Do you know what kind of mood your cat is in and what they’re trying to tell you? To understand why they behave the way they do, you have to tune into your cat's body language. Cat body language will tell you if they're happy, anxious, fearful, relaxed, and more. Now once you pay attention to these you'll know exactly where your cat's coming from.

So here's all the info and tips you need to understand your cat’s body language, so your cat won't be misunderstood.

Everypaw's in-house vet, Dr Anna, shares helpful insights in the video below.

How Do Cats Communicate?

Domestic cats descend from the African wildcat – a small, solitary, territorial predator that rarely met other cats. They had no need to develop a complex visual communication system that other more social animals such as dogs and humans did. The way cats communicate with other cats and with us is through visual, tactile, vocal signals and scent marking.

The Lowdown on Cat Body Language

If cat parents want to know when their pet is happy and relaxed, when they’re fearful or feel threatened, then they need to pay close attention to their cat’s body language. Cats communicate visually through facial expressions, body positions and postures. The position and movement from their ears and whiskers to their tail all have a meaning. The body language of a cat can be very subtle but can mean a lot!

Cats can even communicate by their sleeping body language. If your cat is sleeping with their tail tucked around them, this means ‘leave me alone’. And if they hunch their body with their legs tucked under, this may be a sick cat body language and a sign that they’re in pain. Their body may also be tense, and their eyes held shut or squinted.

Cats will usually avoid eye contact to avoid conflict. But if they come into conflict with another cat, a staring competition can take place. Making direct eye contact with a cat can be interpreted as threatening behaviour.

The cat behaviour body language of blocking is a way of showing passive aggression. A cat may stop another cat in their tracks just by sitting in front of a litter tray or food bowl (or wherever the other cat is wanting to go to) and staring. A cat’s tail that is loose and swaying slowly means that the cat is focusing on something so it’s best to leave them to it.

Charts are available online with pictures of cats feeling various moods and emotions but here are some examples of the way a cat communicates through their body language.

Do You Have a Happy and Relaxed Cat?

A happy cat will have ears that are erect and facing forwards and whiskers pointing directly outwards. Broken eye contact with a slow blink rate, sometimes with half-closed eyes, are signs that your cat's feels safe and, importantly, feels comfortable with you. Their tail will be in the ‘tail-up’ position (and sometimes curved at the tip) to show that they’re friendly. If you give your cat their favourite toy to play with, you’ll see their happy and excited body language!

Cats often roll on their backs exposing their tummies. This behaviour is not completely understood – it can be a sign of greeting and trust, but it could also be defensive behaviour. Don’t automatically assume they want belly rubs, or you could end up feeling their claws.

Is My Cat Anxious, Stressed or Fearful?

If your cat’s ears are flattened or rotated, this can indicate that they’re feeling stressed or worried about something. Their pupils may be dilated, and whiskers flattened against the side of their face. They'll hold their tail very close to their body.

Anxious or fearful cats will often adopt a crouched position and try to hide, they may also show signs of lip-licking and exaggerated swallowing as well.

How Do I Know My Cat's Unhappy or Angry?

If a cat’s whiskers are spread forwards and their pupils dilated, the cat is in a high state of arousal. A defensive cat may thump or thrash its tail while crouched or lying on their side. If the tail is held high and the fur standing up (piloerection), the cat wants to appear bigger and more intimidating.

The fur may also stand up along the spine and the back arched. If they stand sideways to you, they want you go away. A tail flick can be a warning to back off.

More Means of Cat Communication

To understand what your cat is telling you, you need to be able to read all the signals that they’re giving out as these all work together to convey the information that they want to communicate.

Friendly tactile communication includes all over rubbing, all over grooming and sleeping or resting in close physical contact. All over rubbing is when cat rubs their face, body or tail against another cat or human, while all over grooming is when they groom another cat or person. This behaviour promotes the exchange of scents or chemical signals. Scratching leaves a visual mark as well as a scent mark that’s used to communicate with other cats.

Urine spraying is another way to leave a message to other cats. This behaviour in more common in male cats and may be a way of marking their territory. Leaving faeces uncovered may be another way of communication - cats usually cover up their poo when it’s left in their own territory but may leave it uncovered at the edge or boundary of their territory.

Cats communicate vocally through murmur sounds, miaow sounds and yowls, growls, snarls, hisses and pain shrieks. Murmur sounds like purrs, trills and chirrups are associated with greetings and attention, their more social interactions. Kittens purr when nursing as a signal of contentment and often stays with them into adulthood. If the purr's a higher frequency, this can be an attention or care-giving signal. You should also know cats can also purr when in pain.

Miaow sounds are often used in cat-human interactions and so is likely used as a greeting or to gain access outside or to food. If the cat is frustrated, the miaow can be longer and more frequent. Yowls, growls, snarls, hisses, spits and pain shrieks may be used during the breeding season or when the cat wants to communicate defensive or offensive behaviour.

If you recognise the signs your cat’s is giving through their body language, you’ll learn to know how they’re feeling and what they’re trying to communicate with you. The bond between you and your cat will strengthen. Individual cats will have different styles so take the time to understand your cat and you’ll soon be on the same wavelength.

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Content provided from Vetstream's Vetlexicon Felis - www.vetlexicon.com/treat/felis 

Vetlexicon is the world’s largest peer-reviewed online clinical reference source. All our content is written and peer-reviewed by over 1,000 of the world’s leading veterinarians, ensuring relevance, accuracy and quality.