Journal · 7 min read
Did you know your companions are actually talking?
Cats are known as quiet animals. In fact they talk constantly; just not only with sound. Tail, ears, eyelids, posture and scent are a cat's real language. The meow is largely something they taught us.
The meow was invented for you
Adult cats almost never meow at each other. Meowing is how a kitten calls its mother; domestic cats keep using it with humans because it works. Over time each cat develops a repertoire for its own person: one sound for the door, another for food. Studies show cat owners interpret their own cat's meows more accurately than strangers' cats. That language was built between the two of you.
The tail: the most honest signal
- Upright, tip slightly curved — Greeting. A cat coming towards you like this is glad to see you.
- Upright and quivering — Intense excitement, usually at the sight of someone loved.
- Low, tucked between the legs — Anxiety or fear.
- Slow, wide sweeps — Focus; it is watching something and deciding.
- Fast, hard flicks — Irritation. Keep petting and it usually ends in claws.
- Bristled like a brush — Making itself bigger in the face of a threat.
Unlike a dog, a cat wagging its tail is not happy. That one difference explains most of the misunderstandings at home.
Ears and whiskers
Ears forward: curious and relaxed. Turned sideways like aeroplane wings: uneasy. Flat back: frightened or ready to strike. Whiskers work the same way: pushed forward means interest and hunting mode; pressed against the face means fear.
The slow blink
In 2020 a team at the University of Sussex showed that cats tend to slow-blink back when humans slow-blink at them, and approach slow-blinking strangers more readily. Between cats, slowly closing the eyes means "I can be vulnerable around you". Slow-blink at your cat, then look away; a long direct stare is a challenge in cat language.
Purring is not always happiness
A purr is a continuous sound produced between 25 and 150 hertz, on both the in- and out-breath. Relaxed cats purr; but so do frightened, injured and even dying cats. It has a self-soothing function. Some cats mix a high-pitched tone into the purr when asking for food; this "solicitation purr" registers as more urgent to humans, and cats have discovered that.
Chirps, trills and the chatter at the window
A short rising "trrr" (a trill) is usually a greeting or "follow me"; mother cats call their kittens this way. The fast jaw-chatter while watching birds through the window is a mix of excitement and thwarted hunting drive: the cat is tense at not being able to reach the bird.
Said with the body
- Head-bumping and cheek-rubbing — Scent glands sit in the cheeks, chin and at the base of the tail. The cat is marking you with its scent; this is belonging.
- Wrapping the tail around your leg — The same thing, shorter.
- Kneading with the paws — Left over from nursing. Trust and comfort.
- Showing the belly — Usually trust, but not an invitation to stroke. Most cats react when the belly is touched; go for the head and cheeks instead.
- The cat loaf — Paws tucked under, body compact: relaxed but alert.
- Lying on its side, paws stretched, heavy eyelids — Complete relaxation.
Scratching is a sentence too
A scratched surface carries both a visual mark and scent from glands in the paw. It is a note left for other cats and for you: "This is my route." That is why cats pick the busiest spots in the house to scratch; putting a suitable surface there works better than forbidding it.
How to answer
Speaking cat has three rules. Let the cat approach; crouch, extend a finger, touch only if it comes to sniff. Slow-blink and look away. When the tail starts its hard flicks, withdraw your hand; that is what makes it stay longer next time.
Cats are not independent of us; they speak to us in a different language. Learning it is the quietest and most effective way to share a home with them.
This article draws on peer-reviewed literature on feline behaviour and on widely accepted interpretations by veterinary behaviourists. If you notice a sudden change in your cat's behaviour, the first stop is your vet.