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How often do you say “meow” to your cat? Recent studies by Hungarian scientists have shown that cat owners meow quite often when communicating with their pets - unlike dog lovers, who somehow never think of barking at dogs ;).
But meowing does not mean being able to “speak” like a cat. The cats themselves rarely talk to each other (unless there is a reason to hiss or growl at an intruder). They use their “meow” and “purr” only to communicate with people. By observing our reaction to sounds, cats learn to get what they want.
And cat language itself is a complex combination of sounds, facial expressions, posture, position of the tail and ears.
Photo: “Handsome talkative cat” by DanJLove / CC BY-NC 2.0
How to understand a cat?
A cat's special "human language" consists of meows and purrs. Here are his most typical “words” and “expressions”:
- short “soft”: “Hello, how are you?”
- repeated “meals”: “I’m so glad to see you! Where have you been? I missed you so much!"
- iridescent purring, often with a “meow” at the end: “Let’s play!”, a call to joint action;
- purring - a manifestation of satisfaction;
- “meow” in the middle register: a request to feed or play;
- Long Mrrraaaaooooo: “Have you forgotten to feed me? I want to eat!" or something like that;
- low “mraaaaaaaaaaaa”: “This sucks. I don’t like everything” - in general, a complaint.
- a high, piercing “rrraauu”!: “Ay! You stepped on my tail!”
- hissing is an expression of fear and aggression. Yes, cats are very angry when something scares them.
But seals make clicking or chirping sounds not for us, but at the sight of inaccessible prey - for example, a pigeon walking behind a window glass. It's the sound of frustration and disappointment.
Not “meow”, but “meow”, okay?
Cats are very independent animals, so they are much more difficult to understand than, for example, dogs, Gary Weitzman writes in his book. At the same time, cats can reproduce a hundred different sounds, 16 of which are meowing.
Gary Weitzman
Photo: Lenny Ignelzi/AP
Mostly cats meow if there are people nearby: they prefer not to “meow” among themselves, but to communicate in other ways. So, one might say, they only meow in public. Once upon a time, cats learned that with the help of meowing they can get what they need from a person. Now they are trying to convey their desires (and unwillingnesses) to their owners in this very way. “Feed me”, “let me out into the street”, “get out of here” - and all this is “meow”, but in different keys.
What cats say: body language
Let's start with the tail:
- tail raised up and/or with a curl at the end: the cat is satisfied and happy;
- Twitching of the tail expresses excitement or anxiety;
— the tail vibrates: I’m very glad to see you;
— the tail is arched, and the fur on it stands on end: extreme aggression;
- fur standing on end, tail down: aggression or fear.
- the tail is lowered and clamped between the hind legs: severe fear.
Other body signals:
- rubbing the head, side and tail against a person or animal: a ritual of greeting, a declaration of ownership.
- head butting: an expression of friendship and affection
- kiss with your nose: trust;
- licking: the highest manifestation of affection (unless you got yourself dirty in something tasty);
- slow blinking: declaration of love, something like an air kiss
- dilated pupils: the cat is excited or wants to play.
- ears pinned back: fear, anxiety, aggression.
- clicking the tongue: anxiety, apprehension.
Why cats and dogs are aggressive towards each other
Oddly enough, most often the reason is fear. Moreover, dogs are no less afraid. A pet of a different species is something new and incomprehensible. And scary and interesting at the same time. When a dog reaches out to sniff a cat, the cat instinctively either runs away or defends itself. Seeing such a reaction, the dog gets upset, that is, a negative response occurs. In the future, at the level of reflexes, the dog, trying to protect itself from negative experiences, will bark at the cat. Of course, at this stage, hunting instincts also come into play: when potential “prey” runs away or hides in a corner, the dog becomes interested in catching it.
Our task as owners is to prevent the dog’s hunting instinct from turning on in relation to the cat. If pets do not see each other as a threat, they will be able to coexist peacefully.
Communication with a cat: what to do so that it understands you
Cats greet each other with their noses - you can do the same. When meeting a cat, bend your index finger (like a cat's nose), squat down and slowly extend your hand with the bent finger towards the cat.
With this gesture, you give the cat the opportunity to greet you in his language. The main thing is to extend your hand slowly and at the same level as the cat's nose, and not from top to bottom.
When your cat is relaxed, slowly wink at her with both eyes and she will most likely wink back. This way you will express your trust and love to each other. By the way, the “slow blinking” effect was scientifically confirmed in October 2022 - read about it here.
In cat language, words are not as important as intonation and gestures. If you say “fuck” or “no” in the same tone as “good pussy, eat something yummy,” then the cat will become confused about what they want from it. And don’t speak to cats in a loud voice—loud sounds scare them.
To stop your cat from misbehaving, use a firm, authoritative tone of voice combined with clear gestures. For example, when telling a cat to “get off,” make a stern face and point down with one hand.
To call your cat for dinner, praise or invite him to your arms, use a higher, kinder and “childish” voice, smile and beckon him to you.
If a cat demands attention when you are busy, then it needs to be firmly told “no” and gently pushed away. The cat doesn't care about a person's personal space, so you'll have to repeat this several times before it leaves you alone. But if you say “no” and pet the cat, it will regard your actions as encouragement and will continue its pestering.
Most cats respond to a sharp hiss as a “no” command. Therefore, cat hooliganism can be stopped with a sharp hiss.
If you constantly use the same correct intonation, facial expressions and gestures, then cats will not have problems understanding your intentions. The main thing is that the more you communicate with your cat, the better you understand each other.
