Cat Behavior

Cat body language

Its pretty easy to know what your cat is feeling by observing its body language. The signs are pretty obvious especially to experienced cat owners. However some people, who never own a cat, might wonder “why is this innocent little kitten spitting at me? Why is this cat yowling loudly all day and driving me nuts?" Here's a little info on some common cat body language to help clear your confusion:

Angry – An angry cat will arch its back, and the fur around the spine and tail will stand up like sharp little spikes, accompanied by a furious looking expression. I also noticed that when 2 alpha males are ready to brawl, they would stand close to one another and both would tilt their head to the side while yelling at each other as loudly as possible. They fight for territorial rights or to determine which one of them gets to mate the female in heat first. Physical fights between male cats normally do not occur immediately. Usually before a fight, both males would hiss and scream profanity (that’s what I think) to each other, while looking as menacing as possible. Sometimes the winner can be determined even before the actual brawl begins. The loser will quit during the screaming stage and will back away slowly. The loser probably realizes that his adversary is one tough customer, so decided not to prolong the fight to avoid getting pummeled. If none are willing to back down, then a bloody, paws to the walls brawl will decide the outcome.

Sad/Stress – Cats do feel sad too. The signs may not be obvious, you won’t see them sobbing or anything like that but nevertheless, there are a few rather signs that could indicate a cat is feeling sad. A sad cat would sit in a spot for a long period of time, crouching while the head will be slightly down all the time and the eyes are slit.  

Fear – Eyes open wide, ears flat pointing backward, fur stands especially in the back and tail sometimes followed by snarls and spits. A kitten that is a few weeks old only trust its mother, thus would normally show fear by spitting aggressively to practically anything that moves.

It may not look like it, but this kitten was actually

spitting and hissing at me when i took its photo.

Contentment – The cat will show contentment by producing long and soft purr, that sometimes sound like running motor. Try combing its fur or stroking the head and the body gently to see what I mean.

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