Domestic cats can lift your spirits and make you smile

This cat has a charming way of responding to their caregiver's loving greeting. Take a look:

So, what can we say about domestic cats lifting your spirits? It happens all the time. Just their presence lifts the spirit by preventing loneliness creeping in if you live alone as I do.

And many other people living alone rely on their cat to help balance their lives. It is very easy to become despondent when you live alone if you don't have a wide circle of friends and acquaintances. 

Interacting with your cat is vital. This charming cat responds in a way that I have not seen before. So charming. Both her body language and her sweet voice.

You can see that I have decided that she is female. She has female written all over her as far as I am concerned.

Here are some more thoughts about how a domestic cat can prevent despondency and lift your spirits

Companionship

I mention this above but let me add a few pointers. Domestic cats can be incredibly affectionate as we see in the video. People who don't know cats should understand that they are sentient beings with emotions and their own personalities. Once again, I refer to the video. This charming female cat responds to a loving greeting in her particular and very special way. And just having her there, nearby, can bring a sense of comfort and connection. She made me smile. Cats can do that.

Emotional support

Cats do have a calming presence and they can sometimes sense when their owner is feeling down or stressed. They may come up to you under those circumstances and sit on your lap and start interacting with you. You'll see videos of that on the Internet too. And simply stroking a cat can lift your mood because it can release endorphins in your brain to which you can add the purring sound of your cat which is known to be beneficial to one's health.

It's about the resonance and the frequencies of the cat purr which can help to heal a person.

Playfulness and entertainment

Cats are curious and playful. You can play with your cat. You can occupy yourself in this nice pastime. Both of you will like it. It's cool way to distract one away from any despondency or loneliness that you might be suffering from. And cats entertain their owners when they play because they can be quite funny.

Mindfulness and relaxation.

Simply watching your cat grooming themselves or jumping up onto their cat tree can be calming and a mindful experience. Looking at your cat being relaxed and comfortable can make you feel better as well. That's because you created the environment in which your cat can feel like this. You can pat yourself on the back.

Unconditional love

A lot has been spoken of the domestic cat's unconditional love. It is quite distinct from human love in this respect. They don't expect anything in return. There are no games. There are no conditions. It's a very simple, raw and fundamental connection which is quite special. This could have a positive impact on your emotional well-being. And they have a non-judgemental nature which can be great to create a safe and comforting environment.

Cat quivering their tail meaning

Cat quivering their tail meaning? It means the cat is excited; normally because they are pleased to see you.

I can provide the answer the answer to this aspect of feline body language with great accuracy I believe as I have seen it firsthand under a very distinct circumstance which I remember extremely well even though it was around 37 years ago. I rescued a cat from the streets of Notting Hill Gate where I was living at the time.

My cat who taught me the meaning of the tail quiver decades ago. Image: MikeB

I saw this female cat in the basement of a neighbouring house about 100 yards from mine. It looked as if she had been abandoned by her owner who was also the owner of the house. The woman had just left. A classic method of cat abandonment and very cruel.

I spoke to the cat and carried on. Soon after she was under a car outside my house. She looked up at me and her tail quivered excitedly. She instinctively knew I was friendly from the tone of my voice and was in effectively asking me to rescue her. 

I did. I lived with her for a dozen years after that. She died of kidney disease at the age of 18. A good age. She was a very gentle cat. I loved her. I feel nostalgic for those days. It hurts to think of them.

The tail quiver is an expression of excitement and pleasure and it probably accompanies a meow and even a purr.

There is another circumstance when it happens which is entirely different: spraying urine against a vertical object to mark territory.

When the urine is ejected against the object the tail quivers at the same time.

These are the two occasion when a cat quivers her tail.

Some people ask Google for the answer to a similar question: Cat shaking their tail meaning? I believe that they mean quivering.

I hope this helps. I am sure that I am correct.

Black domestic cat sees off black bear - why?

The video uploader describes this as a "brown bear". But the bear looks black to me 🤞! I'm not sure. But the question in the title is why is this enormous black bear scared of this tiny black cat? On the face of it there is no competition. Perhaps the bear is not hungry but it seems to me that he or she is inherently, at least, slightly scared or unsure of the black cat. This is pretty obvious from the video. And it must be down to the bear's character. And perhaps the circumstances play a role in this behaviour as well.

