I feel like the reason certain dog-lovers insist cats are evil is because they read their body language as if they were dogs. So hereās a very basic guide to common āmeanā things cats do that actually arenāt mean at all if you know what theyāre thinking.
Rolling and exposing belly- attacks you when touched Does not mean: Give belly rubs! - haha I tricked you!Ā Actually means: Iām playful! If you reach for my belly Iāll grab your arm and bite it because I think weāre playfighting!Ā
Lazily exposing belly - still attacks when touched Does not mean: tricked you again! Actually means: Iām showing you my belly because I trust you. Please donāt break that trust by invading my personal space. I might accept a belly rub if Iām not ticklish and I know you well. Snapping at you while being pet Does not mean: I suddenly decided I dislike you! Actually means: Youāre petting me in a way that gives me too much restless energy. Please focus on petting my head and shoulders instead of stroking the full length of my back next time.
Is in the same room but makes no attempt to interact Does not mean: Ā Iām ignoring you Actually means: Weāre hanging out! Iām being respectful by giving you space while still enjoying your company. Slapping/scratching your hand when you try to pet them Does not mean: I hate you! Actually means: Youāve failed to establish that weāre not playing, or the way youāre approaching me scares me. Be calmer, speak more gently, make eye-contact and blink slowly at me before you try again.
I love this post omg, thank you so much. As a lifelong cat person, dogs perplex me because theyāre so completely different behaviourally.
I love dogs too but, Iāve been trying to tell people, you canNOT treat cats like you treat dogs. They arent the same animals and have very different personalities
P.s.: people often pet cats way too hard. Dogs like a firm pet or a pat on the belly, cats dont have the same bone structure and are more flexible than dogs so what youāre doing probably hurts them
Sitting and staring Does not mean: I am challenging you/plotting your demise/just generally evil and creepy. Actually means: I am a desert-adapted species, so my natural tears are very thick and keep my eyes moist for a nice long time. I do find people interesting and enjoy watching them.Ā I just donāt need to blink very often!
Staring and blinking slowly Does not mean: Iām smug and think I am smarter than you. Actually means: I like you! But I donāt need to get up in your face to show it.Ā I can just sit over here and blow kisses at you to show you I am glad you are around!
Itās very frustrating for me when people expect cats to act like dogs, or act like theyāre deceitful.Ā They arenāt!Ā They just ARENāT DOGS.
Pour les chats šš
Get ready for āmore reasons why I fucking love catsā
Yes, the legends are true. Cats headbutt you to show their trust and affection. They also do it to show āhey look I see you as family.ā Lions do it with members of their pride to say the same. Itās not just because they want food.
Cats nibbling is indeed literally cats grooming you. Itās what mom cats do to their kittens. If a cat is gently biting and/or licking you, theyāre now your mom.
Meowing can simply be for the mere fact they want to say hello, want to play or be pet. Again, not just for food.
They barely meow at other cats (except for kittens, they meow at mom cat), mostly just humans. There are exceptions but overall, meowing is almost always for us.
Cats squinting/slow blinking is indeed basically the equivalent of us smiling and/or kissing.
Cats, like humans, prefer to get things without having to work for it- which isnāt very common within other animals.
Cat massages or making biscuits is because they happy! Kneading is another way of saying āhey I like this moment here I enjoy you and my life.ā
Cats recognize us by smell, sound, taste, and touch. They recognize us after years as their long term memory is extremely good. This is why abused or neglected cats are so easily scared or hard to connect with. If your scent changes over the years or just in the day, your voice will them itās really you. Also, they will only remember you if you had impact on their life. If you just existed in the same house, they obviously wonāt care.
And yes, they know our patterns in the day. You notice it when itās beneficial to them (feeding time!). They will often wait for you to come home as well.
To remember: cats think we are interesting as hell. They watch us do everything because weāre fascinating!!!
They also want you to be around when eating because they feel vulnerable. They focus on eating so they hope you protect them. They do the same for you, all the time.
CATS šššš
when a cat turns their back on you, theyāre not snubbing you. theyāre trusting you to watch their back.
notice how when youāre unfamiliar but nonthreatening, they might loaf facing you and sorta halfway watch you. youāre not fully trusted, but youāre ok by them.
when youāre familiar and liked, theyāll often sit near you facing the same way. imitation of poses is a weird little way cats show solidarity. they do it to each other too. check out these bffās:
they are doing this on purpose. itās a buddy thing. so if youāre watching tv and a cat sits next to you and pretends to watch tv too, they are basically calling you bro and declaring friendship.
and if they really love and trust you, theyāll turn their back on you and go to sleep. theyāll sleep facing a wall in your presence, or lounge where they canāt see the room. this isnāt a snub, folks, this is true kitty love. theyāre saying, āi feel safe when youāre around. i know nothingās going to sneak up on me, because youāre here. i feel so safe i can stick my head under a pillow and snore with my butt pointed at you.ā
farts arenāt an expression of love, though, as far as i know. theyāre just farts.
