How to Read a Cat's Body Language, Behaviour and Communication
- Rachel
- Jun 26
- 9 min read
Updated: Oct 20
Cats are often described as being hard to read, with complex behaviours and an aloofness that's a world apart from the domestic dog. With fewer facial muscles than humans and a limited range of expressions, it's no surprise that our felines have earned themselves this reputation. To me, all this means is that they use other forms of communication.
That communication is body language and, as parents, we see it every day. When kitty hisses, you know to back off under the threat of pain. When she meows the house down, you go running to the rescue, even though you know she just wants a drink out of the kitchen tap. When she rubs against your legs as you walk through the front door, you return the greeting with petting.
Cats know how to get what they want because they've learned how you react to their behaviours (which is also the key to undoing the less desirable ones!).
Not all behaviours are so obvious - to humans, at least. Cats understand each other perfectly well, as demonstrated by the array of warnings they give before engaging in physical conflict. Most cats are smart enough to pick their battles, but emotions can go from content or neutral to defensive and threatening in seconds.
During those seconds, there are a sequence of body language cues that are easily overlooked. These cues can tell you when your cat is happy and when they're frightened, comfortable or uncomfortable, on edge or relaxed, sick or healthy and much more.
By observing the eyes, ears, whiskers, tail, fur, posture (and vocalisations) we can understand our cats on a much deeper level and thus improve the cat-human relationship.
Cat Body Language
Despite having fewer facial muscles than humans, recent studies have shown that cats can produce 276 distinct facial signals during social interactions with other cats. It's believed that domestication (and humans) have greatly shaped their communicative abilities, and to witness the evolution of such a misunderstood creature is quite fascinating.
Eyes
As humans, eye contact is a vital part of communication and usually happens before striking up a conversation. Cats focus primarily on scent - imagine sniffing someone instead of shaking hands! - as a direct stare is more likely to be taken as a threat.
This tells us that, while cats don't use eye contact in the same way as humans, it plays a significant role in communication. With pupils that dilate from thin slits to wide circles in an instant, they can tell us a lot about a cat's mood, especially in combination with other signs and signals.
Related post: Cat Vision: How Do Cats See the World?
Neutral, relaxed.
Relaxed eyes with a soft gaze and small oval-shaped pupils - "I'm content."
Eyes partially or fully closed - "Snooze time."
Slow blinks, also known as the cat kiss or cat smile - "I love you."
Excitement, anxiety, fear.
Wide eyes with dilated pupils or "saucer eyes" to help assess their surroundings, whether from the thrill of spotting a bird outside or the shock of seeing you wearing a pair of cat ear headphones (I'm looking at you, Simba!). Check the environment for clues as to what may have caused the arousal and look for other signs of fear, such as flattened ears or fluffed up fur.
Aggression, dominance.
Hard, direct and unblinking stare. If between two cats then a fight is imminent - cue Mortal Kombat theme tune.
Offensive cats may have squinted eyes with thin, slitted pupils; defensive cats tend to have partially or fully dilated pupils.
Learn the differences between offensive vs defensive aggression in this detailed post: Cat Body Language: Signs of Aggressive Behaviour in Felines
Cats may stare for other reasons, such as observing prey or trying to catch their owner's eye at dinner time. You might want to avert your gaze just in case.
I once fostered a kitten with the biggest, most beautiful deep blue eyes I'd ever seen. Unfortunately, they captivated me for a few seconds too long and this tiny baby let out the cutest hiss. She forgave my mistake in no time, but I couldn't help being taken aback at how innate this behaviour was - and from just a few weeks old!
Pupils can also be affected by light, medication and pain.
Ears
Cats can swivel their ears through 180 degrees, one of many features that allow for some of the most superb hearing in the animal kingdom. As a highly visible area of the body, observing the direction and position of the ears can give valuable insight into what cats are feeling.
You can use the images below for reference, taking note of any changes you notice in the eyes as well.
Relaxed, neutral, alert.
Upright and facing forwards - "Just chillin'."
Alert ears will be more erect and directed towards the stimulus. Since cats can move their ears independently, one may be pointed to the side if assessing or unsure.
A cat in rest mode will have more relaxed ears that may fall to the sides or backwards.
Anxious, frightened, defensive.
Ears facing downwards, low and to the sides of the head (airplane ears) - "This makes me nervous."
Cat may feel threatened or preparing to defend itself.
Both of my cats get airplane ears when the other enters a room, more so if they haven't been getting along. It's a good indicator of nervousness, so pay attention to the situation and what happens next.
Terrified.
As a general guide, the degree of flattening can indicate how severe a cat's discomfort is.
Unsure or annoyed ears will be slightly back or edging backwards - "I don't like this."
Scared or stressed ears will be turned backwards and flatter - "This is scary."
Terrified ears will be fully flattened so you're unable to see them, giving the appearance of a round head - "Go awaaaaaay!"
Cats may pin back their ears during play, when highly excited or aroused. Occasionally, Simba zooms around with what I call a "helmet head" so the situation is an important factor.
Scared, stressed, aggressive.
Flattened and facing backwards or turned out to the sides of the head - "I'm ready to attack!"
May be accompanied by hissing or growling as a warning - "Back off!"
An offensive cat may have its ears upright and slightly rotated forwards, and posture will help to determine if it's about to charge.
You'll notice that some of these ear movements can mean more than one thing. This is because cats that feel threatened will often turn aggressive as a last resort, and a cat that's getting ready to fight will want to protect its ears from teeth and claws. Do not approach an angry cat unless it's to separate one from another; this may prevent the situation from escalating, particularly if it's in combination with a direct stare.
