History UsefulNotes / CatCommunication

** A misconception is that this is bound to always remain true. Regular ambient or slightly warm baths can and will make the cat realize that their owner means no harm in this. Some grow so fond of this that they won't mind temperature AT ALL. Hairless cats need to be bathed regularly anyway, and most breeders of such cats will accustom them to it from kittenhood.

** Two things are worth remembering in this context: Cats have slightly higher body temperatures than humans, and cats have fur. Water which is comfortable for you will feel cold to a cat, and wet fur will feel cold the same way wet clothes will for the several hours it takes for it to dry completely. Slightly warmer water and careful drying will help getting your cat into the bath.

* Hissing and growling are obviously dire warnings and should be taken as such.

** Some breeds are more vocal than others. Siamese/Oriental cats and breeds with a lot of Siamese in their gene pool like Cornish Rexes meow loudly and frequently.

** A misconception is that this is bound to always remain true. Regular ambient or slightly warm baths can and will make the cat realize that their owner means no harm in this. Some grow so fond of this that they won't mind temperature AT ALL. Hairless cats need to be bathed regularly anyway.

Cat communication is a highly individual thing with most cats preferring indirect methods of communication. A cat’s disposition and temperament towards humans is very personalised, though most cats that are socialised early in their lives and never abused are very friendly. Unsocialised cats will be very distrustful towards humans and shy away from them.

* A [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSXPfsRr-A4 chattering sound]] means they've seen something they regard as prey, though to reflect a basic form of mimicry. Most often, cats do this while observing song birds, and indeed the "chattering" does resemble avian tweeting to some extent.

** Another thing folks with cats will have noticed is that cat do spend time in the sink/bathtub (when it's not being used). Cats are attracted to running water because (in the wild) it's generally safer to drink than standing water. They don't necessarily want to get wet though.

* Meowing can mean a lot of different things. Usually a cat's meow is a call to the owner to pay attention to the cat. Low meows with chirping and purring almost always signify a greeting. Cats will sometimes chirp without a meow or purr when they are very interested in something. Whining meows are a form of protest. Meows of distress can be recognised by their similarity to the wailing of human babies. Sometimes, a cat will open and close its mouth without audibly meowing, also known as a "silent meow" or a "mute meow", which is possibly just a meow too low for us to hear.

** Incidentally, adult cats almost never meow at each other. Since kittens will meow at their mothers, it is speculated that perhaps cats meow at humans because they see us as surrogate parents.

** Mewing is high-pitched meowing. All kittens mew because their vocal cords aren't fully developed, however some adult cats also mew.

Cat communication is a highly individual thing with most cats preferring indirect methods of communication. A cat’s disposition and temperament towards humans is highly individual, though most cats that are socialised early in their lives and never abused are very friendly. Unsocialised cats will be very distrustful towards humans and shy away from them.

[[Series/GIJoe And now you know.]]

** A tail raised to vertical and twitching signifies excitement, though a tom will use the same gesture when spraying (i.e. when marking territory with his urine).

* Eyes are of paramount importance in understanding cats and communicating with them. A cat will stare at whatever it considers a threat and will, conversely, consider anyone that stares at the cat a threat. Cats that are continually staring at humans are expressing a negative sentiment towards them. A cat that looks occasionally at a human and then looks away while slowly blinking is trying to say that it considers the human a [[FriendOrFoe friend/non-threat]]. To get a cat to like you, look at it briefly, then look 90 degrees away and slowly wink with both eyes. Repeat as necessary. A cat that stares at an object or place and then briefly stares at its owner is trying to get the owner to look where it is looking and do something with that thing or at that place. This may or may not be accompanied by meowing and is usually a matter of the food/water bowl being empty, or needing to be let out. This behavior is also why cats seem to gravitate to the cat-haters of any group. The cat-lovers all stare at the beautiful cat, complimenting it. What would you do if you walked into a room full of hostile strangers? Seek out the one person not threatening you.
** Cat pupils also reflect their mood. Dilated pupils indicate aggression or excitement; tiny pupils and wide eyes indicate fear; narrowed or relaxed pupils and half-closed eyes indicate contentment or calmness.

* Meowing can mean a lot of different things. Usually a cat's meow is a call to the owner to pay attention to the cat. Low meows with chirping and purring almost always signify a greeting. Cats will sometimes chirp without a meow or purr when they are very interested in something. Whining meows are a form of protest. Meows of distress can be recognised by their similarity to the wailing of human babies.

* Stereotypically, CatsHateWater. Like most blanket statements, there are exceptions; various breeds and moggies have greater or lesser affinities with water (Turkish Vans are famous for swimming), and of course individual personalities vary as well. More stereotypically, cats don't like being wettened without their consent, but then how many humans do ''you'' know who enjoy being soaked without warning?

* If a cat is pointedly sitting with their back to someone or something- say checking over their shoulder at the ignored party or cocking an ear in their direction, or becoming very interested in washing their paw- the cat wants you to TellHimImNotSpeakingToHim. This can also be a sign of a cat attempting to [[YouDidntSeeThat ignore the fact that they just did something uncatlike, such as fall off the couch]].

