Flattened Ears
Other visual cues are more obvious, including flattened and downturned ears, suggesting the cat is scared or anxious and doesn’t want to be spoken to.
8. Anxious
Other signs of fear include crouching low to the ground with their tail down or tucked in.
This means that the cat is predicting imminent danger or inconvenience.
Signs of fear include crouching low to the ground while keeping the tail low or tucked in
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 paws are not touching the ground.
The body appears soft and flexible, indicating the cat is in a relaxed state.
10. Move with confidence
And a confident cat will step forward with its head at shoulder level or higher and its tail in a high and gently curled position.
This indicates that the mood is friendly and one feels comfortable.
A confident cat will stride forward with its head at shoulder level or higher and its tail in a high, slightly arched position
11. Stalking attitude
If your cat’s body is low to the ground and its neck is stretched out, it means it is sneaking up on something.
Your pet will likely be fixated on something and calculate the distance between themselves and the object before deciding whether or not to pounce.
If your cat’s body is low to the ground and its neck is stretched out, it means it is sneaking up on something
12. Fear
Cats are scared too and shrink in size to reflect this fact.
They do this by crouching and tucking in their heads and limbs while keeping all four pads of their paws on the ground. Your pupils will also dilate.
Cats are scared too and shrink in size to reflect this fact. They do this by crouching and tucking in their heads and limbs while keeping all four pads of their paws on the ground
13. Feeling insecure
When your cat stops moving and assumes a slightly crouched position with its head below shoulder height, it is likely feeling unsafe or wary.
Its limbs also tuck in as it decides whether to approach or retreat.
When your cat stops moving and assumes a slightly crouched position with its head below shoulder height, it is likely feeling unsafe or wary