Your
cat lets you know when it is pleased, angry, frightened or unhappy. Eyes,
ears, tail, whiskers and voice are all powerful indicators of your pet's mood.
Although sometimes regarded as lone hunters, cats are very sociable animals
that have evolved a complex body language and a range of different vocal sounds
to communicate with you and with other felines. A cat's face is particularly
telling, expressing a variety of different emotions ranging from contentment
to fear and aggression.
A happy
cat may greet you with its tail fur held high and the tail tip bent slightly
forward. An erect tail indicates that a cat is happy and confident. A tail
flicked from side to side indicates a state of tension. A cat on the defensive
fluffs up its coat and its tal fur in order to appear larger. You can pet
him !!
A cat
poised to make a strategic withdrawal away may remain still for several minutes.The
attention is focused, the gaze intense and the ears pricked forward to monitor
any sound. Leave him alone until he feels secure with no dangers.
The
purr is a low-frequency sound that is produced not by the vocal chords but
from somewhere deep in a cat's chest. Purring is usually a sign of pleasure
or contentment. A mother cat purrs when her kittens are born and when they
begin to suckle; tiny kittens purr when they feel secure, warm and are well
fed. However, a cat will also purr to comfort itself when it is nervous or
in pain. Purring is a uniquely feline sound that usually means that a cat
is relaxed and contented.
With
its teeth and claws showing, a formidable array of weaponry is displayed.
The cat faces the enemy with the body turned sideways to present as large
as possible. The hind-legs are tensed and ready to spring forward in attack
or away in flight, and the weight of the front of the body is poised on one
foreleg while the other, claws unsheathed, is prepared to strike out. The
cat's chin is drawn tightly in to protect its throat, the ears are laid flat
to its head as the cat snarls fiercely. The signs of extreme agitation in
the cat are easy to recognize. Its eyes open wide and glance rapidly from
side to side while the body is crouched, chin held in and the ears held out
at the side of the head. A
cat showing these signs should be coaxed gently, and should not be touched
until the eyes and ears regain there normal appearance.
