Cat Body Language: What You Need to Know

Cat body language is your cat’s way of expressing how they feel. The signs can be very subtle or very obvious, but not being able to pick up on them doesn’t mean they’re not trying to communicate with you, with every tail swish and ear twitch.

Being able to understand how your four-legged friend is feeling at any given time is going to help you better understand and support them. Prior to being able to read the body language of a cat, you might have found yourself in situations where you think they hissed or scratched you without warning. In reality, you probably received plenty of warning, but they expressed themselves in their body language and as your cat was concerned, you ignored what they were trying to tell you, or didn’t understand.

While it can be difficult to know exactly what your feline companion is trying to tell you, once you can pick up on body language signals, placing them all together can paint a clearer picture.

When trying to read your cat’s body language, it’s important to take in every aspect including individual areas like where their ears are set on their head, how they’re holding their tail and if it’s moving, how is it moving. A small flick at the very end of their tail is very different to a longer swish of their whole tail.

If you want to learn to read your moggy’s emotions, knowing how to take in their posture as a whole is important. They could be lying down and resting in a relaxed position or they could be crouched and ready to pounce if they feel threatened. These are going to look quite different to each other in how relaxed they appear. The more you can pick up on the subtle differences, the easier your beloved pet will be to understand.

Just like when we’re happy, a happy cat is going to look very relaxed with no tension in their posture or their muscles. If they’re standing, their ears will be upright, their eyes will be their usual relaxed shape and their tail will be held up – with a curve to the end because of the lack of tension.

Happy cats are often lying down when they have nothing to worry about. If they’re relaxing, they can be laid out flat on their side or even on their back with their belly facing upwards. When cats lie down and fully relax, it leaves them in a very vulnerable position. Being stretched out on their side or even on their back, makes it a lot harder to get up quickly if they need to. They will only tend to lie like this when they are perfectly contented and aren’t worried about anything in their environment.

If your moggy looks this relaxed while you’re around them then it’s a really good sign that they fully trust you to be this relaxed and vulnerable near you.

When a cat is feeling scared or nervous, they’re going to be trying to make themselves as small as possible. At first, it might even look like they’re lying down but if you take a look at the picture as a whole, it will look very different. A scared cat will appear more like they’re crouching rather than lying down, they will usually have an unblinking stare at whatever might have triggered this reaction, be it something new you’ve introduced to the house or even a stranger. A stressed cat will have their ears folded back, flat against their head and their body posture in general will be very stiff.

An anxious moggy will tend to hide away so it’s important to respect that they might need some time to regain their confidence and come around from whatever has scared them. You can try to comfort them by talking to them gently, but they should make the decision when they’re ready to accept any more physical comfort from you.

If you’re expecting any changes that might make your cat scared, you can always prepare for this. If you have to be in a new environment where they might be uncomfortable to begin with, bring lots of things that smell like them with you to make it feel like home. You can also give them catnip toys to help encourage relaxed behaviour and teach them that there’s nothing to be worried about.

In situations where a cat might be feeling frustrated or annoyed, their body language may hold a similar tension but there will be a big difference in how they stand. Instead of trying to hide away, a frustrated cat will more likely try to make themselves look bigger as a warning. They will often stand side on towards whatever is annoying them and will arch their back up to make themselves look bigger and scarier.

Cats even have the ability to make all of their fur stand on end, so it puffs up their tail and all along their back. All of these body language signals are an effort to make themselves look more imposing, which is a good sign that they’re getting ready to defend themselves with a swipe or a hiss if their warnings aren’t listened to.

Some body language signals can be mistaken for others quite easily like if your moggy is curled up tightly, you might think they’re scared but, cats also curl up and show tension in their body when they’re physically uncomfortable or in pain. If they don’t come around with some coaxing and gentle talking, they may not be feeling well so keep an eye on them.

A cat’s tail is an important tool for communicating and a really easy way to instantly tell how they’re feeling. Held high and practically vibrating means they’re happy and excited. If their tail is tucked low and out of sight, they’re scared. A quickly flicking tail held high often means they’re growing agitated.

Understanding even the slightest social cues your feline friend is telling you is going to make you have the best possible relationship with them. You will recognise when they’re happy and craving attention or when they’re worried and need support or even when they’ve just woken up on the wrong side of the bed and need their space.

Understanding your cat is one way to help care for them the best you can and for all your other needs, find them in our wide selection of cat products available!