Do you purr-fectly understand your claw-ver cat?
Cats are truly amazing animals… and if we know how to truly listen to what they’re telling us, we’d find too that they’re also amazing conversationalists. An understanding of feline art is required to know how to speak cat as cats do. You cannot live with a cat happily if you don’t live it the cat-way. To master this art, you need to have some knowledge of your cat’s appearance and body language and maybe some fun tools to use to win over your cat’s love (and, for the long term!).
Appearance & Body Language
The nonverbal communication of a cat is the cutest thing for us to fall for. A cat who looks at us with soft eyes and a purring smile is certainly quite hard to resist, but one also needs to be able to think a little bit beyond the surface level in order to see what those things mean.
If you look into their eyes, a dilated pupil usually means they are excited or surprised about something. Constricted pupils indicate that they are sensing something as dangerous.
Cats are known to make different noises that studies have established as expressive of their demands, desires, anger, liking and disliking, etc. Cats meow in distinct ways to express friendliness, assurance, dissatisfaction, and pain. Loud and repetitive meows could likely indicate distress.
You can also find out what your cat wants to tell you by analyzing his or her posture.
Does your cat arch its back with fur standing on end? Well, then they may be frightened of something.
When your cat’s ears and whiskers are pointed forward, and the tail is up, it means your cat is very playful at the moment.
Your cat may sometimes rub its body against you to show love towards you; but at other times, they may rub against their toys, doors, and so on. Actually, in this case, they’re marking their territory!
How To Win Your Cat Over
Now that you know about the different ways in which your cat tends to communicate with you, it’s finally time to win your cat over. You need to respond to your cat in his or her own language in order to strengthen the relationship.
Look into the eyes of your cat and try blinking. If they blink in response, then you are likely a true mama or papa-cat, and they trust you.
Pay attention to the noises your cat makes. Purring means they are happy and content with what’s going on. So, keep doing the very thing they are loving, whether it’s scratching them gently on the head or letting them sit all balled-up on your lap.
Cats lying on their back and purring are very relaxed; if they are lying on their back and growling it means they could be upset. Flat fur on their body indicates they are loving your touch. A straight-up tail says they are happy, while a low-held and tucked (between legs) tail indicates they are feeling insecure.
In general, you should have a proper understanding of the different postures your cat makes and what they mean so that you can respond accordingly in order to win your cat over successfully!
Tools To Use
Remember that every minute spent with your sweet, feline companion is part of a lifelong journey. It’s important to make sure that you are comfortable with each other and fostering the best kind of human-to-cat relationship possible, even if it means investing in training your cat!
If you read the above paragraphs carefully, you know by now how to speak cat language; but don’t think it’s enough to classify yourself a competent cat-mama or papa just yet. You may also need some other important tools to help you to achieve this status.
Basic tools required are safe toys, grooming stuff, a carrier, a scratching post, etc. Catnip spray is also recommended for getting your cat to either come close to you or stay away from a certain area via scent distraction.
Also, make sure to feed your cat a healthy diet and treats. It is well-known that cats like treats more than anything. A treat can calm down an angry cat and even reward a well-behaved one.
An ultimate pro-tip here is, you have to think of your cat as your child and raise them like one. Keep your cat warm with your love and affection… Be as sporty and resourceful as possible with them… Be the leader that your kitty needs you to be.
Read Your Cat Like a Book!
If you desire to know how to speak cat perfectly, you have to be able to read your cat as clear as you are reading this blog. This is the ultimate goal! Sometimes, it might not be easy to understand; but that’s almost with learning anything that’s new!
Remember that if you need any help related to cat sitting, or just understanding your furry friend, you can surely rely on the team of Pet Care Techs at Hands N Paws.