Understanding Cat Body Language

Sebastian ~ the King of the Castle

Understanding what cats are communicating through their body language is essential for cat parents. It enables them to more accurately read their cats and understand their feelings and motivations for doing what they do. It also helps them respond more effectively to behavior issues. Body language is made up of cats’ body postures, facial expressions, and the position and carriage of certain body parts, like ears, tail, and even whiskers. Cat body language is more subtle than dog body language and can be harder for people to interpret. Nevertheless, knowing what the basic postures mean helps cat parents deal with problems more effectively and enjoy their cat’s company more fully because they can understand a common language.

Threats and aggression can be either offensive or defensive. An offensively aggressive cat tries to make himself look bigger and more intimidating, whereas a defensively aggressive cat adopts a self-protective posture and tries to make himself look smaller. Following are some typical postures seen in feline aggression. A rule of thumb for all the postures listed is  ~ don’t touch, attempt to reassure or punish cats showing these postures!

Offensive postures include:

• A stiff, straight-legged upright stance
• Stiffened rear legs, with the rear end raised and the back sloped downward toward the head
• Tail is stiff & lowered or held straight down to the ground
• Direct stare
• Upright ears, with the backs rotated slightly forward
• Piloerection (hackles up), including fur on the tail
• Constricted pupils
• Directly facing opponent, possibly moving toward him
• Might be growling, howling, or yowling

Defensive postures include:

• Crouching
• Head tucked in
• Tail curved around the body and tucked in
• Eyes wide open with pupils partially or fully dilated
• Ears flattened sideways or backward on the head
• Piloerection (hackles up)
• In an anxious cat, whiskers might be retracted. In a fearful cat, whiskers might pan out and forward to assess distance between himself and the danger
• Turning sideways to the opponent, not straight on
• Open-mouthed hissing or spitting
• Might deliver quick strikes with front paws, claws out

Overt aggression, whether defensive or offensive, includes:

• Swatting, striking with paws
• Biting
• Fighting
• Growling, shrieking
• Scratching
• Preparing for an all-out attack by rolling onto side or back and exposing all weapons: teeth and claws
• In this position, your cat might attempt to grab your hand and bring it to his mouth to bite it

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