Cat Language and How to Understand It

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 01:59:00 +0000

Never feel your communication with your cat is only one way, from you to your cat. Cats are excellent communicators and once you take the time to learn 'cat language', you will be surprised at just how much you can understand.

Cat language and cat body language are as intertwined as they are with humans. We not only hear what the people we are listening to are saying, we see it with their body language. If you pay attention to your cat, you will notice the same things happening.

First off, cats are very good communicators. Their vocabulary is huge with the majority able to make more than 100 sounds. Try listening carefully. There are the different types of purring, different hisses, growls, meows and other gentle sounds that are hard to categorize.
By using these different sounds and combined with their body language, owners can pick up a multitude of information about just what is going on with their cat.

There are completely different sounds for 'I'm hungry' and 'I'm hurt'. And the sound for 'where have you been' is different to 'let me outside I need to pee'.

When cats communicate with with each other, the sounds of 'hi, let's get to know each other' are vastly different to 'get out of my garden'. It all comes down to observing and learning.
My cat Cassie is a great communicator. When I was unwell, she spent most of the day sitting on my lap while I read. We both enjoyed this time together and I learned a great deal about her body language and the various sounds she made.

When I went back to working on my laptop each day, she kept coming in to ask why I wasn't in my chair ready to pet her. If I worked later than normal, she would be in the office 'telling me' it was past knock off time. When I walk into the lounge room, she jumps on the arm of my chair ready for when I sit down. We have little conversations where she meows very gently and I meow back and stroke her. It's almost like saying 'how was your day'.
At night she goes mouse hunting and the sound she makes as she brings in her prize is very loud, as if she's saying 'look how clever I am'.

If she is hurt in any way, she lets me know through her body language and I am able to take the appropriate action.

Her mother Tikki is also very good at cat language. As my daughter now spends time away from home due to work commitments, Tikki will now come and 'ask me' when she is due home. Again, this is a different sound to the one.

Cats are also extremely good at communicating with one another and once again with humans, by their body language. Cat owners who are tuned in to their cat's behavior can communicate extremely well, and this also makes it a lot easier for the owner to train a cat to do particular things or to behave better.

It also allows the opportunity to become a lot more aware of when the cat is not feeling well and when a trip to the vet might be necessary. Fortunately that is not too often if the cat has been well cared for and given good nutrition because they are extremely resilient and even the process of purring can help to stimulate healing properties within the cat.

If your cat is making a sound and it is directed towards you then you know it is trying to communicate with you and usually it is not too hard to work out what it wants.

What Is Cat Secret Talk?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 03:49:00 +0000

Most of us are familiar with a variety of cat sounds, including meows, hissing, growls and purrs. A meow can mean anything from "I want food" to "will you play with me?" to "hello there". Some cats, such as Siamese cats, are much more vocal than others. No one knows exactly how the purring sound is made but it usually indicates contentment. Hissing and growling usually mean the cat feels threatened or unhappy about something. Cats, especially very young ones, might make these sounds when playing too.

Cats rarely meow when communicating amongst themselves. They use a combination of body language, tail movement, scent and eye contact. When communicating with humans, cats differ their sounds by rhythm, intensity, pitch, tone and volume, so we can take a reasonable guess at what they are trying to say.

Cats sometimes use sounds when communicating with one another too. If a kitten wanders off, the mother cat might meow loudly and clearly to call her offspring back to safety. A cat might hiss or growl if another cat or intrudes on its territory. A cat enjoying some prey it has hunted will also use these sounds to warn off another cat coming too close.

Cat Sense of Smell and Communication

A cat's sense of smell is acute and highly developed. It is used in several ways to facilitate communication. Two cats living together will sniff each other several times a day. This tells the cats where the other has been, what they have been doing, what they have recently eaten and whether they came into contact with another animal. Cats detect pheromones left by other cats, usually when marking territory. If a cat could talk, it might ask these things verbally but a few sniffs tell them everything they need to know.