Whiskers
Whisker movement is subtle, but it can sometimes help to confirm other behaviours if you're unsure.
Calm, neutral - straight out to the sides of the face.
Confident, curious - pointed forwards or pushed towards the stimulus.
Fearful - pulled in close to the face.
Tail
Most of us know the sight of a confident kitty flouncing around with its tail up like a flagpole, and no one becomes a cat parent without a personal introduction to the rear-end. However, did you know that it's one of the most expressive parts of a cat's anatomy?
You can use the images below for reference.
Friendly, content.
Vertical or raised, may have a hooked end (known as the question mark shape) if kitty is interested or unsure - "Hi, wanna be friends?"
Curved down gently and up at the tip - "I'm interested."
Wagging gently - "I'm pleased to see you."
Sometimes quivers when a cat is happy, such as during petting (can also quiver when urine spraying) - "This feels good."
Tail wrapping occurs when a cat approaches its human or animal companions and "hugs" them with its tail. You might have experienced kitty rubbing against your legs as it does this, depositing scent from the glands on the base and along the tail. This beautiful social interaction between cats could be likened to humans holding hands.
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Annoyed, frustrated.
Flicking or twitching tip - "You're pee-ing me off."
Cats also flick their tail when they're focused intently on something like a bird in the trees, or struggling to contain their excitement.
A slow and steady wag indicates that kitty is unsure of how to respond or trying to make up its mind. Heavier thrashing will help to determine if there's a problem rather than simply concentrating.
Anxious, fearful, submissive.
Lowered and tucked between the legs or wrapped tightly around the body - "I want to hide."
Low and fluffed out, cat trying to make itself look bigger and stronger - "Don't mess with me!"
Cats often sit with their tail curled around their body for comfort and warmth, with a neutral or relaxed posture.
Annoyed, aggressive.
Lashing or thumping from side to side - "You're testing my patience."
Fluffed out and standing upright - "Now I'm mad!"
Straight down and perpendicular to the ground - "I'm ready to attack!"
Some tails can be harder to read than others, as I discovered when dealing with aggression between my boys. Simba is more dog than cat, with a tail that's constantly wagging whatever his mood; and Drax is long-haired so you never know whether it's fluffed up or not!
Similar to ear positioning, we can assume that the lower a cat's tail, the unhappier it is - but this also depends on the individual cat.
Posture
While it's impossible to list every single combination of cat postures, body movements and facial expressions, we can summarise the most common ones and their meanings.
Relaxed, comfortable.
Lying down with a stretched out body, legs fully extended and an exposed stomach. Unlike dogs, a cat showing its tummy doesn't mean it's asking for a belly rub. It's a display of comfort and trust around its human or animal companions.
A confident kitty will have loose, fluid body movements and may greet you with a high tail, upright ears and a friendly head bump.
Generally, it's easy to distinguish a happy cat from an unhappy cat through vocalisations alone. However, there are many reasons why a cat might be hissing or growling: fear, stress, anger or even pain. Such emotions can present in a similar manner, as represented by the signals and cues shown below.
These images from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals can be used as a valuable reference.
Fearful, anxious, illness, pain.
Crouched on all fours with a low, tucked in tail and head pulled into the shoulders. Muscles are tense in preparation to run away.
Cat will try to appear small and non-threatening or hide.
Scared, defensive.
The classic "Halloween cat" pose with straight legs, an arched back and downwards pointing tail. Cat may stand sideways to present more of its body.
This is what's known as a distance increasing signal, where a cat does everything in its power to make itself look big and scary so other cats think twice about approaching. This includes puffing out their coat - or "piloerection" - caused by the involuntary contraction of muscles at the base of the hair follicles. It gives the fur a bristly appearance, particularly down the spine and tail.
A cat in this posture may appear aggressive but, actually, it's trying to avoid such an encounter because it lacks the confidence to charge.
Defensive aggression.
Cat's body is flat to the ground and rolled to one side to expose its claws. Ears are back with tense facial muscles to display the teeth.
Another distance increasing signal, performed when a cat feels that it's unable to escape an unwanted interaction and essentially backed into a corner. This posture has been labelled as the "pariah threat" and denotes a cat that's ready to protect and defend.
The term pariah is given to a cat in a social group that's targeted or picked on by other members. Simba adopted this posture after he was under constant attack from his brother and began to stand his ground instead of running away. I can tell you that it stopped Drax in his tracks every time!
If you're dealing with inter-cat aggression and are unsure of who the offender is, the pariah threat and Halloween pose are good indicators of a cat that's being bullied.
Offensive aggression.
Cat faces its opponent straight on or edges towards them with a direct stare and constricted pupils. Its ears will be backwards or slightly forwards and piloerection may occur.
Upright stance with rear raised and back sloping downwards with a low head, ready to charge.
Stiff tail that will be lowered, lashing or thumping.
Unlike defensive aggression, an offensive or dominant cat won't hesitate to attack. It may proceed to stalk, ambush, block or chase another cat. Common vocalisations include growling, yowling or howling.
Summary
Remember, each cat has its own way of communicating that may not always align with what we know and expect from cats. As described, some will aim to make themselves look bigger and more menacing when threatened; others try to look as small as possible.
Simba's tail fluffs up like a bottle brush when he's happy as much as when he's frightened, and Drax prowls around in the offensive posture even when he's not being offensive! Know your cat and pay attention to the situation, the environment and any other animals or humans that are present.
Observing all areas of a cat's body in conjunction with facial expressions and vocalisations will enable you to more accurately "read" your cat to understand their feelings and respond quickly to behavioural issues like aggression, as well as potential stressors.
Did you find any of these tips useful? Does your cat have its own unique way of communicating? Share your experiences in the comments.
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