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DO CATS COMMUNICATE?
For centuries people have realized that cats have a complex system of communication.
They communicate successfully with each other in theree basic ways: vocally,
through body language, and with visual and scent makings. Because human tend to focus on
speech and more overt gestures, we can miss some of the a cat's more subtle expressions.
"Cat Talk"
Sixteen different cat sounds have been identified. The sounds are generally divided into three basic categories: murmurs
(including purring, vowel sounds (meowing), And high-intensity sounds. |
"Murmurs"
Most of the sounds cats make with their mouths closed are called murmurs. Purrs are probably the best recognized murmurs.
They are surely among the more common of feline sounds, but murmurs include a variety of sounds, ranging from grunts to closed mouth call to brief
utterances of acknowledgment. Grunts are produced almost exclusively by kittens and are made even by kittens only a few minutes old. An adult cat
will occasionally grunt, especially if confronted with an obstacle. Both females in heat and males us a call to notify the opposite sex of their
readiness to mate. A short murmur of acknowledgment sometimes reflect a cat's anticipation of receiving something he wants. |
"Vowels Sounds"
Subtle differences in sound project dramatic differences in meaning, and a cat can demands, express bewilderment, complain, wail in anger,
and sound a mating cry by opening his mouth and the gradually closing it while vocalizing. These vowel sounds are rarely produced by cats less
than eleven or twelve weeks old, although younger cats can produce an anger wail. Demands vary quite a bit in intensity. A cat can even
occasionally meow a demand with little or no sound. Owners often mistake the whisper as hoarseness, but this silent meow is perfectly normal.
Many owners have seen their cat make another sort of demand when peering out a window at a bird, frantically swishing his tail and making short,
open-mouthed chirping sounds. Still another common demand is the beg, a persistent meow commonly made by a cat asking to be fed. Sounds of
bewilderment and complaint are more prolonged, expressive meows; meows of bewilderment tend to contain a rising inflection that sounds more
questioning. The mating cry, like the murmured call, is produced by females during mating season, but it expresses intensity and urgency.
Young kitten
first produce the anger wail as they complete during nursing. They later make their loud intense two-part sound (wa-ow) during rough play with littermates. |
"High Intensity Sounds"
These open-mouth sounds are usually made by cats during emotionally intense experiences. Cats most often growl during a fight with a rival, but a
mother cat will also growl to warn her kittens of danger. Kittens will growl at littermates that attempt to urn off with food brought by their
mother. A snarl is an even louder and more abrupt sound made almost exclusively by rivals during fights. Cats of all ages - even kittens that have
not opened their eyes can make the familiar hissing sound. A variant of the hiss the spit, a loud short "pff' sounds. |
"Feline Body Language"
The body language of cats is quite subtle and can be hard to interpret unless you consider the whole combination of the cat's features and gestures,
including eyes, ears, tail and body position. Most signals can be reduced to one of two basic types: either distance-reducing (come closer)
postures, which signal that the cat welcomes - or will at lest tolerate being approached, or distance-increasing (go away) postures, adopted by
cats who are feeling aggressive or defensive. |
"Distance-Reducing Postures"
Owners who are greeted by a cat with his tail held high are familiar with the friendly approach. The cat may also rub the side of his body along the
owner's legs or arch his back against the owner's hand. The contented cat's whiskers point outward, the ears are upright and pointing forward,
and the pupils are not overly dilated or constricted. Other friendly expressions are raising the hindquarters and sticking the tail even higher
in the air when scratched above the pelvic area, and turning the head for a chin-scratch. Friendly felines will greet one another by gently
touching noses and if they know each other well, they may also rub heads. You can easily recognize distance-reducing play postures in the
exuberant antics of kittens. |
"Distance-Increasing Postures"
Sometimes it's hard for a person, not for another cat to tell what's motivating a cat that is saying "go away" through body language because the
defensive posture is really an act of bravado meant to obscure a cat's fear and can look like a posture of aggression. A cat ready to attack will
point the body and whiskers directly forward and twitch the tail forward perhaps just the tip back and forth while making direct eye contact with
the other cat. The body is held erect, the head is held low, and the pupils are usually constricted. The ears will be perked up, but turned to
the side or rear. The familiar "Halloween cat" Look is a defensive threat posture assumed when a cat feels he has lost control of the situation
and get a surge of adrenaline as part of the "fight or fight" response. Rather than facing directly toward the enemy, these "fraidy" cats will
stand sideways in an attempt to look large by arching the back and bristling the fur. The ears are flattened backward, the pupils are dilated,
the whiskers are pulled back against the face, and the teeth are bared. These are just a few of the many ways that "Cats Talk" and the best source
of information is reading good books that will help you understand, enjoy and communicate well with your precious little kittens or cats. |
Author Unknown
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