Cats
also mark territory and leave chemical messages in
other more acceptable ways. Cats have glands that
secrete scent in several arts of their bodies especially
around the back of the head. When your pet rubs its
head against your leg or the furniture, it is actually
marking you with “this is mine so keep away”.
Outside, local cats have conversations and leave messages
in a kind of dead letter box. By rubbing against walls,
trees and fences, cats can tell their neighbours what
is going on. The same thing happens when a cat stops
to sharpen its claws on a tree as it had scent glands
between the paw pads.
Purring
How and why cats purr is debatable and nobody has
scientifically proved the whys and wherefores of this
distinctly feline trait. It is thought that the cats
purr is the result of an electrical impulse generated
by the brain, transferred to and carried by the central
nervous system, causing certain muscles locarted near
the voice box to contract and resonate. The end product,
the purr, is felt as a vibration throughout the body
but is particularly audible from the nose and mouth.
There are many different theories why cats purr; it
helps increase the efficiency of the circulatory system
and so keeps the cat healthy. A soft purr is a demand
and loud one is a thank you message to indicate that
the at has got what it wanted ie food or fuss. It
is a reasurring signal from mother to kitten and vice
versa. A dominant cat will purr at a subservient one
to show that is not on the attack. A cat may purr
when frightened or about to be attacked to say that
they are small, defenceless creatures that pose no
threat. Sick, ill or injured cats purr to comfort
themselves and to tell others that they are poorly.
The purr is an indication of a pleasured, happy, content
cat; this is probably the most popular reason for
the purr an answer most cats would agree with. If
you purr, your owner will give you what you want even
if it is the last prawn on the dinner table. Cats
are not stupid!
Body Language
Cats body language can tell you a lot about what mood
your cat is in ...
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; so if a cat has its ears forward,
they are happy and listening to the sounds around
them. However if their ears are turned back, they
are either annoyed or aggravated and this is warning
to whoever has caused their mood.
Tail
A cat's tail can also say a lot about their mood and
what they are doing; a straight up and possibly quivering
tail belongs to a happy and content cat. However,
a cat that is feeling fearful and/or threatened will
fluff up their tail. Just to be confusing, cats will
swish their tail if they are playful or annoyed which
will explain why kitty wants to play one minute then
will try and bite you the next!
Vocalising
Cats have several things to say and over time you
will begin to discern them from each other; The common
Meow means they want to say hello, want their dinner
and such. The Chirr is a kind of rolling sound that
some cats make when in a lovey mood with their owners,
it is also how a female calls to her kittens. Hissing
and/or is pretty obviously a warning sign that a cat
is not happy and they are getting ready to attack,
although some cats do seem to hiss for no reason so
perhaps they are just generally bad tempered!
Clawing
When a cat is clawing a scratching post or your furniture,
they are exercising and stretching their muscles,
not to mention markin their territory as well.
Even
though many of these behaviors 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.
