How to Read a Cats Body Language
Loves Me, Loves Me Not?
[Image1 Image: MowT via flickr]
Cats have always been a bit of an enigma….very aloof one minute and sitting on your lap the next. In the ficke world of felines how do you know if your cat fancies you?
It seems the trick is to recognize and appreciate what your cat is trying to tell you.
Physical Contact
Cats can be aloof, but when your cat passes up its’ bed or a sunny spot in the window to sit on your lap or curl up next to you, you are being given an honor. Your cat is saying she would rather be beside you than in a comfy cozy spot elsewhere.
Head Butting
This is actually a sign of genuine affection. It implies trust and affection from your cat. It also can result in the release of Endorphins…the feel good hormone.
Face Rubbing
This is another way, alternative to spraying, that a cat marks their territory. You see them rub against furniture and walls, and even your legs…by rubbing their cheeks against you, scent from the oil glands in the face are released. You cat is claiming you as a part of her territory.
Tail Twitching
No, not that rapid back and forth whipping, rather the tail upright and just the tip twitching. This is your cat’s way of saying Hello and how happy she is to see you.
Direct Eye Contact
When your cat looks you in the eye and maintains that contact, she is letting you know that she trusts you. If she gives you a slow gentle blink also, it is the equivalent of a kitty kiss and says she feels safe and happy with you.
Purring
Cats purr for a lot of reasons, sometimes just to help them calm down. But, when your cat curls up next to you, settles in and revs up a full on purr loud enough to be heard across the room, it is her way of saying she loves you and you make her feel safe and content.
Licking and Grooming
Cats as a rule are not overly social animals. When you see a cat licking the head and ears of another cat, it implies that there is a bond of trust and acceptance there. When your cat licks your hand while petting her, she is displaying an age old form of love and trust among cats and letting you know that you are a part of her “Pride”.
Kneading Her Paws
This is an ingrained response with kittens as a part of the safety/feeding/bonding process with the mother cat. When your adult cat kneads he paws on you, she is showing a deep emotional response to you in a very, for her, nostalgic manner. She is displaying memories of the security she felt as a kitten with her mother.
Trilling or Chirping
Cats communicate vocally as well as physically. When your cat emits high pitched chirps or trills, that is her way of asking for and offering attention and affection. Try trilling back at her…she will be delighted to carry on a “conversation” with you, both vocally and physically.
And finally, what is probably the yuckiest yet most expressive form of Cat Affection….
“Feeding” You
When your cat brings you her “kill”, a bug, a mouse or mouse parts, a lizard’s twitching tail, she is showing that you are an accepted part of her “pride” and is sharing the wealth with you, no matter how disgusting it looks on your pillow or door mat. Fight the instinct to be grossed out by this offering, as it is the highest compliment your cat can pay you. She is sharing her prize with her trusted friend.
Are there any special ways your cat shows you affection?
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239713 - 2023-07-18 04:41:19