Cats communicate in many ways. They vocalize, use body language, act, and release scents.
1. The Singing Cat
Cats make three types of noises.
A. Marbles
– these include purrs, trills and chirps
B. Meow
– which includes the basic mews, mews and calls
C. Aggressive noises
– these include growling, snarling, hissing, howling, screeching and spitting.
mumbling
Purring is a continuous, gently vibrating sound that indicates a positive cat condition. However, cats are also known to purr in stressful situations, e.g. when they are seriously injured, in pain, ill or tense. It is believed that cats purr when they are content, need a friend, or express gratitude for the care, e.g. B. when the vet treats an injured or sick cat and gets a purr in return.
Kittens learn trills from their mothers because they use them to tell their babies to follow her. Adult cats trill in greeting, usually to another cat. A trill sounds like a combination of a short purr and a meow.
Chirups are meows that roll off the tongue. Mother cats use chirping to summon their young from the nest. It is also used by friendly cats when approaching a human or other cat. Cats make excited chirps and chatter when observing or stalking prey.
meow
The most well-known sound cats make is the “meow”. Kittens meow primarily to humans and can be plaintive, confident, welcoming, brave, friendly, attention-seeking, plaintive, or demanding. Sometimes when the cat opens its mouth, the meow is silent, but nothing comes out.
Mews are soft, early sounds kittens make and are used to get the mother’s attention.
Calls are made by females in heat and are known as “caterwauling”. Males also call in combat, especially over females during mating.
Aggressive noises
Growls, hisses, growls, and spits are vocalizations cats make when in either defensive or offensive mode. These danger sounds are often combined with postures to evoke a threat, such as a cat puffing out its fur and hissing at a dog that gets too close. When the cat growls, it warns, “Get back before you get your claws.”
Cats hiss when they are angry, scared, scared, or hurt. A cat encroaching on another’s territory will be hissed and growled at, and if it doesn’t leave, it may be attacked.
2. Body language
Cats use body language to express a variety of emotions. To communicate fear or aggression, the cat will arch its back, puff up its fur, and lie on its side. And to signal relaxation, the cat’s eyes will blink slowly or have their eyes half-open.
This body language is communicated through the cat’s facial expressions, tail, body, and coat stance.
To pose
When cats become aggressive, their hind quarters stiffen, their tail fur puffs up, their noses point forward, and their ears flatten. Such a posture portends danger, and the cat will attack. This form of cat communication is designed to deter an attacker and prevent an attack. It’s a warning.
A frightened, defensive cat will shrink by lowering its body to the ground while arching its back and leaning away from the threat.
Cats can show comfort or trust by lying on their backs and exposing their tummy. However, this can also indicate that the cat will defend itself with sharp claws and teeth.
Playfulness is indicated by an open mouth with no bared teeth.
ears
A cat’s ears can reveal different states of mind. With ears erect, the cat is focused and alert. Relaxed ears show that the cat is calm. Flattened ears occur when the cat is extremely aggressive or defensive.
Eyes
Staring communicates a threat or challenge and is an indicator of hierarchy, with lower-ranking cats withdrawing from the gaze of a higher-ranking cat. This look is often used for territorial or predatory reasons.
tail
A cat’s tail is a great communicator. For example, a tail swinging slowly and lazily from side to side shows that the cat is relaxed. A twitch of the tail occurs when chasing or when the cat is irritated or unhappy and may occur before a playful or other attack.
When playing, kittens and younger cats raise the base of their tails and stiffen the tail into an inverted U-shape, signaling excitement and even hyperactivity. This tail position can also be seen when chasing other cats or walking around alone.
A cat may rear up the fur on its tail and back when surprised or frightened.
3. Physical
Nurturing & other forms of affection
Cats show affection for other cats and some people by grooming, licking, and hugging. When a cat purrs and kneads at the same time, it conveys affection and contentment.
A friendly greeting between cats occurs when they touch noses and sniff each other. Head butting and cheek rubbing between kittens indicates dominance over a subordinate cat.
A friendly greeting to a human is indicated by face rubbing. The cat presses its face into the person conveying affection. The “head bump” is another way cats reveal positive feelings for a human. Rubbing legs is another form of affection.
When cats rub and bump against another cat or human, they spread their scent, which is a form of territorial marking.
Bite
Severe biting accompanied by growling, hissing, or posturing indicates aggression. Light bites show playfulness and affection, especially when combined with purring and kneading.
Another way cats use biting to communicate is through mating. The male will bite the female’s scruff, and she will go into lordosis, showing she is ready to mate.
4. Smells
Cats use their own scent to communicate with other cats. By rubbing and headbutting, kittens use scent glands on their face, tail, paws, and lower back to spread their scent. They also use feces, urine, and sprays to leave a message for other cats.
Spraying marks a cat’s territory, both indoors and outdoors. Leaving urine and feces is also used to mark a cat’s domain. Additionally, rubbing their scent on objects such as a fence post marks their territory.
Spraying males make the most common territory marking. Males spray not only to mark their territory, but also to let other males know that the females nearby belong to the mating.
Tomcat Spray is a strong smelling marker. Sometimes women spray too.
And that’s how cats communicate.