Cats living together often groom one another. This provides social interaction, removes parasites and keeps the fur clean. A mother cat recognises the scent of her own kittens and grooms them often to provide comfort, keep them clean and encourage bowel movements.

Cat Talk and Hierarchy

Hierarchy amongst cats is determined by the outcomes of social interactions between the cats. Some factors determining hierarchy include gender, the environment, reproductive status, age, size, aggressiveness and submissiveness.

Hierarchy between cats is different to hierarchy between dogs. Dogs are pack animals and exhibit dominant actions, such as growls, stares or body checks. Cats, on the other hand, don't live or hunt in packs. If two or more cats live together, the hierarchy might be present but humans might not recognise the subtle dominance signals and cat secret talk is used to decide hierarchy. One sure-fire way to upset a hierarchy is to introduce a new cat. The newcomer's status is unclear so the other cats will use their secret communication to sort the situation out.

Cat Communication and Territory

Cats are territorial animals. Their territory is usually a combination of places they share with other cats and other places they consider theirs and their alone. A cat marks its territory by urinating, scratching or rubbing its body on an object. Other cats can see these marks as clearly as signposts, telling them which other cat's territory they are in. Cats can detect pheromones in urine or from a place where another cat has rubbed itself.

With so many ways of determining territory, hierarchy and much more, cats hardly need words!
What is Cat Secret Talk?

Most of us are familiar with a variety of cat sounds, including meows, hissing, growls and purrs. A meow can mean anything from "I want food" to "will you play with me?" to "hello there". Some cats, such as Siamese cats, are much more vocal than others. No one knows exactly how the purring sound is made but it usually indicates contentment. Hissing and growling usually mean the cat feels threatened or unhappy about something. Cats, especially very young ones, might make these sounds when playing too.

Cats rarely meow when communicating amongst themselves. They use a combination of body language, tail movement, scent and eye contact. When communicating with humans, cats differ their sounds by rhythm, intensity, pitch, tone and volume, so we can take a reasonable guess at what they are trying to say.

Cats sometimes use sounds when communicating with one another too. If a kitten wanders off, the mother cat might meow loudly and clearly to call her offspring back to safety. A cat might hiss or growl if another cat or intrudes on its territory. A cat enjoying some prey it has hunted will also use these sounds to warn off another cat coming too close.

Cat Sense of Smell and Communication

A cat's sense of smell is acute and highly developed. It is used in several ways to facilitate communication. Two cats living together will sniff each other several times a day. This tells the cats where the other has been, what they have been doing, what they have recently eaten and whether they came into contact with another animal. Cats detect pheromones left by other cats, usually when marking territory. If a cat could talk, it might ask these things verbally but a few sniffs tell them everything they need to know.

Cats living together often groom one another. This provides social interaction, removes parasites and keeps the fur clean. A mother cat recognises the scent of her own kittens and grooms them often to provide comfort, keep them clean and encourage bowel movements.

Cat Talk and Hierarchy

Hierarchy amongst cats is determined by the outcomes of social interactions between the cats. Some factors determining hierarchy include gender, the environment, reproductive status, age, size, aggressiveness and submissiveness.

Hierarchy between cats is different to hierarchy between dogs. Dogs are pack animals and exhibit dominant actions, such as growls, stares or body checks. Cats, on the other hand, don't live or hunt in packs. If two or more cats live together, the hierarchy might be present but humans might not recognise the subtle dominance signals and cat secret talk is used to decide hierarchy. One sure-fire way to upset a hierarchy is to introduce a new cat. The newcomer's status is unclear so the other cats will use their secret communication to sort the situation out.

Cat Communication and Territory

Cats are territorial animals. Their territory is usually a combination of places they share with other cats and other places they consider theirs and their alone. A cat marks its territory by urinating, scratching or rubbing its body on an object. Other cats can see these marks as clearly as signposts, telling them which other cat's territory they are in. Cats can detect pheromones in urine or from a place where another cat has rubbed itself.

With so many ways of determining territory, hierarchy and much more, cats hardly need words!

Cat Sounds Wav Meow

Cat Language and How to Understand It

What Is Cat Secret Talk?