Cats have their own way of communicating. They use a mixture of growls, hisses, meows, purrs and other sounds-plus some very eloquent body language. You might think that learning to interpret cat chat would be complex but most kitties are extremely adept at teaching their human servants the necessary conventions. The basics are very easy to understand, even by the newest of cat admirers.
A hiss means your cat is angry or afraid. A growl is a warning he or she is getting ready to attack. However, if you are playing a wild game, your kitty will hiss and growl just to add verisimilitude. The trick is to tell when it is serious and when it is just fun! Plain and simple meowing is a way of attracting attention. Loud and a crescendo of high-pitched meows are a sign of fear; meows descending into growls a sign of impending battle.
Body language principles are also pretty straightforward. A happy cat is relaxed and holds his or her tail up in the air when walking. If the tail goes down, it is a sign of distraction or caution. A cat standing on tiptoes, back arched and with its hackles up is afraid, furious and about to attack. One who is lying on his or her chest, paws curled up underneath in a classic Mandarin scholar pose is very relaxed.
If you are having conversation, a cat with his or her ears pointing towards you is listening (even if they have their ayes closed). But a cat with ears pinned back is annoyed with you. If your kitty is really annoyed, he or she will refuse to look you in the eyes - or even turn their back on you too. The problem is to putting all the bits together. Anyone can tell a cat rubbing his chin against your ankle while purring loudly is clearly asking for something. But what?
If it is combined with a penetrating looks at the cat bowl (or perhaps that bit of chicken you were hoping to have for dinner), it is clear sign your pet is ready to eat. If you are sitting on the sofa, it probably means it is time to be cuddled. You should learn down and stroke - unless your kitty stretches out his or her front paws in case you are o pick them up and offer some quality lap time.
As cats sometimes have their own way of expressing themselves, getting the message right can take a while. If you are bit slow on the uptake, your pet will shout a loud meow in order to get your attention, and then repeat the instruction slowly and clearly. There is no need to embarrass either: cats are convinced human beings are not very bright so you are not letting the side down in any way.
