Cat Talk and Body Language Tutorial
for Better Animal Communication

Cats are good body language communicators -- if you know what to look for. Cats have more muscles in their face and head than humans do to express their ever-changing emotions. Watch your cat's face carefully and you may learn a lot.

For example, cats' ears have 32 muscles that move their outer ear, while human's have only six muscles to move each ear; and few people can consciously move them to any advantage. A cat can rotate each ear independently around 180 degrees.

Not only that, cats' ears are more sensitive than humans or dogs. Cats can hear high frequencies up to 65kHz (humans: 20 kHz). Mice and rats make sounds up in the high frequencies above what humans can hear but where cats can hear. Also cats can turn either ear in the direction of a new sound ten times faster than the best watchdog.

If the cat's ears are rotating and pointing in different directions momentarily, the cat is searching and evaluating the area for dangers or things to be concerned about. These and many other extraordinary skills were developed over eons because cats are independent hunters and survivors needing to take care of themselves in the wilds. A cat's ears are its first line of defense against predators. If you watch a cat's ears you can tell how safe and secure it feels in your home and with you. Flash says, "I really appreciate a quiet home that doesn't have radios or TV's running all the time."

Cats are very opinionated about their close human companions and show it subtly in gestures and expressions from moment to moment. Cats don't hide their feelings with polite conduct. When they like or dislike someone they show it.

The reason cats often go to new people in the home who don't like cats is due to how those people avoid eye contact with the cat. Cats know intense eye contact, like from cat-lovers, means some form of intense interaction is likely. The cat-haters don't look at the cat usually, so the cat goes to them where there is little indication of any interaction required. Those people are a good place to curl up on a lap for a peaceful nap. And the cat doesn't care that the cat-lover is disappointed and the cat-hater is terrified!  

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My husband said it was him or the cat... I miss him sometimes.