Teen Breathe

Do you speak ‘cat’?

Felines make the best companions, and if you know what to look and listen for, you can deepen that bond even further and purr-fect your pet parent skills
WORDS: Rachel Roberts
ILLUSTRATION: shutterstock.com

The late fantasy novel author Terry Pratchett, who also wrote The Unadulterated Cat, a wry-yet-loving look at the many different faces of cats, wrote:

‘In ancient times, cats were worshipped as gods. They have not forgotten this.’

Pratchett, who passed away in 2015 with his own cat sleeping beside him on the bed, was touching upon the age-old conundrum that surrounds your favourite furball – one moment they’re trustingly curled up in your lap, the next they won’t give you the time of day, aloof and somehow unknowable.

Perhaps the biggest question for cat lovers is whether it is a two-way street. Are your feelings of affection and protection returned, or are your cat’s cute interactions with you simply a clever evolutionary tactic to get basic needs – food, warmth, shelter – met? Have they got you wrapped around their little paw? Happily, it seems not. Fairly recent research has shown that cats possess the same brain structures that are associated with emotions in humans and other animals, and around 90% of their brain is very similar to ours, which seems to suggest further crossovers.

What did you say?

While your cat’s emotions might not exactly mirror yours – it’s thought they’re not capable of more complex feelings such as jealousy – studies have found that your feline friend, when left alone for a while, will show signs of joy and comfort on your return, proof that they have a deeply emotional connection with their owner. And luckily for cat ‘parents’, kitties show their feelings from whiskers to tail. It’s just a matter of reading the visual cues and understanding what they are trying to communicate. Here are a few pointers…

  1. A relaxed cat’s body looks soft and flexible, with zero tension as it moves languidly.
  2. Pay attention to the position of a cat’s paws – if your feline friend’s paw pads aren’t grounded on the floor (perhaps curled up towards itself), it’s a sign they’re feeling extra secure in your company.
  3. Your cat will let you know it is anxious or scared by flattening its ears (aka ‘airplane ears’), raising its hackles (the fur along its spine stands on end) or making itself smaller by crouching low and tucking its paws in as tightly as possible. The latter is a cat’s way of trying not to look like a threat to a potential foe.
  4. Your cat’s tail is a reliable barometer of its current mood, although, to the untrained eye, the flickering moves can appear the same. Look for the force and rhythm of the movement. If the tail is thrashing wildly or thumping loudly, chances are your kitty is irritated or is stalking prey. But if it almost appears to be vibrating, it’s a sign your cat is super excited or may want something – food or attention, perhaps.
  5. Purring usually means that all is well, often brought on by a little scritch behind the ears. Although purring can also be a fear response if a cat feels unsafe – an example of this might be when you, whisper it, take it to see the V.E.T. Nervous licking and panting are also displays of unease.
  6. If your puss ‘head bumps’ and rubs its face on you, it’s definitely feeling all warm and fuzzy inside – their heads are covered in scent glands, and they are sweetly saying, ‘You belong to me.’

Cat chit-chat

While owners are often teased for ‘talking’ to their cats, singer Freddie Mercury took it one step further, calling home during his tours, with his long-time friend Mary Austin holding the receiver for his ‘fur babies’ to hear his voice. And recent research shows that cats can indeed recognise when you are addressing them, rather than other people or other pets, and they can detect differences in your tone, too.

Talking of vocal communication, does your cat regularly ‘chat’ to you through a series of meows? Cats rarely do this to communicate with each other. Instead, it’s a learned behaviour reserved for their number-one humans, because it usually gets a positive response, such as a tasty bowl of food!

A ‘mew’ is a throwback to kittenhood when they were in distress or hungry – as you’re their ‘mum’ today, they want your attention. Similarly, a ‘chirrup’ would have been used by a mother cat to call her kittens, and domestic cats often make this soft sound to say ‘hi!’

Furry feel-good boosters

Cats are sensitive to the emotions that humans feel, and scientists have found they can understand whether an owner is displaying positive or negative emotions, and adjust their behaviour accordingly. So, when your kitty sees you’re in a joyful mood, she may come close with her tail curled high in the air, or sit quietly close by if you are tearful and sad.

Anyone who has spent even just five minutes stroking a kitty’s so-soft fur and been rewarded with the contented sound of purring knows how quickly stress and anxiety levels come down and a feeling of calm descends. So, while you may never come to fully understand all your cat’s many different faces, perhaps living with some of their age-old mystery is part of the deal, and it’s more than worth it.

Here, kitty kitty!

Struggling to bond with your furball? Give these simple tips a try

  • Use ‘hands-off’ teaser toys, such as feathers strung on poles. Your cat will have fun and gain confidence in getting closer.
  • Gently rub and tickle around your cat’s forehead, face and ears. The long strokes humans generally do aren’t something felines do in the wild.
  • Slowly blinking at a cat tells them you trust and love them, and you might even get a slow blink in return. Try not to stare, though – it can feel threatening to cats, who see it as a sign of aggression.
  • Create safe spaces for your kitty. Designate certain cubby holes or shop-bought cat caves as ‘no human’ zones for your cat to retreat to when it wants to relax.