Recognizing your cat’s body language

Do you always talk to your cat, but it never says anything back? Then you're watching for the wrong signals. Your cat actually says a lot with its body! In this blog, you'll discover everything your cat has to tell you by observing its body language!

Your cat's posture

When looking at a cat's body language, we pay attention to the position and thickness of the tail, the position of the ears, whiskers, mouth, and pupils. The position of the paws can also say a lot. To determine how your cat feels, we always look at a combination of factors, such as the tail and ears. A cat's emotional states can be divided into several categories:

• Relaxed

• Afraid
  
  
  

• Aggressive

• Irritated

• Alert

What can you tell from the body?

Ear positions

The position of the ears can say a lot about your cat's mood, but to interpret it correctly, you need to consider the combination. It can also vary depending on the situation. Is your cat playing, hunting, or roughhousing? Then its ears are usually turned backward. Below, we provide an overall picture of ear positions and the corresponding emotional states.

• Your cat is showing fear when its ears are turned to the sides and held flat.
• Your cat is relaxed when its ears are upright and facing forward.
• When the ears are perked up, your cat is interested and alert.
• If the ears are held up and turned to the sides, your cat is irritated.
• If the ears lie flat against the head and are turned backward, a cat is aggressive.
  
  

The whiskers

The position of the whiskers can also help you interpret your cat's body language. A relaxed cat holds its whiskers in a neutral position: straight out to the sides from its cheeks. A frightened cat points its whiskers backward, resting against its cheeks. An aggressive cat holds its whiskers downward and sometimes slightly forward.

The tail

It is fairly easy to determine how your cat feels from its tail. However, you still need to look at the other factors. If we look only at the tail, we can associate the following general positions with emotions:

• Tail is held straight upright: your cat is greeting an animal or person in a friendly way.
• Tail is held upright with a kinked tip: your cat is greeting an animal or person it likes .
• Tail is held upright and trembling: your cat is very happy to see its beloved owner again!
• Tail moves back and forth along the floor: your cat is irritatedby something.
• Tail is thick and held down: your cat is afraid of something.
• Tail is thick and held upright: your cat is very angry and aggressive.
• Tail hangs down: your cat is alert or investigating something.
• Tail sways gracefully along the body: your cat is friendly and seeking contact.