Cats rarely meow at each other. As adults, they mainly meow at people. Among cats, almost all communication happens through another channel: the tail, ears, eyes, posture, and scent. If you learn to read these signals, you'll understand your cat much better and save yourself a scratch.
The tail, the most visible thermometer
This is the first thing to look at, because it can be seen from afar and changes quickly.
- Tail held straight up, sometimes with the tip slightly bent: it's a friendly greeting. Cats use it when approaching another cat or their people.
- Puffed-up and curved tail: the cat is scared and wants to look bigger. It usually goes with an arched back and the body turned sideways.
- Low tail or tucked under the body: fear, insecurity, or a desire to go unnoticed.
- Tail thumping or lashing from side to side: irritation or overexcitement. If you're petting it and it starts to shake it, it's a good time to stop.
- Slowly moving tip: attention, something interests it. It's typical when it watches a bird through the window or a toy.
The ears, very mobile and very honest
Each ear moves thanks to about thirty muscles, so they can turn almost separately. That makes them a subtle clue to its mood.
- Forward and relaxed: interest, curiosity, or calm.
- Turned to the sides, like airplane wings: discomfort or unease. It's an early warning sign.
- Pressed back against the head: fear or defensive attitude. The cat protects its ears in case of a fight.
- One forward and the other turned: it's listening to two things at once. Nothing more.
The eyes and the famous slow blink
A fixed and sustained gaze, among cats, can be read as a challenge. That's why many cats approach the person who ignores them before the one who stares at them all the time.
The opposite gesture is the slow blink: slowly closing the eyes and keeping them that way for a moment. In 2020, a team from the University of Sussex published two experiments in which cats responded with more slow blinks when their owner did it first, and approached an unknown person who blinked slowly at them more. It is interpreted as a sign of relaxation and good disposition. You can try it: look at it gently, squint your eyes, and look away a little.
The pupils also tell things, but you have to be careful. Very dilated pupils can indicate fear, excitement during play, or simply low light. Only context tells which one it is.
Posture and other signals
- Lying on its side or on its back: it's calm and feels safe with you. But showing the belly is not an invitation to touch it. Many cats don't like it, and it's easy to get bitten.
- Crouched, with paws tucked in and body tense: it's defensive or ready to run away.
- Rubbing against your legs or the furniture: it leaves its scent with the glands on its face. It's a way of marking what it considers its own and familiar, including you.
- Kneading with front paws: a gesture that comes from when it was a kitten and nursing. In adults, it appears in moments of calm.
Purring is not always happiness
We associate it with a happy cat in our lap, and many times it is. But cats also purr when they are in pain, when they are stressed, during birth, or when they are very sick. A cat that purrs and at the same time is hiding, apathetic, or not eating is not happy: it may need a veterinarian.
The golden rule: look at the whole
No signal works alone. A moving tail can be play or anger depending on whether it goes with relaxed or flattened ears. To read your cat well:
- Observe several parts at once: tail, ears, eyes, posture.
- Take context into account: it's not the same on the sofa as in the veterinarian's office.
- Know your cat: each one has its own way of expressing itself, and over time you will learn its nuances.
- Respect the warnings: ears to the side, lashing tail, or rippling skin on the back usually announce a scratch.
Scratching is also part of its language: it marks with scent and visible signs. If you want to know which scratching post fits your cat best, you have a guide in how to choose a scratching post for cats.
And if you want to give it more ways to express itself playing, in our cat toys section you have laser toys, interactive fish, and balls for short hunting sessions at home.
You may also be interested in: scratching posts and cat trees.