Cat communication
s communicate for a variety of reasons, including to show happiness, express anger, solicit attention, and observe potential prey. Additionally, they collaborate, play, and share resources. When cats communicate with humans, they do so to get what they need or want, such as food, water, attention, or play. As such, cat communication methods have been significantly altered by domestication. Studies have shown that domestic cats tend to meow much more than feral cats. They rarely meow to communicate with fellow cats or other animals. Cats can socialize with each other and are known to form "social ladders", where a dominant cat leads a few lesser cats. This is common in multi-cat households.
Cats can use a range of communication methods, including vocal, visual, tactile and olfactory communication. Up to 21 different cat vocalizations have been observed. They use visual signals, or body language, to express emotions like relaxation, fear, and aggression. Cats use several types of tactile behaviors to communicate, such as grooming or biting each other. They also use olfactory communication, such as marking their territory via urine.
Vocal communication
Cat vocalizations have been categorized according to a range of characteristics. In 1944, Mildred Moelk published the first phonetic study of cat sounds and classified the 16 different vocal patterns into three main classes:- sounds produced with the mouth closed
- sounds produced when the mouth is first opened and then gradually closed
- sounds produced with the mouth held tensely open in the same position.
Brown et al. categorized the vocal responses of cats based on the behavioral context. These contexts include situations such as the separation of kittens from mother cats, instances of food deprivation, pain responses, occurrences before or during threatening or aggressive behaviors, episodes of acute stress or pain, and instances of kitten deprivation. Less common calls from mature cats included purring, conspecific greeting calls or murmurs, extended vocal dialogues between cats in separate cages, "frustration" calls during training, or extinction of conditioned responses.
Owens et al. categorized cat vocalizations based on their acoustic structures. There are three categories: tonal sounds, pulse sounds, and broadband sounds. Tonal sounds are further categorized into groups of harmonically structured sounds or regular tonal sounds. Pulse vocalizations are separated into pulse bursts and hybrid pulse bursts with tonal endings. Broadband sounds are separated into four groups: non-tonal broadband sounds, broadband sounds with tonal beginnings, broadband sounds with short tonal elements, and broadband sounds with long tonal endings.
Miller classified vocalizations into categories according to the sound produced: the purr, meow, chirrup, chirp, call, and growl/snarl/hiss, and the howl/moan/wail.
Purr
The purr is a continuous, soft, vibrating sound typically made with rapid muscle contractions in the throat by most species of felines. However, the reason why cats purr is still uncertain. Cats may purr for a variety of reasons, including when they are hungry, happy, or anxious. In some cases, purring is thought to be a sign of contentment and encouragement for further interaction. Purring is believed to indicate a positive emotional state, but cats sometimes purr when they are ill, tense, or experiencing traumatic or painful moments such as giving birth. It has also been suggested that purring can act as a soothing mechanism and can promote healing.Scientists from the University of Vienna researching cat vocalizations found that the larynxes made a purring sound when air was passed through them, meaning that muscle contraction is not required. Instead, the sounds were made possible by connective tissue embedded in the vocal folds that lowered the frequency of the sounds they produced. When an animal purrs, its vocal cords vibrate at a low frequency, which creates a distinctive rumbling sound produced with harmonics. One hypothesis, supported by electromyographic studies, is that cats produce the purring noise by using the vocal folds and/or the muscles of the larynx to alternately dilate and constrict the glottis rapidly, causing air vibrations during inhalation and exhalation.
Purring is sometimes accompanied by other sounds, though this varies between individual cats. Some may only purr, while others emit low-level outbursts, sometimes called "lurps" or "yowps". It was once believed that only cats of the genus Felis could purr, but researchers now know that members of genus Panthera can produce sounds similar to purring, albeit only when exhaling.
Meow
The most familiar sounds of adult cats are "meow" or "miaow". A meow can be assertive, plaintive, friendly, bold, welcoming, attention-soliciting, demanding, or complaining. It can even be silent, where the cat opens its mouth but does not produce any sound.A mew is a high-pitched meow that is often produced by domestic kittens. It is apparently used to solicit attention from their mother, but they are also used by adult cats. By around three to four weeks of age, kittens do not mew when at least one littermate is present, and at four to five months of age, kittens stop mewing altogether. Adult cats rarely meow to each other, and so adult meowing to human beings is likely to be a post-domestication extension of mewing by kittens.
Although videos which seemingly show cats speaking in human language are frequently shared on the internet, differences in cats' vocal tract prevent them from vocalising human language exactly. Instead, animal behaviour experts explain they are modifying the "meow" vocalisation to mimic certain human words. For example, a cat which frequently hears its owner say "no" may learn to use "mow" in a low tone.
