CAT TALK.

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Cat talk is a complicated, self-centered language. Cat talk is scent, touch, sound. It is movements of tail, ears, whiskers, and the pupils of the eyes. It is body language. It is enchantment.

Among cats, "Hello": is rubbing heads.

A cat touch is silent talk. Scent glands lie along the flank and the lip, under the chin, on the top of the head, and along the tail of the cat. When you are rubbed by flank, lip, chin, head, or tail, you are being told, "You are my property."

The cat uses the sound meow to speak of it’s needs to humans.
Individual cats have worked out as many as 19 different meows to get their points across. Your part in the meow conversation is to do what is being asked of you.

Meeow! ~ This is the command sound. The cat wants attention or a deed performed. If given near the door, your cat is telling you to let it outside. The tail often has a crick in it. Your cat talk: Open the door. If given near the dish bowl while weaving around your feet and with the pupils of the eyes small, the cat is asking you for food. Your cat talk: Open the cat food and feed the cat. Listen to your cat's meows. You’ll hear the difference between "Let me outside" and "Feed me, I’m starved."

Mee-o-ow (starting high and dropping) ~ This is protest. Your cat has not gotten what it wanted. It is whining. Your cat talk: Give the cat more food or more attention. Pick it up. Smooth the fur.

MEE-O-OW ~ Same sound only louder. This is strong protest. You haven't figured out what it wants.

Myup! ~ Given sharply. It’s the meow contracted into one note. You have stepped on its tail, removed its favorite pillow, not understood what it is saying, and it is myuping in righteous indignation.

MERRRROW! ~ This is the cat's swear word. It is given quickly and loudly, the ROW cut short. Your answer: Get out of the way.

Mier-r-r-r-ow (chirped and with a cadense) ~ This is a loving expression of intimacy. You are being told you are the most beloved piece of property in your cat’s domain. This needs no answer. Enjoy your high status.

Moving whiskers are also cat communication.
Bent forward, they mean the cat is enclosing you, loving you. Bent backward, the cat is saying it is alarmed. It has thrust its whiskers out of the way to bite. Watch whiskers. If they are forward, you can hug the cat. If back, get out of the way.

Also watch the tail, the silent communicator.
The cat is very honest. Its tail tells you just how it feels.

The tail held straight up says "I like you."

When it is hanging down and loose from its body, the cat is saying, "All is well."

Straight up but bent over at the tip means, "I am not so sure of you."

When the fur at the base of the tail stands up, the word is "I am worried."

The famous Halloween-cat pose. Back arched high, fur standing up all over the body is cat war talk. It is on the defensive, but is also ready to attack. "I'm afraid, but watch out - I'm dangerous."

A lashing tail means anger.

Words cited from How To Talk To Your Cat, written by Jean Craighead George. The above text is copyrighted to her, all rights reserved.

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