PET | PET FACTS | CAT FACTS

Understanding Your Cat

Cat Sounds & Body Language

Me bonding with my Grandmother’s cat, named Smokey

Understanding your cat will help you connect better and bond with your cat. Here are some in-depth insights into your cat’s body language and sounds that will help you understand what your cat is telling you.

Relaxed

• Sleeping
• Resting
• Alert or active (maybe playing)
• Lying down on side or belly or sitting
• Breathing is slow to normal
• Tail is extended or loosely wrapped
• Head is laying on surface or over body, some movement
• Eyes are closed to open & Pupils are slit to normal size
• Ears and whiskers are normal to forward
• Sounds: none or purring

Alert

• Awake or actively exploring
• Lying on belly or sitting
• Back is horizontal, if standing or moving
• Normal Breathing
• Tail is on body or curved back or tense backward when standing (may be twitching)
• Head is over body, there is some movement
• Eyes are opened normally & Pupils are normal
• Ears are normal, erected front or back
• Sounds: none or meow

Tense

• Resting or alert, may be exploring or trying to escape
• Body is lying on belly or sitting (if standing or moving — the back of the body is lower than the front)
• Breathing is normal
• Tail is close to the body — tense downward or curled forward, may be twitching when standing
• Head is over the body or pressed to the body, little or no movement
• Eyes are wide open or pressed together & Pupils are normal or partially dilated
• Ears are erected, front or back
• Sounds: none, longer meowing, or meow

Nervous

• Alert or may be actively trying to escape
• Body is lying on belly or sitting — If standing or moving, the back of the body is lower than the front
• Breathing is normal or fast
• Tail is close to the body (may be curled forward close to the body when standing. The tip may move up and down or side to side.)
• Head has little or no movement
• Eyes are wide open & Pupils are dilated
• Ears are partially flattened
• Sounds: none, longer meowing, growling, or yowling

Fearful

• They are motionless, alert, or crawling
• The body is lying on belly or crouched directly on top of all paws & if standing, the whole body is near the ground (may be shaking)
• Breathing is fast
• Tail is close to the body, curled forward close to the body when standing
• Head is near to surface or motionless
• Eyes are fully open & Pupils are fully dilated
• Ears are fully flattened
• Sounds: none, longer meowing, growling, or yowling

Terrified

• Motionless alert
• Body is crouched directly on top of all paws, shaking
• Hair on back and tail bushy/ bristled
• Breathing is fast
• Tail is close to body & fluffed out
• Head is lower than the body
• Eyes are fully opened & Pupils are fully dilated
• Ears are fully flattened, back on head
• Sounds: none, longer meowing, growling, yowling, & hissing

Happy

• Tail erect and stiffly vertical
• Face and body are relaxed
• There may be a smile
• Purring
• Stretching
• Kneading
• Licking
• Although, if his tail flicks or his body ripples, it means that the cat wants the stimulus to stop

Sadness

• Lethargy
• Dull fur coat
• loss of appetite
• Weird toilet habits
• Scratching or pawing at skin

Aggression

• Sounds: grunting, growling, hissing, screaming, & spitting

Content

A purr is usually heard

Calls & Cries

Mating, fearful & loneliness

LOOK AT THE TAIL

Worried

• Tail tucked between legs

Irritated

• Tip of tail twitching, while the rest of the tail is still

“I’m glad to see you”

• Tail is erect with tip stiffly vertical

“I adore you”

• My tail erect with length quivering

“I’m friendly”

• My tail is erect with tip tilted

Beware!

• Tail is straight and bristled