My research indicates that black bears are inherently timid and with that background character this bear decided that it was just not worth the bother getting involved with this cat because there was the possibility of getting injured on the face.

And my research also indicates that black bears are normally afraid of any animal that aggressively defend their territory. Unless we are talking about a female bear defending their young. Once again, the research indicates that black bears are timid. This is in contrast to brown, Kodiak or grisly and polar bears who are far less likely to be intimidated by a domestic cat.

Black domestic cat sees off black bear - why? Answer: the bear is timid and wants to avoid injury. Screenshot.

As you can see the black domestic cat maximises her size by positioning sideways on and arching her back. This is the classic defensive manoeuvre and body language. It certainly worked.

RELATED: Why do cats do the crab walk?

There is also the common-sense approach of wild animal predators in general in that if they can see the possibility of being injured, they my back off. In this instance this domestic cat could damage the bear's snout with multiple slaps which is something that he or she is unprepared to accept. 

Injuries can impair survival. What if deep scratches on the snout became infected? This would affect the bear's survival. Survival in the wild requires the bear to be on peak condition and the bear decided to play safe, I guess.

RELATED: Domestic cats are as smart as bears but not as smart as dogs.

Sometimes you see bears and cats becoming friends. There is an element of that possibility in this video. You'll see some extraordinary and unexpected interspecies friendships online. It almost looks as if the bear is curious rather than thinking about attacking. This is what I get from his/her body language.

Cat body language 101 - exposing the belly is not an invitation to be petted

The video covers a number of domestic cat body language signals. I will let you explore them (Galaxy is good) but one of them is always important. It is when a domestic cat goes 'belly-up' and presents their belly to their human caregiver. How do you interpret it? And I think the answer actually is not a black-and-white one. And it is also difficult to generalise. Different cats respond in different ways.

But you'll find that Jackson Galaxy makes one essential point. He says that when a dog presents their belly to the human caregiver it is a request to be petted in that vulnerable area. This is not the case with domestic cats, however. It is not an invitation to pet their belly but more a signal that they trust you and even love you if you believe that there can be love from a cat to a person.

RELATED: ‘Cat love bites’ – what do they mean and why do they happen?

It is a signal that a cat is relaxed in the company of their human caregiver and in the home. And to take that as an invitation and pet the belly may result in the cat doing what Jackson Galaxy calls the "wraparound". This is when your cat grabs your hand and arm by the hindlegs and forelegs and then bites the hand, all at the same time. And it can be quite difficult to extricate your arm from that sort of clamp! This is due to overstimulation. It can happen when petting too much in any situation.

RELATED: ‘Cat Whisperers’ don’t just read cats’ facial expressions but body language too (plus a quiz).

However, if you pet very gently when your cat does this it may work out okay or even well. It depends on the cat's character, which is why I have to say that, sometimes, domestic cats do invite their human caregiver to rub their belly albeit gently. My cat does this. It seems to be instinctive to them. Perhaps it is a natural extension of the signal that the cat feels reassured. 

Provided you do it very gently and with great respect, I believe a cat can take pleasure from having their belly rubbed. Once again this points to different circumstances and different reactions from different individual cats. 

Jackson Galaxy talks cat behavior. Screenshot. In this still image Jackson is talking about cats' pent-up energy like a balloon expanding.

Some people think that when a cat presents their belly to a person or another animal it is an act of submission. I think that you will find this argument no longer holds water. However, you will see cats who are friendly to each other and playing when one rolls over onto their back to invite more play.

However, it cannot be denied that the one sure signal that a domestic cat sends to their caregiver when they lie on their back with their belly up is that they feel confident enough to do it i.e. present a vulnerable part of their body to others. They need to feel reassured in their own home to do it. They need to be sure that the people they are living with won't harm them. This all comes about because of a great relationship between person and cat and a calm, agreeable home.

And it is not too uncommon that domestic cats roll onto their back when they are very warm i.e. on their human caregiver's lap. Or on the bed next to them. This combination of warmth plus being in contact with the owner creates a feeling of great reassurance which sometimes results in the cat having enough confidence to present their belly.

Why do cats blink slowly?

