Cat communication

A primary method by which cats communicate is through body language.

Cat communication consists of a range of methods by which cats communicate with humans, other cats and other animals. The communication methods include posture, movement (including "quick, fine" movements not generally perceived by humans), auditory and chemical signals. The communication methods used by cats have been impacted by the domestication process.

Auditory communication methods

Meowing

A cat meowing

"Meow" redirects here. For other uses, see Meow (disambiguation).

The "meow" - an imitative onomatopoeia with various spellings - is a vocalization used by kittens to signal a request to their mother. Adult cats do not normally meow to each other, and so the meowing to humans that domesticated cats exhibit is likely partly an extension of the use of this plaintive signal, this time to an unrelated caretaker of a different species. When communicating with humans, adult cats express variations of this tone to demand food or attention, register complaints and convey bewilderment. A slight alteration in tone, pace or punctuation changes the meaning.

While cats occasionally vocalize to one another with purrs, growls, and screams, they generally communicate with one another through body language. When preparing to fight an adversary or to frighten one away, cats can emit long, articulated meows. Most communications recognized as "meow" are specifically for human interaction.

Purring

Main article: Purr

Purring is often understood as signifying happiness.

Cats sometimes purr to comfort themselves when they are ill, or during tense, traumatic, or painful moments.

ummmm excuse me puring is when the kitten is happy and getting attention and his little head scratched! meow

Other noises

A cat hissing and arching its back to make itself appear larger to ward off a threat.

Most cats growl or hiss when angered or feel threatened, which serves as a warning to the offending party. If the warning is not heeded, a more or less serious attack may follow. Some may engage in nipping behavior or batting with their paws, either with claws extended or retracted.

Some cats will snort (exhale sharply) after a determined effort to catch something has fallen short. Cats are also known to make chirping or chattering noises when observing prey, or as a means of expressing interest in an object to nearby humans. When directed at out-of-reach prey, it is unknown whether this is a threatening sound, an expression of excitement or frustration, or an attempt to replicate a bird-call (or replicate the call of a bird's prey, for example a cicada).

While this behaviour was originally viewed as the feline equivalent of song, recent animal behaviorists have come to believe this noise is a "rehearsal behaviour" in which it anticipates or practises the killing of prey, because the sound usually accompanies a biting movement similar to the one they use to kill their prey (the "killing bite" which saws through the victim's neck vertebrae).

A type of chirrup, the chudder, is used as a greeting. Tigers also use this sound. Some cats may also grunt when given attention. The grunt appears to always be modulated with a purr, making it a kind of closed-mouth meow of affection. Contented sleeping cats make soft humming sounds, similar to sighs, when petted.

The cry of a cat in heat is called a caterwaul.

Cats in close contact with humans use vocalization more frequently than cats that live in the wild, the reason being that owners respond strongly to cat vocalizations, reinforcing the behavior. Adult cats in the wild rarely vocalize; they use mostly body language and scent to communicate.

Body language

A mackerel tabby cat kneading a blanket before a nap. Note the forward position of the whiskers, indicating happiness or curiosity.

A young black cat, showing relaxation and happiness.

Main article: Cat body language

Cats will twitch the tips of their tails when hunting or angry, while larger twitching indicates displeasure and they may also twitch their tails when playing. A tail held high is a sign of happiness, or can be used as a greeting towards humans or other cats (usually close relatives) while half-raised shows less pleasure, and unhappiness is indicated with a tail held low. A scared or surprised cat may puff up its tail, and the hair along its back may stand straight up and the cat turn its body sideways to a threat, in order to increase its apparent size. Tailless cats, such as the Manx, which possess only a small stub of a tail move the stub around as though they possessed a full tail, though it is not nearly as communicative as that of a fully tailed cat. Touching noses is a friendly greeting for cats, while a lowered head is a sign of submission. Some cats will rub their faces along their guardian's cheek or ankles as a friendly greeting or sign of affection. This action is also sometimes a way of "marking their territory," leaving a scent from the scent glands located in the cat's cheek. More commonly, cats do something called a "head bonk," or "bunting," where they literally bump someone with the front part of their head to express affection.

A Tortoiseshell Cat yawning

Cats also lick both each other and people (e.g. their owners). Cats lick each other to groom each other and to bond together (this grooming is usually done between cats that know each other very well). They will also sometimes lick people for similar reasons. These reasons include wanting to "groom" people and to show them care and affection. When cats are happy, they are known to paw their human companion, or a soft object on which they may be sitting, with a kneading motion also called "padding", "pitter-patting", "pacing", "sponging", "paddling", "happy clawing", "making biscuits", or "needle paws". Cats often use this action alongside purring to show contentment and affection for their companions. Other times it can be when the cat is in pain or dying, as a method of comforting itself. It is instinctive to cats, who use it when they are young to stimulate the mother cat's breast to release milk during nursing. As a result, cats hand-raised by humans may not exhibit this behaviour. Pawing is also a way for cats to mark their territory. The scent glands on the underside of their paws release small amounts of scent onto the person or object being pawed, marking it as "theirs" in the same way they would urinate to mark their territory.

Biting

A bite accompanied by hissing or growling is not a demonstration of playful behavior. Although when cats mate, the male tom bites the scruff of the female's neck as she assumes a position conducive to mating.

Scent

Cats can communicate through scent via urine, feces, and chemicals in skin glands located around the mouth, tail and paws.

See also

• Cat behavior
• Cat pheromone
• Dog communication