Recognizing your cat's body language

The mouth

When we look at the mouth, we can identify three general emotional states. A relaxed cat has its mouth closed. If a cat has its mouth open, it starts to feel uneasy and this is a precursor to fear. If this happens along with a tongue sticking out for no reason, your cat is anxious and/or stressed. An anxious and aggressive cat will open its mouth wide, showing its teeth. With aggression a cat will hiss.

The eyes and pupils

Based on the following positions of the eyes and pupils, you can interpret your cat's body language.

• Large pupils: fearful
• Narrow pupils: aggressive
• Staring: if your cat stares at you, it most likely wants something from you. It is trying to give you an uncomfortable feeling. The wisest thing is not to stare back. This is a sign of aggression.
• Winking: when your cat winks, it shows that things are good between you. By winking back, immediate relaxation.
  
  
  

Various emotions summarized

A relaxed body posture

• The ears stand straight up and point slightly forward.
• The pupils are normal or your little house tiger winks.
• The whiskers are in a neutral position, pointing sideways.
• The tail lies or hangs curled behind the body.
• The mouth is closed.
  
  

A fearful body posture

• The ears lie flat against the head and point sideways.
• The pupils are very large.
• The whiskers lie back against the cheeks.
• The tail is thick, hangs down, and lies between the legs.
• The mouth opens occasionally and the tongue comes out.
  
  

An aggressive body posture

• The ears stand up and to the side or lie flat back.
• The pupils are very narrow.
• The whiskers hang down and point slightly forward.
• The tail stands straight up and is thick.
• The mouth is open and the teeth are shown.
• The cat arches its back and makes itself as big as possible this way.
  
  

An irritated body posture

• The ears point to the side and straight up.
• The pupils are normal and the cat can stare at you.
• The tail lies on the floor and moves from left to right.
• The mouth is closed.
  
  

An alert body posture

• The ears stand perked up and forward.
• The pupils are normal.
• The whiskers point down, but not forward.
• The tail is half raised (along the length of the body).
  
  

It may also be that your house tiger is getting the wrong food. It is important to know what he/she can and cannot have. We have previously made an article about what kind of food a cat can and cannot have. Check it out here and remember what you can and cannot give next time!

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