Answer: cats slow-blink because they are expressing their emotions at a moment when they feel reassured as they are in an emotionally friendly environment when communicating with their human caregiver. The relaxed state in the cat results in the restful slow blink which humans have interpreted to mean more than it truly does. This is my personal view and I don't expect people to necessarily agree with me. The jury is out to be honest on the slow blink. The information provided is anecdotal and the studies are not conclusive.

Why do cats slow blink? Image: MikeB.

This question has been answered a million times on the Internet. But the books on cat behaviour that I have never mention it. It is simply not on the authors' radar. The experts don't write about it in books. It is only discussed by cat owners on the Internet and there are a few studies. However, I think people place too much significance in this aspect of feline behaviour.

We have to answer the question by observation. Like any other cat owner, I have seen my cat slow blink on thousands of occasions. It always occurs when I am speaking to him and when he is opposite me, quite close by and in a settled, restful situation. He is always looking at me while resting when he delivers the slow blink to me.

RELATED - THE MORE CONVENTIONAL VIEW AS PER A STUDY:  Cat slow blink is a signal of friendly intentions

Not a deliberate signal from cat to person

My personal interpretation is that this is not a deliberate signal from your cat to you. In other words, your cat is not trying to tell you something through body language when they slow blink.

It is more likely to be an instinctive response to what is happening. Your cat is receiving body language from you should which signals friendliness. This is supported by your friendly voice. The sounds of your voice indicate friendliness and companionship. The situation engenders a feeling of security and restfulness in your cat.

The cat's instinctive response is to blink slowly and there may also be other signals such as purring and perhaps a quiet meow. I think the slow blink comes from the feeling of security and restfulness that the cat has at that time. These slow blink may be an indicator of sleepiness.

Some cat owners interpret it as a sign that their cat loves them. As it occurs in a situation where both human and cats are interacting in a very friendly and emotionally warm situation it is easy to interpret the slow blink as a signal of love or deep friendship.

But I don't quite see it that way. People sometimes slow blink when they are feeling particularly relaxed and chilled out. I think the same thing happens with cats.

RELATED: Domestic cat slow blink is not a sign of love.

Studies

There have been studies on this, I notice. One study called: The role of cat eye narrowing and movements in cat-human communication, concluded that "Our results suggest that slow blink sequences may function as a form of positive emotional communication between cats and humans."

Well, yes, it does but the big question is whether cats deliberately blink to signal a positive communication to their human caregiver. Or are people simply interpreting the slow blink as having that meaning? 

I reiterate, I think the slow blink happens at a time when there is a warm interaction between cat and person and therefore you could say it's a signal that the cat feels relaxed and content and reassured. But I don't think the cat is deciding, rationally, that 'I'm going to send the signal to my human friend that I feel relaxed and that it's thanks to you'. It is more likely to be a spontaneous instinctive reaction which expresses a feeling of well-being.

I also believe that if a human slow blinks at their cat they don't necessarily slow blink in response (but see study). Anecdotally people say that cat owners can use this behaviour to communicate with their cat.

A study tested whether cats behaved differently towards their owners when they slow blink at them. The study concluded that cats are more likely to slow blink if a person slow blinks at them. The same response occurred when non-owners blinked at the cats. The researchers interpreted this as the cats understanding the slow blink signal and responding positively to it.

This may be true but I am inclined to believe that it's not. I believe the truth is that if a person is in a situation where they slow blink at a cat they have created a warm friendly environment for the cat which encourages them to instinctively slow blink. I'm not completely convinced that I'm correct but I don't think you can positively infer that slow blinks between cat and person are a form of deliberate communication. It is more likely that it has inadvertently become a form of communication as a side effect.

Slow blink between cats

I don't know of any study, by the way, which researches the slow blink between cats. I don't think cats do slow blink at each other. Do they? And if not why not? Is the cat slow blink exclusively a communication between cat and human. Is it a way to communicate between cat and person only and never between cat and cat?

Scared cat seeks comfort in close contact with human mother

Scared cat seeks solace in human companion. Screenshot.

The video shows a ginger tabby cat on a sofa, clearly very frightened about something. We don't know what it is. Her ears are back in a protective position. The sort of body language that you see before a cat is about to fight only the general bod language indicates that this cat feels oppressed and she/he is submissive. She wants to crawl away and hide somethere, anywhere and seeks reassurance and comfort on the shoulder of her human companion. 

