If there’s any problem with cat ownership, it’s that your cat can’t talk to you. Sure, they can communicate with purring and meowing, but they can’t be specific. However, there are a few ways to understand what your fur baby is trying to tell you. Unfortunately, since their faces aren’t as expressive as canines, their communication can be subtler than other animals.
Your cat’s body language can tell you a lot, much like with people. If you’re scared, you naturally try and make yourself look smaller, in the hopes that nobody will notice you. It’s exactly the same in the feline world. So, if your cat’s trying to make itself look smaller, such as by ‘cringing’, or having its ears flat to its head, then something’s scaring it. It means the same thing as when they’ve backed themselves into a corner. This is pretty much the number one reason as to why people get scratched or bitten: they’ve tried to handle their cat when it’s scared, and it’s lashed out.
However, when cats are angry about something, they try and make themselves look bigger and more intimidating. So, if your cat’s back is arched, and it has puffed its tail out like a bottle brush, then it’s furious! Usually, this also suggests aggression as well. They’re just like people: if they get angry, they’ll lash out. If your cat’s angry, the pupils of their eyes will narrow, whereas they dilate when they’re scared.
Because cats can’t talk about specific things that are bothering them, a lot of us are often surprised when we find that our cats have fleas. However, there are a few signs that your cat will give you that will tell you if they’ve got fleas. For one thing, your cat might be more restless than usual. Can you blame it, if it’s got fleas all over it? Luckily, a flea collar, or any kind of flea treatment for cats will clear the problem up. However, it’s still good to know the symptoms; if your cat has fleas, it’s going to scratch itself more than usual, bite parts of its coat, or shake its head excessively.
If your kitty is grooming itself to excess, then it’s usually trying to tell you one of three things: it’s anxious about something, it’s in pain, or has a skin irritation. If you can narrow down the reason why, and sort it out, then your cat will be much happier as a result. Over-grooming can lead to bald patches, skin damage, and even tail amputation, if the problem is particularly severe. If you cat’s biting its tail, then it’s generally trying to tell you that something is irritating it there, and you should visit a vet as soon as you can.
So, cats aren’t that mysterious. They still communicate with us humans (even if they do think that we’re big kittens), and if you can understand them, then keeping your cat and home in harmony should be the easiest thing to do.
