What is your cat really thinking?

Experience a little animal magic by learning to read and react to your furry friend’s body language

Sharing your home with a cat can be a rewarding yet often frustrating experience. One minute they're purring away contentedly on your lap, and the next they're lashing out at you. And, often, the times you crave their company the most are the times they decide to skulk off into another room! While this mixture of affection and fierce independence makes for fascinating pets, by understanding your cat's body language, your relationship with them could be even more rewarding.

  Back towards you: 'need some me-time' Paws for thought

‘Humans are very tactile and rely on hand gestures and eye contact to communicate, but with cats, it's more subtle,' says cat behaviour counsellor Vicky Halls. ‘Naturally solitary animals, cats are conditioned to keep their distance from each other. So if they object to us picking them up while they're minding their own business, it doesn't mean they're aggressive - just frustrated with our lack of etiquette!' Cats rarely do anything without a reason. To understand their motives, put yourself in their situation. ‘A common mistake is to attribute human qualities to cats - remember, they're not little people in furry suits.' says Vicky. ‘If a cat turns it's back on you or hides away, it isn't sulking and secretly wanting affection, it genuinely wants to be left alone.'

 

  Back arched: 'Stay away!'Feline fine?

Nor should we treat cats like dogs. If your cat rolls on the floor, displaying its belly, it's not a submissive, attention seeking gesture. It's actually saying, ‘I feel so comfortable with you that I'm going to show you the most vulnerable part of my body.' What it isn't saying, although it's often interpreted this way, is, ‘I want my belly tickled.' This will be viewed as a breach of trust and the offending hand is likely to receive the talon treatment!

 

  Ears down, tail twitching: 'I've had enough'Hello kitty

To avoid cat confrontation, watch out for a twitching tail, which signifies it's had enough of something. Many cats tolerate and usually enjoy constant stroking, but if the purring stops and the tail starts to wag, it's time to stop. ‘Quite often, once they've lashed out, they'll jump away and begin licking their paw, as if embarrassed,' says Vicky. ‘This is a displacement activity while they take stock emotionally of a situation that hasn't panned out how they planned.'

 

  Ears pricked, tail high: 'I'm pleased to see you'Learning to love

Although cats can appear aloof, they love affection, as long as it's on their terms. Hygiene issues aside, if you've showered your cat with kisses from an early age, it's likely they'll seek out those kisses by head-butting you. And pushing their body against you means they want to be stroked. You'll know you've been accepted when they weave between your legs as it's their way of mingling both your scents. A great way to reciprocate is to blink slowly at them, which is a sign of reassurance used between cats. ‘Just make sure you don't stare at them,' says Vicky, ‘as this will be perceived as a threat.'

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