There are behaviours that many cats share, but you might not know the logic behind them. Below are many of these characteristics as well as explanations as to why your cat may perform them so you can better understand what you cat is trying to tell you.

Body Language  

1.    Ears: A cat's ears can say a lot about what they are feeling or trying to express to others, different ear positions mean different things.

·        Ears Forward: When the ears are forward and relaxed, then your cat is happy and listening to the sounds around them.  

·         Ears Erect: This is when the cat is paying attention to something; they are alert to the happening around them.  

·        Flattened Ears: This can relay fear or the cat being anxious.  

·        Ears Turned Back: Your cat is either annoyed or aggravated, this is warning to whoever has caused their mood.  

·       Ears Completely Flat: This means fearful and aggressive, plus the cat is probably hissing and have their eyes narrowed.  

2.    Tail: A cat's tail can also say a lot about their mood and what they are doing.  

·         Straight Up: This is a happy and content cat.  

·         Horizontally Behind: This means that cat is relaxed, confident, and alert.  

·         Straight and Quivering: You cat is happy  

·         Straight with a Hook at the end: You cat is being friendly, but is not quite sure of the situation, person, or other animal.  

·         Straight and fluffy: This means your cat is feeling fear and is threatened.  

·         Swishing Tail: This can mean your cat is being playful or that they are annoyed.  

3.    Being Vocal: You cat's communication with your can mean a number of things and over time you will begin to discern them from each other.  

·         Common Meow: this can mean they want to say hello, want their dinner and such.  

·         The call: This is when a female is in heat and looking for a male, kind of a howling sound.  

·         The Chirr:  is when a female is calling her kittens or your cat may do it when they are being lovely with their owners, kind of a rolling sound.  

·         Hissing: This is a warning sign that your cat is not happy and they are getting ready to attack.  

·         Growling: Again, your cat wants to be left alone.  

·         Purring: Your cat is happy and feels safe.  

4.    Kneading: This is when a cat presses their front paws against something. Kittens do them when nursing, and later on cats will do this with their owners.  

5.    Curiosity: Cats are very curious. You have probably heard the saying “curiosity killed the cat”. Cats are very curious to explore new things, unseen heights. This is why they climb and explore everything that they can. This is an instinctive behaviour that can often get your cat into a lot of trouble. This is why you need to make sure that your house is cat proofed so that your cat doesn't harm themselves while exploring.  

6.  Clawing: When a cat is clawing a scratching post or your furniture, they are not doing it for no reason; they are actually getting the exercise that they need. When they claw, they are able to stretch their muscles. They can also be doing it to mark their territory as well. If a cat is scratching against a scratching post or your furniture, it could also mean that it is sharpening its claws.  

Even though many of these behaviours may seem odd, your cat does have an actual reason for performing many of them. The best you can do it to try to understand them to some degree and make sure that your cat is kept safe. Know more about Cat behaviour.