Everyone Should Know a Second Language

DixieLee and I were playing outside when she noticed the cat sitting in the window of the house across the street. There are two cats that live in that house with two dogs. We started to wonder if they all talked to each other.

I don't know much about cats so I asked our cat friend Fo how cats talk to each other and other animals and humans. (Fo lives in India so she speaks Hindi.  See her saying "Hello" in the picture)

Fo said that cats communicate lots of different ways. They use their voices, they use their bodies, and they use scents. Interesting, so do dogs.

Cats use their voices to let you know what they want. They purr when they are happy and they howl when they are scared or angry. A cat meowing while standing near their bowl probably means you are late with their dinner.

Cats use their eyes, ears and tails to let you know what they are thinking. If you see a cat puffing up her tail, baring her teeth, arching her back and bringing out her claws, it most likely means she is not happy and it's best to back away cuz she ready to fight.

Cats have a good sense of smell so their bestest way to communicate is by scent. They mark their territory with scent to let other cats know to stay way. When kittens are born, the can't see at all so the only way they know where their mama is is by smell. Cats have glands in their faces that release their scent. Lots of time you will see kittens kissing noses or rubbing heads with their mama. Grown cats will touch noses or rub their heads with cats they are friendly with.

Paws are another place where cats release scent. When you see a cat kneading, they are marking their territory.

Male cats spray to mark their territory which makes their humans very unhappy if they do it inside the house.

Fo couldn't tell us much about eye blinking or staring because she is blind but she said that her friend Alpha told her that she blinks or closes her eyes to Fo all the time because blinking and closing her eyes is a sign of trust.

The opposite of blinking is starting. Cats don't like eye contact so if a cat is staring it means they feel threatened so it is better to not go near them.

Cats use their tails to communicate too. A confident cat will walk with their tail held high. If you see a cat with their tail tucked between their legs, it means they are insecure or frightened.

It sounds like cats and dogs have a lot in common as far as how we communicate. Now if I see a cat showing her teeth and claws, I know to keep walking by and not stop to say hello.

It's good for people to understand how their pets communicate so they can make life less stressful for everyone. Like when you see your dog or cat sitting near the treat jar, it probably means they want a cookie and you should give them one so they don't get stressed.

Thanks for stopping by to say hi!

Your friend,

Zeva

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