How do you talk to your cat? And how does your cat communicate with you?
cats and people
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Tail
The cat's tail plays a special communicative role: it is used as a simulator and teaching aid for the mother cat when training kittens; can tell others about the animal’s intention to retreat; about a good or, conversely, bad mood. A tail wrapped around the body indicates a good-natured mood. If the tip moves slightly, it means the cat is curious. Excessive movement of the tip of the tail can signal either irritation or an aggressive attitude. Everyone knows how an animal reacts when its tail is pulled. After this, it will treat its owner with distrust and is unlikely to become a devoted friend. The exception is when small children play with a cat. The pet will courageously endure this not very pleasant procedure or simply try to leave the premises.
Pay attention to the ears
A cat's facial expressions are not very diverse: the pet can take on an independent appearance, show that it is dissatisfied or upset, but body language is more expressive.
A quivering tail, extended claws, or pinned ears can tell the owner much more.
If the cat:
- holds “ears on top of the head” (raised the skull vertically), which means the pet is feeling curious;
- spread his ears to the sides, slightly pressing them to the head, which means he is involving him in the game;
- curled up his ears and squinted his eyes, which means he was asking for food, affection;
- threw it back, widened his eyes, it means he’s angry, he’s warning;
- pressed to the skull, it means he is about to attack;
- pressed to the skull, twitching its tail, which means irritated;
- He lowered his ears to the bottom, which means he is sick, upset, guilty.
You need to pay no less attention to the tail, eyes, and body of the animal; every look and pose means a certain emotion.
Brought a dead mouse into the house
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Wrong translation. She hints that she is poorly fed, or deliberately annoys everyone. In fact. She teaches you how to eat right. This is how the parental instinct manifests itself: wild cats carry half-dead mice and sparrows to the kittens so that they get used to nutritious food and learn to finish off the prey. The cat's family in the absence of kittens is you. And the parental instinct sometimes turns on in such a strange way. Praise her and float the carcass away. Seeing that accustoming you to a diet is a hopeless matter, the animal will lag behind.
Tramples your stomach with his front paws
0
Wrong translation. Looks like she's about to dig a hole. Now someone will get hurt, and it won't be me! In fact. Trampling is a sign of hot cat love. This is infantile behavior; kittens massage their mother’s belly in such a way that there is no interruption in milk supply. A cat can also butt you on the forehead, which means that the animal is happy and your life together is wonderful. At least for her.
Feeder experiment
This test was developed by Dr. Karlis Osis, an animal behavior researcher, when he was already retired. He was previously director of research for the American Society for Psychical Research. In the 1950s, Dr. Osis worked in the Duke Institute's Parapsychology Laboratory with Dr. Rhine. Dr. Osis carried out a series of tests on cats in the home environment, with the help of his ten-year-old daughter Gunta. The girl had to put equal amounts of food into two identical plates, and then mentally assign each cat her own plate. After several attempts, Gunta was able to successfully influence the actions of several cats.
You can repeat this test exactly. Choose two identical plates and put equal amounts of cat food in them. Place one of them to the left of the doorway into which the cat will enter, and the other to the right at an equal distance.
Decide which plate your cat will choose. Think about this plate. Repeat to yourself over and over again, for example: “I want my cat to choose the plate on the left.” Call your cat (if she hasn't come yet) and continue to mentally repeat these words. Keep notes to see how your cat responds to your thoughts over a period of time.
Translator of cat language into Russian: sounds made by a cat
The sounds that a cat makes have a huge number of tones. With the help of traditional meowing, an animal can express a whole range of feelings, from love and joy to anger and pain.
Note: scientists believe that with the help of low sounds, the pussy signals fear and aggression. A guttural growl is evidence of strong irritation and anger. The high-pitched sound made by a pet speaks of a complacent mood and pleasant feelings.
Cats have a well-developed vocal apparatus, which allows them to produce various sounds that differ in timbre, pitch, and duration.
Each sound has its own meaning, which is quite simple to understand:
- A soft, quiet purr is a feeling of satisfaction, a sign of a good mood.
- A loud guttural growl, a “squeezed” low sound - resentment towards the owner, dissatisfaction, complaint.
- A loud, drawn-out cry is pain, a request for help.
- Wild furious sounds - a feeling of fear, anger, manifestation of aggression.
Be sure to read:
Correspondence between the ages of cats and humans: methods of determination, stages of development by human standards
To better understand the behavior of a pet, it’s worth taking a closer look at deciphering sounds:
- A calm, quiet purr is a sign of pleasure, satiety, drowsiness, and approval of the owner’s actions.
- A loud, rough purr signifies the highest degree of pleasure.
- A plaintive purr indicates pain and poor health.
- An inviting purr means a request addressed to the owner.
- A welcoming purr signifies a feeling of joy after separation.
- Uterine rumbling is a feeling of dissatisfaction.
- Meowing means a request.
- Loud howls indicate irritation and a feeling of anger.
- Short screams mean that the pet is scared.
- The hissing is a warning of an attack.
- A grunt accompanied by a howl marks the female's estrus period.
- A soft purr made by a cat is a warning to kittens.
- The loud purring of the mother cat is a reaction to people approaching the kittens.
Almost every sound made by a furry predator is supported by movements of the entire body, paws, tail, and characteristic facial expressions. When deciphering a cat's message, the owner should carefully monitor not only the voice, but also the gestures and posture of his beloved pussy.
