How do cats show dominance?
Both the behaviour of the dominant cat as well as that of the submissive cat are discussed here. There are two sides to this form of feline behaviour. Dominant cats will block the movement...
Category: cat body language
Infographic on “Why might a cat roll over on their back when they see you?”
Your cat might roll over on their back, belly up when they see you but I am not sure that it is very commonplace. It happens but less often than the classic cat greeting...
Cats in multi-cat homes ‘time share’ and use tail positions to keep the peace
A study described the use of space and patterns of interaction among a group of 14 unrelated domestic cats living in a single-story house. Although I am referring to a scientific study, cat owners...
Cat (body) language and behaviour Infographic (modified)
This is a cat body language Infographic from Reddit.com. It has value. It’s a quick check or guide on how domestic cats communicate with us through their body language and behaviours. It may help...
Owl defends itself with impressive body language in stand-off with tabby cat
This impressive owl has made itself look much larger and it rocks from side to side as a means to display body language at a gray tabby-and-white cat who was probably wandering around his...
Why do cats do the crab walk?
Cats do the crab walk to ensure that the side of their body always faces the hostile stranger opposite who may be a threat to them. The crab walk makes cats look as large...
Domestic cat ‘lean’ which tells you that she likes the way you stroke and touch her
My cat does this all the time. Does yours? When I am about to pet him by stroking the side of face and down his shoulder and on to his flank, he leans towards...
Defensive cat body language. A good example on video.
This is a good example of what I would describe as defensive cat body language. Of course, it normally takes place between adult cats who are in a stand-off. They might be trying to...
Adult domestic cat belly-up posture is a cat hug
The cat in the picture is my companion, Gabriel. He is belly up but he would have done it whether I was there or not. It was not an invitation to pet him or...
Paul Leyhausen’s Offensive, Defensive Cat Behavior Drawings
The drawings show the varying aggressive postures of the domestic cat from Paul Leyhausen’s study Cat Behavior (1979). The book is still available on Amazon at the staggering price of US $690.05 for a...
Why do cats arch their back when playing?
Cats arch their back when playing because they are acting out an encounter that may well take place in real life. It is a strong form of body language. If a cat feels threatened...
How Does Your Cat Ask You For Food?
I want my cat to ask me for food. I want him to say, “Dad, can I have my dinner?”. This is anthropomorphising my cat but I don’t care. Cats are children substitutes to...
Pay attention to what your cat is telling you through his body language
Paying attention to what your cat is telling you through his body language can be the difference between good and bad cat ownership (caretaking or guardianship). The words could have been mine but come...
“Tail Talk”: The Fascinating Language of Cats
The other day I was perusing a message boards in one of the cat communities to which I belong. I ran across a very strange question posed by an owner who was quite upset...
What facial expressions does your cat make?
Because cats have fur, which is a barrier to effective communication through subtle facial expressions, they have developed excellent substitutes in scent recognition and sophisticated body language alternatives. That is my opinion. What do...
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