** a feline tail that is lashing back and forth is a sign of high excitement and/or aggression.

** A twitching tail that is held low or horizontal is a sign of irritation- if it starts forcefully thrashing back and forth in a way that reminds you of PunctuatedForEmphasis, the cat is indicating that someone is about to loose some skin.
** A tail held upright with a bend at the tip is a sign of interest or puzzlement.[[note]]There is an UrbanLegend that this is the origin of the "?" shape of the question mark, but this is probably only a coincidence. Nevertheless, it does work in the other direction- the cat's tail is essentially [[PictorialSpeechBubble a question mark over their head.]][[/note]] If the tip is twitching, this indicates the cat is ''very'' curious about or interested in something, or thinking a situation through: say, trying to figure out if they can get to that bird in the tree, or wondering what you're planning to do with that can of tuna.

* Purring is a vibration of their vocal box with a frequency of 25 to 150 Hz and it shows contentment and relaxation, which will be followed by a kneading and a nap. In rare occasions when the cat is in shock and is attempting to calm itself, it will also purr. These instances can be recognised by the cat [[OverdrawnAtTheBloodBank bleeding]], [[BodyHorror being bent and/or flattened in ways they normally]] can't or having a [[CuteKitten kitten]] [[BabiesEverAfter emerging from]] its business end. In short, either the cat is happy or desperately wishes it was.

* Some cats can imitate other animal's noises, such as barking or the chittering of a squirrel.
* A [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSXPfsRr-A4 chattering sound]] means they've seen something they regard as prey, though to reflect a basic form of mimicry. Most often cats do this while observing song birds, and indeed the "chattering" does resemble avian tweeting to some extent.

* Cats knead. That is, they push their paws repeatedly into a surface, claws in or out, when they are happy, sleepy, feeling frisky, showing affection, marking their territory or all of the above. This is not an act of aggression on their part, regardless of the consequences of them being in [[GroinAttack your lap]] at the time. Any disturbance on your part during this "ritual" of theirs will be met with surprise or irritation from the cat.

-->--''Jensen, ComicBook/TheLosers''

* If a cat is pointedly sitting with their back to someone or something- say checking over their shoulder at the ignored party or cocking an ear in their direction, or becoming very interested in washing their paw- the cat wants you to TellHimImNotSpeakingToHim. This can also be a sign of a cat attempting to [[YouDidntSeeThat ignore the fact that they just did something uncatlike, like fall off the couch]]

** A misconception is that this is bound to always remain true. Regular ambient or slightly warm baths can and will make the cat realize that their owner means no harm in this. Some grows so fond of this that they won't mind temperature AT ALL. Hairless cats need to be bathed regularly anyway.

* The tail of a cat is perhaps the clearest indicator of its mood. A cat usually carries her tail horizontally behind her, with an upward curve to keep it from dragging on the ground. A rising tail is a sign of interest or [[CoolCat confidence]]. A tail raised to vertical and twitching signifies excitement, though a tom will use the same gesture when spraying (i.e. when marking territory with his urine). A half-raised tail is a sign of a so-so mood, and a tail held low signifies the cat is not happy. A twitching tail that is held low or horizontal is a sign of irritation, while a feline tail that is lashing back and forth is a sign of high excitement and/or aggression. A tail held upright with a bend at the tip is a sign of interest.

* A cat lounging with his underside showing is relaxed and friendly; by exposing his most vulnerable side, he shows that he trusts you and is not on guard. This is similar to the basic cat defensive position, so look for other clues. If his claws are extended, he is preparing to defend against an attack, but if his claws are in, he probably just wants to play. A cat will arch her back, puff out her fur along her spine and tail, and turn sideways (all designed to make the cat look bigger) when started or scared; she may also growl, hiss, vocalize, lay her ears back, and show her teeth. Such a cat is [[CaptainObvious best left alone]].

-->--''Jensen, Main/TheLosers''

* Eyes are of paramount importance in understanding cats and communicating with them. A cat will stare at whatever it considers a threat and will, conversely, consider anyone that stares at the cat a threat. Cats that are continually staring at humans are expressing a negative sentiment towards them. A cat that looks occasionally at a human and than looks away while slowly blinking is trying to say that it considers the human a [[FriendOrFoe friend/non threat]]. To get a cat to like you, look at it briefly, then look 90 degrees away and slowly wink with both eyes. Repeat as necessary. A cat that stares at an object or place and then briefly stares at its owner is trying to get the owner to look where it is looking and do something with that thing or at that place. This may or may not be accompanied by meowing and is usually a matter of the food/water bowl being empty, or needing to be let out. This behavior is also why cats seem to gravitate to the cat-haters of any group. The cat-lovers all stare at the beautiful cat, complimenting it. What would you do if you walked into a room full of hostile strangers? Seek out the one person not threatening you.

* Meowing can mean a lot of different things. Usually a cat’s meow is a call to the owner to pay attention to the cat. Low meows with chirping and purring almost always signify a greeting. Cats will sometimes chirp without a meow or purr when they are very interested in something. Whining meows are a form of protest. Meows of distress can be recognised by their similarity to the wailing of human babies.

* Cats knead. That is, they push their paws repeatedly into a surface, claws in or out, when they are happy, sleepy, feeling frisky, showing affection, marking their territory or all of the above. This is not an act of aggresion on their part, regardless of the consequences of them being in [[GroinAttack your lap]] at the time. Any disturbance on your part during this "ritual" of theirs will be met with surprise or irritation from the cat.

[[GIJoe And now you know]].