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Even if her vocalisations do not fully tell you how your cat is feeling about something or someone, her body language will. Cats use many signals, including facial expressions and body posturing, which convey their message and help them to avoid confrontations. When you learn about feline posture, you can deepen your bond with your cat and prevent the misunderstanding of her expressions.
The “Halloween” Cat Pose
You’ve probably seen cardboard and plastic cats made for the witching season. The cat has her back arched and looks very defensive. This isn’t just a mythical pose. Your cat’s tail tells you a lot about her mood. When she holds her tail high, it means that she is confident. If it curls around your leg, it signals her friendliness towards you. When it is tucked between or below the legs, it means that your cat is anxious or insecure. The full-fur, upright tail means your cat feels threatened. If you combine that with an arched back and hair that is upright along her spine, this means “Back off”. Your cat probably never uses this position with you, but she may with unfamiliar cats or other animals or people.
The Relaxed Cat
Your cat, when relaxed, has ears at rest or pointed slightly forward and to the side. This position indicates that she is content and feels neither aggression or fear. She may even roll over on her back when you pet her, and this means she is quite relaxed. In other circumstances, the roll-over may mean other things. However, if she is quite comfortable with you, she may be looking for a tummy rub.
Cat Eyes
Many cats find direct stares to be threatening, depending on the situation. In a social setting, your cat may seek out a person who is ignoring her. She perceives this inattention as a non-threatening gesture. When your cat becomes fearful, her pupils expand. This allows them to take in the most information, visually, about a situation. If your cat’s eyes have pupils fully dilated, she is probably quite frightened, and may wish to retreat. In angry or aroused cats, the pupil often narrows or constricts, which helps cats to focus on important details. Your cat’s eyes also respond to indoor or outdoor lighting, so narrow pupils may simply mean that there is a good deal of light in the area.
Cat Ear Movements
If your cat is nervous or agitated, her ears are probably twitching. She may be looking for reassurance if she is nervous, so offer it to her. Medical issues may also lead to persistent ear twitching, so take your cat to the vet if you suspect this might be the problem. When your cat is interested and alert, or if something captures her attention, her ears will usually be straight up. Her posture will also be forward.
Your cat probably greets you with her ears erect, and this is a friendly greeting. Ears can also signal aggression. If your cat’s ears move from forward to backward, her sense of aggression has been activated. Ears moving from upright to horizontal usually indicate submissiveness, annoyance or fear. If your cat’s ears are often horizontal, she may have ear mites or an ear infection, so have that checked out by your vet.
When your cat’s ears are flattened against her head, it doesn’t take a body language expert to see that she is probably frightened and may move to attack. Her ears are held this way instinctively when she fights, to protect them from teeth and claws.
If you are unfamiliar with a cat, ears laid back means that you should not try to touch her or pick her up. This could lead to being scratched or bitten.
The Body of the Cat
Your cat’s body tells you a lot about how she is feeling. If her back is arched, she is probably angry or frightened. If it is only arched a bit, and there is no hair standing up, she may be welcoming your friendly touch. If your cat lies on her back while purring or languishing in the sun, this indicates that she is quite relaxed.
If she is lying on her back but is also growling, it could mean that she is very upset and getting ready to strike. If your cat rubs her chin against you, she is marking her territory from scent glands located on her chin, in a more pleasant way than you may have heard of this being done. She does this with doorways and toys that are hers, too.
Head Position
The position of your cat’s head tells you several things. When she stretches her head forward, she is trying to see a human or feline facial expression, or trying to encourage touch. It is normally a friendly position.
When your cat is in conflict, she may raise her head if she is confident or assertive, but aggressiveness usually results in a lowering of the head. A submissive or inferior cat may also lower her head. However, inferior cats that are in defensive mode may raise their heads. If your cat has her head down and turns her head to the side to avoid eye contact, this is usually indicative of a lack of interest. Your cat also perceives something non-threatening if she uses this posture. When she is relaxed, she may pull her chin in.
Kneading of Paws
Kneading is sometimes known as “making biscuits”. It’s easy to see where it got this name. When your cat kneads her claws, on you or the bed, for instance, it is held over from her life as a kitten. This is how nursing kittens massage their mother’s teats to start the flow of milk. Usually, a cat is contented and happy when she kneads her claws.
The Playful Cat
When your cat is feeling playful, she has her pupils dilated a bit, her whiskers and ears forward and her tail up. Playing for a cat is a use of her hunting prowess. She may stalk a toy or you, in play, and crouch with her back end slightly higher than usual.
Her butt may wiggle a little, and then she will pounce. Then your cat will grasp her toy and bite it a little, wrestle with it on the floor, and kick out at it with her back feet. This means she just killed her toy. She may play with your proffered hand in the same way.
Flehman Response
When your cat is smelling something, she may lift her head, open her mouth a bit, curl her lips back and squint her eyes. This helps her to gather additional information about the object or person she is sniffing. The sense of smell is essential for your cat. She actually has an extra organ in her olfactory system that is shared with that of the horse.
It is known as the Jacobson’s organ. It is found on the roof of her mouth, behind her front teeth. It is fully connected to the nasal cavity. If your cat smells something that interests her, she will open her mouth and inhale. This sends scent molecules over this olfactory organ. It intensifies the odour and gives her more information about the object or person.
