Cat Language
Did you know that cats have the largest repertoire of sounds of any carnivore?
However, cats communicate with each other mainly by scent, to mark their territory and among themselves in cat colonies.
Spiders:
There are several forms of spiders.
Kittens purr when cared for by the mother and out of satisfaction.
A mother cat purrs to reassure kittens, an invitation to greet and care, often while washing another cat, but also a signal not to be a threat to others.
However, a cat sometimes purrs in anxiety situations as well.
For example, when an old cat starts purring constantly, it can also mean that it is in pain, even at the end of its life. After all, a cat will always try to hide pain as best it can.
Purring has a great healing effect not only on the cat itself but also on humans when a cat lies on your lap.
Therefore, cats are often used in rest and care homes to entertain the elderly, but also e.g. to reassure and calm demented people.
Studies even show that the purring sound can reduce stress and lower blood pressure in humans.
A study shows that cat owners are 40% less likely to have heart attacks than people without cats.
Large carnivores including lions purr only on exhalation, small cats purr on both inhalation and exhalation.
Meowing:
Meowing is often a friendly interaction with other cats.
In kittens, high meowing is a sign of hunger; in adult cats, however, high meowing is often a sign of displeasure.
Aggression:
Aggressive sounds usually happen with the mouth open, growling, hissing, spitting and whimpering.
Usually these are in combination with aggression, offensive or defensive, directed at other cats or animals that do not belong to the family.
Aggression can sometimes be recognized by:
- an open mouth,
- erect ears turned outward,
- narrow pupils.
Fragrance
Cats have an extremely well-developed sense of smell and they use it in their communication with each other through Jacobsen's Organ.
This happens mainly through "Fhlemen," which makes it appear that the cat is pulling a dirty mouth with its mouth open.
It is mainly a means of communication to other cats that a certain territory belongs to him or her.
In colonies, this is used to identify friendly cats belonging to a particular colony.
We always clean our rooms thoroughly upon the departure of each cat so that as minimal as possible scent traces remain in the room. This way, your cat can stay with us without stress.
