Reading your feline for a better understanding of their wellbeing and needs: feline body language

17th December 2022

Cats are sensitive animals with a low tolerance when it comes to changes in their environment or daily routine. To humans seemingly insignificant events can easily stress them and lead to the development of coping issues, wrapped in the cloak of behavioural issues. Understanding a cat’s body language and monitoring their behaviours can help identify problems early. Here is what you need to know about feline body language.

There are three main elements at play when it comes to a cat’s body language: the head with its eyes and ears, the tail, and the body posture.

The ears:

A cat’s ears have 32 muscles for a reason: allowing for precise and individual movement and effective rotation. There are three main ear positions to look out for: forward-facing, sideways downward facing (flattened) and backward flattened. 

When a cat is paying attention or feeling confident, their ears will actively be pointing forward, towards the source of their interest. The ears of a content cat will also appear forward-facing but with more relaxation. If a cat picks up a sound, their ears can follow the source. Even if their eyes are closed and they don’t seem to be paying much attention, their ears will be telling a different story.

If your cat’s ears are flattened, this indicates that he or she feels threatened and is preparing to be defensive. If your cat flattens his or her ears when you approach or try to interact, you should move away because your cat is warning you and a bite or scratch may follow. Cats will behave defensively like this when they are stressed or in pain, so you should take it seriously as an indication that your cat is very unhappy for some reason.

The eyes:

A content and relaxed cat may be blinking softly and then close her eyes or maintain eye contact followed by blinking softly or looking away. If your cat is blinking softly at you, then you’re in luck as it’s a sign of trust and affection. However, don’t treat this as an invitation to pick your cat up or stroke them. It is better to follow your cat’s cue; blink back and speak to your cat in a soft and friendly voice. If your cat wants contact, let them make the move.

Cats love to watch, and they will often take up a position where they can observe what you are doing. They often like watching people cook or garden, so don’t be put off by this.

Staring is another matter, as it is more of a threat. When cats watch, their eyes may be lidded, or half closed. When they stare, you can see their whole eye, which may look dark as the pupil is dilated. If you approach a staring cat, it may run away, hiss or growl.  The best thing is to break eye contact, so that the cat feels safe to do the same.

Although often used in cartoons to make cats look particularly submissive and cute, dilated pupils in cats are a sign of fear or insecurity. If you see your cat’s eyes looking all dark, try giving them some space whilst paying attention to the source of their fear and removing it. Cats are sensitive to any sudden and unexpected changes, especially if they appear loud, new or move quickly.

The tail:

The tail of a cat tells many stories. The usual or neutral position of a cat’s tail is horizontal or half-lowered. From here they’ll either raise or lower their tail to express their state of mind.

Your cat will put her tail up, straight or with a soft S-curve, to greet you or other cats. It is a friendly gesture and to be understood as an affiliative behaviour, discouraging aggression.

Now picture a cat showing herself from the side, looking directly at you with an arched back, a lowered bushy-looking tail that swoops downwards in a curve and around towards her side – this is how a cat shows themselves when feeling defensive and threatened. If your cat is becoming angry or irritated, you may also see her thrashing her tail from side to side rather abruptly. A less intense version of this is a twitchy tail tip. It is best to give her some space to calm down.

The body posture:

When it comes to a cat’s body posture, it’s all about the volume. Cat’s will sometimes puff out their fur and tail to make themselves look bigger when they feel threatened and want to get their counterpart to back away. Similarly, the smaller they make themselves, the higher the chances that they’re feeling threatened and want to avoid an escalation. If territorial in nature, you can help preventing such aggressive encounters by creating safe spaces for your cat by using selective pet doors, that only allow your cat access to a particular area or by monitoring their outdoor routine and moving their outdoor access to a different time. In smaller neighbourhoods, cats often share their territory with other cats and thus are more likely to cross paths.

All these body language elements are like pieces of a bigger puzzle and need to be seen in connection as well as in the context of the situation. A lowered tail doesn’t always need to be a sign of aggression. It could be that your cat is busy investigating something in your garden and her focused state of mind is showing in the same way. The key is to regularly observe your cat in order to train your eye to the different ways their feelings and wellbeing show on the outside and through their behaviour.

The Sure Petcare range of connected pet products help you monitor your cat’s behaviour, so you’ll find it easier to spot unusual changes in their routine and wellbeing.

You can read more about feline behaviour here.

If you’d like to share your own pet care tips with us, why not send us a message on social media, get involved in the conversation using the hashtag #DoYouSpeakCat or give @SurePetcare a mention.

Always make sure to consult your vet, should you have concerns about your cat's wellbeing.