What your cat's body language reveals about its mood

USA Today

12-04-2025

What your cat's body language reveals about its mood
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Maine Coon claims Guinness World Record-holder for longest cat tail!
Pugsley Addams, a silver Maine Coon from Minnesota, earned the Guinness World Record for the longest tail for a domestic cat at 18.5 inches.
Understanding a cat's cues can help owners better care for their pets.
Cats have a reputation for being mysterious, independent creatures. But understanding your feline friend's emotions and behavior may be as easy as reading their body language.
By paying attention to signals like tail flicks, ear twitches and whisker movements, cat owners can better interpret their pet's mood, deepen their bond and ensure a more harmonious home.
Knowing a cat's telltale signs can also help inform when to approach them and when to give them some alone time, cat behaviorist Jane Ehrlich told USA TODAY. Reading your pet's body language can inform how you change your own posture around them, too.
'The first and the best thing a person can be towards a cat, especially when you're trying to introduce your body language to them, is to be non-threatening,' Ehrlich said.
From slow blinks to an upright tail, here's some cues to look out for when reading your cat's body language.
Eyes
Like humans, cats use their eyes to convey all types of emotions. Paying attention to a cat's pupils is a great first step to understanding their mood.
For instance, slow blinks indicate relaxation, trust and affection. The cat is showing vulnerability by closing their eyes slightly. Ehrlich says reciprocating the slow blinks shows the cat you are not a threat.
Dilated pupils may signal surprise, excitement or fear in a cat, depending on the situation, Ehrlich said. They typically show that a cat is trying to get a better understanding of their environment.
More: We know why cats knead. But here's why humans love it so much.
If the cat's pupils dilate or become the pinprick size, it likely means that they are perceiving a threat and are preparing to attack.
Ears
Cats' ears move in a variety of directions and can offer insight into whether they're getting ready to destroy your couch or take a nap.
Flattened ears are a cue that the cat is feeling fearful and irritated
Ears twisted to the back of the head may suggest that the cat is feeling aggressive
Perked, erect ears show that a cat is attentive and relaxed
Tail
Cats communicate how they are feeling through the way they hold their tail. A cat with a tail pointed up in the air is happy and confident. Cats move their tail in the shape of a question mark when they're greeting someone or are feeling playful and curious, according to the pet charity Blue Cross. A low or tucked tail may signal that the cat is feeling uneasy and anxious.
More: Cats use nearly 300 unique facial expressions to communicate, new study shows
The way a cat flicks its tail may also give deeper insight into its mood. For instance, cats twitch their tail when they're feeling agitated, and they whip it back and forth rapidly when they're feeling overstimulated.
Whiskers
Your cat's whiskers are more than just fun facial hair. They help the cat navigate its surroundings and reveal how they're feeling.
Whiskers that are close together and curved slightly toward the ground signal that the cat is calm, according to Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine. As a cat becomes more upset, or aggressive, their whiskers will straighten out to the sides.
If the whiskers are flattened against a cat's face, they may be fearful.