Why was she filming it though? She is making a video selfie. She has the face of Mona Lisa.

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I can't get the video to work. I uploaded it to Google Blogger and at first it worked but now...nada. It might work again but in the meantime here is another video which I know will work at least for the time being. It is similar. A cat who needs the comfort that comes from human contact and reassurance:

It is a nice yet sad video. The person looks oddly serene as if it has happened before. The video comes from Reddit. Someone on that site suggested that it was fireworks. It could be but we have no idea. It is the sort of reaction that fireworks generate in many domestic cats as they are strange external sounds. They sound like something hostile is 'out there'. This readies the cat for a defensive fight hence the pinned back ears which protects them. The cat's facial expression is very noticeable. It is not often that you see a clear facial expression in a cat.

Cat Shaking Back Legs When Walking

"Cat shaking back legs when walking" is a cat behaviour trait which I have seen in one of my cats (now deceased). However, before I say why my cat did it you'll have to think of health issues because 'cat shaking back legs' can mean a lot of things. The description does not say for how long the cat shakes her back legs or how vigorously.

I don't want to be facetious but I think this topic concerns a behavioural trait signifying mild irritation and not a health issue

It could be a nervous system health problem for instance. I am not qualified to provide advice of feline health matters so it's up to your veterinarian to clear up any possible health issues but I mention a couple of possibilities below.

Having got that out of the way my experience tells me that when a cat shakes her back legs, or more accurately shakes one of her back legs while walking, she'll do it very briefly and it is a deliberate act. Moreover, the action of shaking a back leg is one of short sharp flicking movements as if she is throwing something off her paw such as water. This is the kind of action that I am referring to.




It's similar to back twitching which signified irritation. Hind leg shaking indicates irritation too in my opinion. It means something wider than that actually. It's a body language which means, 'I have had enough of that' and she walks away from what is irritating her.

I wonder whether back twitching and leg shaking have similar mental origins. I don't know but it is entirely possible. My former female cat did it when she had had enough of the food that I had given her. She'd walk away and shake one of her back legs. So, I am describing a feline behaviour trait.

On a medical note, insecticides in flea treatments can cause paw flicking apparently. I have not seen it in my cats. Maybe a cat reacts badly to one of the spot-on flea treatments and as it affects her nervous system, she involuntary shakes one of her hind legs. Flea treatments are essentially poisonous to cats as they contain insecticides.

Leg tremors can be caused by an injury. However, I don't want to go down the medical route and, in any case, I think that cat owners are referring to a non-medical cause which for me points to mild irritation being the cause.

What Does a Cat Signal with Its Ears?

A cat's ears are expressive because they are very mobile. They are mobile because there are many muscles to control the earflap. A cat's ears can change direction so the ears can pick up sound from different sources and they can also be placed into different postures. Each posture is a reflection of the emotional state of the cat.

There are 5 basic ear signals which are related to the following moods: relaxed, agitated, defensive, alert and aggressive.

RELAXED

When a cat is relaxed the cat's ears point forward. They also point slightly outward. The cat quietly listens and quickly picks up interesting sounds over a large frequency range. A cat's hearing range is wider than ours and can pick up much higher frequencies.

ALERT

When a cat picks up an interesting sound, the position of the ears indicate an alert mode. The cat stares at the point of interest and the ears become fully erect. The ears rotate slightly so that they point directly forwards. As long as the cat looks towards the interesting sound the ears remain pricked up. If while the cat is focused on this particular sound, another sound is emitted somewhere else one of the cat's ears will turn and face that sound. Only the ear points towards the new sound as the cat remains looking at the original interesting sound. Sometimes a cat will listen behind him by swiveling his ears to the rear (actually half to the rear) while looking ahead. This is commonplace in fact.

AGITATED

An agitated cat will be suffering from frustration, apprehension and might be in a state of emotional conflict.  The cat's ears will demonstrate a nervous twitch. A particular wild cats species called the caracal has the longest ear tufts of all the cats and the tufts is black. These tufts will move more than the ear itself and are used as a means of communication or to provide signals to other cats. The Maine Coon has, for a domestic cat, the longest tufts of hair at the end of its ears of all the domestic cats.

