“What’s my cat telling me?”

What would your pet say if they could speak? We’ll never know for sure, but we can get to know more about our pets’ moods by learning about their behaviour.

Cats express themselves with their eyes, tail, fur, mouth and posture. Here’s what they’re trying to tell you.

"I'm feeling happy and relaxed"

Body language

Body is relaxed and fur is smooth

Eyes are soft (this means they’re open or half closed, not wide and staring)

Tail is held straight up, sometimes is curled over at the tip

Behaviour

Walks up to you

Rolls over to show you their tummy. This is a sign they trust you, not always a sign they want strokes.

Blinks at you slowly (slowly blink back and turn your head to tell your cat you’re not a threat!)

Purrs with relaxed body language (purring without this body language can be a sign of stress)

Cats who are feeling happy and relaxed won’t mind if you sit quietly and watch them explore. If they approach you, try giving them a gentle stroke.

"I’m feeling worried"

Body language

Body is tense and crouched

Pupils (the black part of the eyes) are wide

Tail is pressed close to body

Ears are flat

Head is lowered

Behaviour

Stays crouched in a hiding space

Worried cats need space. Let them stay in their favourite hiding spot, as spaces like this help cats feel safe.

"I’m feeling angry or very unhappy"

Body language

Body is pressed close to the ground, held off the ground to one side or arched (cats arch their backs to make themselves look bigger and more dangerous)

Fur is standing on end and whiskers are pointing forwards

Tail is tense

Mouth is open and teeth are showing

Pupils are wide

Ears are flat