Chirrup
The chirr or chirrup sounds like a meow rolled on the tongue. It is commonly used by mother cats to call their kittens inside the nest. As such, kittens recognize their own mother's chirp, but they do not respond to the chirps of other mothers. It is also used in a friendly manner by cats when they are greeted by another cat or a human. Therefore, people can mimic the sound to reassure and greet pet cats.Chirp
Cats sometimes make excited chirping or chattering noises when observing or stalking prey. These sounds range from quiet clicking sounds to a loud but sustained chirping mixed with an occasional meow.An article from The Spruce Pets argues that chattering and chirping mimic prey such as birds and rodents. It is used as a hunting strategy.
Call
The call is a loud, rhythmic sound, that is made with the mouth closed. It is primarily associated with female cats soliciting males, and sometimes occurs in males when fighting with each other. A caterwaul is the cry of a cat in heat.Growl, spit, hiss
The growl, spit, and hiss are sounds associated with either offensive or defensive aggression. They are usually accompanied by a postural display intended to have a visual effect on the perceived threat. Cats growl, hiss, and spit as a display of defense against both cats and other species, such as dogs. If the hiss and growl warning does not remove the threat, an attack may follow. It is also used to scare intruders away from their territory. Kittens as young as two to three weeks may hiss and spit when first picked up by a human. Spitting is a shorter but louder and more emphatic version of hissing.Howl, moan, and wail
The howl, moan, and wail sounds are commonly vocalized during threatening situations. Howls are more tonal, while moans are long and slowly modulated. On the other hand, anger wails are combined with growls, while yowls are similar to howls but longer.Visual communication
Cats use body language and movement to communicate a wide range of feelings and information. There are various responses such as when cats arch their backs, erect their hairs and adopt a sideward posture to communicate fear or aggression. Other visual communication can be a single behavioral change such as slowly blinking to signal relaxation and comfort in their environment. Domestic cats frequently use visual communication with their eyes, ears, mouths, tails, coats and body postures. The change in a cat's facial features can be a strong indicator of their communication.Body language
A cat's posture can be friendly or aggressive, depending on the situation. Some of the most basic and familiar cat postures include:- Relaxed – The cat is seen lying on the side or sitting. Its breathing is slow to normal, with legs bent, or hind legs laid out or extended. Its tail is loosely wrapped, extended, or held up; when a cat is standing but calm, its tail tends to be still and may hang down loosely.
- Loafing – The cat has paws tucked in its body, with its body low to the ground, and tail underneath or around the body. Cats may do this when they are relaxed or cold.
- Stretching – This posture also indicates that the cat is relaxed. When cats lie on their back with their bellies exposed, they are in a position of vulnerability. Therefore, this position may communicate a feeling of trust or comfort. They may also roll onto their backs to defend themselves with their claws or to bask in areas of bright sunlight.
- Yawning – Sometimes combined with a stretch, this is another posture of a relaxed cat. Having the mouth open and no teeth exposed indicates playfulness.
- Fearful – The cat is lying on its belly or crouching directly on top of its paws. Its entire body may be shaking and very near the ground when standing up; Breathing is also fast, with its legs bent near the surface, and its tail curled and very close to its body when standing on all fours. As such, a fearfully defensive cat makes itself smaller, lowers itself toward the ground, arches its back and leans its body away from the threat rather than forward. Fighting usually occurs only when escape is impossible.
- Terrified – The cat is crouched directly on top of its paws, with visible shaking seen in some parts of the body. Its tail is close to the body, and might be propped up, together with its hair on the back. The legs are very stiff or bent to increase their size. Typically, cats avoid contact when they feel threatened, although they can resort to varying degrees of aggression when they feel cornered, or when escape is impossible.
- Aggressive – The hind legs stiffen, the rump elevated, but the back stays flat; while tail hairs are erected. The nose is pushed forward and the ears are pulled back slightly. Since cats have both claws and teeth, they can easily cause injury if they become involved in a fight, so this posture is an attempt to elicit deference from a competitor without fighting. The aggressor may attempt to make the challengers retreat and will pursue them if they do not flee.
- Confident – The cat may walk around in a more comfortable manner with its tail up to the sky. Cats often walk through houses with their tails standing up high above them, making them look grander and more elegant.
- Alert – The cat is lying on its belly, or it may be sitting; Its back is almost horizontal when standing and moving; Its breathing normal, with its legs bent or extended ; Its tail is curved back or straight upward and may twitch when positioned downward.
- Tense – The cat is lying on its belly, with the back of its body lower than its upper body when standing or moving back; Its hind legs are bent and front legs are extended when standing, and the tail is close to the body, tensed or curled downward; there can be twitching when the cat is standing up.
- Anxious/ovulating – The cat is lying on its belly, while the back of the body is more visibly lower than the front part when the cat is standing or moving. Its breathing may be fast, and its legs are tucked under its body. The tail is close to the body and maybe curled forward, with the tip of the tail moving up and down. The tail is also moved to the side when ready to be mounted by the male cat.