Another purebred cat that has more than the usual amount of visibility in respect of its ear tufts, is the Abyssinian.

Ear damaged in fight

DEFENSIVE

A defensive cat displays flattened ears. The cat's ears are pressed tightly against the head. This protects the ears if a fight starts. There are many photographs on the Internet of stray and feral cats with torn ears from fights so you can see why a cat has developed a method to minimise damage to them.

When viewed from the side, the flattened and ears are almost invisible and the head has a more rounded profile. The well-known cat breed the Scottish Fold has ears that are permanently folded down against its head which gives the appearance that the cat is permanently in a defensive mode.

AGGRESSIVE

An aggressive cat has a special ear posture. The cat's ears are rotated but not fully flattened. This posture allows the back of the earflaps to be visible to the opposite cat. This is a position which indicates to the opposite cat that the cat is ready for action and trouble. It is a preliminary behaviour and a signal that the cat is ready to fight. The signal can be made more pronounced and obvious in the species of wild cats because on the back of the earflaps they often have white or light coloured fur in the shape of a filled circle or similar shape. This makes the rotated ear even more visible than usual.

The position of the cat's ear under these circumstances is a warning to the opposite cat. The ears are not signalling that the cat is defensive. The cat is signalling that its ears are ready to be flattened into a defensive position in preparation for a fight; hence that this position is a signal that the fight will imminently start.

You will see the light coloured hair referred to above on the back of the ear flaps of wild cat hybrid domestic cats because their wild cat parents have those spots. The ear spots are called “ocelli". In the wildcat hybrid the spots are not as bright as they are on his or her wildcat parent's ears.

Why does my cat roll over onto her back exposing her belly?

When a cat rolls over onto her back to expose her belly it looks as if she wants her belly rubbed. It may be true that she does want her belly rubbed for awhile, but it should not be overdone, but the more likely reason for this is that your cat is presenting to you a submissive position which is linked to a greeting.

I believe it is a sort of combination action: both a greeting, a submission, and a possible request for her tummy rub which in effect will be an exchange of scent from you to her and vice versa. Scent exchange is also part of a friendly greeting and it makes the place, the home, more friendly for the cat.

However, underpinning this particular behaviour is this submissive position which is indicative of the fact that the cat sees us as the dominant partner.

As mentioned, stroking cats really should be done gently and the amount of it should be limited. The cat might like it but after awhile she may change her mind because it is a position of great vulnerability for a cat which can make her feel slightly anxious and the anxiety clicks in after a while overcoming the pleasure she receives from the stroking.

What are cats' tails for?

What are cats' tails for? Two uses come to mind immediately.  Cats' tails are used for balance. In the domestic cat this use is somewhat redundant. For wildcats it is very much alive. Many wild cats are tree dwelling such as the margay and clouded leopard. These cats have long tails. Tails that are used for balance are also frequently very thick. I am thinking of the snow leopard that lives on 40 degree rocky inclines where excellent balance is paramount.

Although the domestic cat does not need the tail for balance as much it has developed another use of the tail, a form of visual communication through body language.

The wagging tail means that the cat is in mental conflict (out of balance mentally and not physically). This happens when he or she is uncertain about what to do.

The domestic and feral cat also uses the tail in the upright position to signal a friendly greeting. The tail position is used as a form of body language.

Cats that have bob tails or shortened tails are at a slight disadvantage. The bobcat comes to mind for the wild cats and the Japanese Bobtail is one example of a purebred cat without a normal length tail.

The bobcat is a ground hunter and probably does not need its tail for balance when chasing prey as much as the cheetah which is a much faster cat (max 64 mph compared to about 40+ at a guess for the bobcat).

Submissive Cat Body Language

Submissive cat body language should be distinguished from defensive body language. When a cat is submissive in the presence of a more confident and perhaps aggressive cat, he or she will crouch low to look as small as possible. The ears will be flattened.

Conversely, when defensive the cat will attempt to look as large as possible. The fur stands erect (piloerection), the back is arched, the legs stand tall and the cat presents sideways on to look larger (maximum body area is presented to the other cat).

A defensive cat will also flatten the ears and have them pointed backwards. This is probably a throwback to the wildcat as it presents the white eye spot on the back of the ear flap to the aggressor. This is a form of visual communication to say that the cat means business.

See cat body language for more.