How to Decode Your Cat's Behavior

Just because you and your cat may speak different languages, that doesn't mean you can't successfully communicate with each other. The look in your cat's eyes, her body language, and her vocalizations all contain vital information as long as you know what they mean. Read on for some of the most common phrases in feline language.

• Rolling on the floor: if your kitty is rolling back and forth on the floor, she is either submitting to you or inviting you to play. If it's the latter, you shouldn't miss it for anything in the world. Your cat won't want to play for too long before getting upset and turning your fingers into snack food!
• Squinty eyes: cats squint when they are happy. If they close their eyes slowly while looking, that shows that they trust you. Do not break their trust.
• Sticking a raised back in your face: your cat finds tail sniffing normal so, even if it may sound weird and not your cup of tea, it's your cat’s version of a warm "hello."
• Sleeping while curled up: the reason cats curl themselves up into little balls when they sleep is that they want to produce and maintain enough body heat to feel warm while they're sleeping.
• Kneading: Cats would make great bakers, since they seem to love alternately pressing their paws against a soft object - usually you! Behaviorists believe this is a leftover trait from when they were kittens, as the kneading would help their mothers produce milk.
• Sitting like a cat loaf: cats like to tuck their paws under their stomach when they are feeling safe and comfortable, and they also do it to conserve body heat. It is definitely a good sign if you see your cat doing that!

• Laying down with one leg extended: it may look as though your cat is doing yoga or stretching herself out a bit. In fact, this position makes it easier for cats to clean themselves up.
• An exposed belly. This is pretty similar to dogs and is the most important and definitive signs of trust.
• Nowhere to be found: cats are good at hiding. They love playing hide and seek, or they could just be tired of putting up with your shit. That escalated quickly. Do something funnier.
• Staring into space: do not think you cat just went mad. Cats have great vision and are aware of things we aren't. So maybe it's staring at a fly you can not see. Either way, they did not just go mad.
• Hiding in a box: cats find comfort and feel secure in confined places.
• The "hug and bite" game: yeah, it is just a game. Your cat loves playing at wrestling, even when it plugs its sharp teeth into your easily punctured flesh.
• Clacking at animals, especially birds: this is a hunting reflex.
• Snuggling up to your computer: cats want warm places and, more than this, to get on your nerves and annoy you. See, cats own you, not the other way round.
• A quivering butt: yeah, it is ready to rumble. If it is looking into your eyes while doing this, protect your face. xP

High tail: when a cat holds her tail high as she moves around her territory, she communicates confidence and contentment. She is expressing happiness and is willingness to be friendly with other people in her space. A little twitch at the tip of the tail can mean that the cat is particularly happy.

Curved as a question mark: maybe you should rearrange your schedule for the day so that you can stay in and play with your cat. This position indicates that the cat is playful and ready to have fun with you.

Low: a tail held low can signal aggression and should be taken very seriously. Unless your cat is Persian, as they keep their tail in a low position all the time.

Tucked away: a tail that is curved beneath the body, signals submission or fear. Something is not right and is making the cat nervous.

Puffed up: if your cat is puffed up, he is likely really agitated and frightened, and so is trying to look bigger in order to ward off danger.

Whipping tail: a cat who slaps her tail rapidly back and forth communicates fear and also aggression. It is a warning sign telling you to walk away.

Swishing tail: when your cat's tail sways slowly from one side to the other, she is focused on something. You might see it when she is about to be fed.

Wrapped around an other cat: some cats like to cuddle with their friends. It's cute.