Communication of the domestic cat

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The cat communication consists of different forms of expression with which cats with people, other cats and animals communicate. Cats display many different behaviors, both in the wild, where they form fixed hierarchies, and in their domesticated form.

As is common with carnivorous species , cats add some glandular fluid to their excretions to mark their territory (urine tags for chemocommunication ).

In addition, scratch marks, for example on trees and rocks, are used for intra-species communication (optical communication). With house cats, the need to communicate optically - often misguided from a human point of view - is expressed by the cat looking for wallpaper or furniture in an exposed position for marking.

history

The first scientific study of the behavior of domestic cats is the behavioral studies on cats by Paul Leyhausen , published in 1956 .

Spoken language

In addition to the well-known meow, the domestic cat's language repertoire includes ten other different types of sounds, which in turn consist of up to 100 individual sounds; In comparison, dogs have ten individual sounds. In the wild, cats use sounds to communicate less often than the domesticated house cat. In contrast, adult cats living in the wild mostly use body language and scents for communication .

The sounds of a kitten begin at a young age as a high-pitched, squeaky sound that then deepens over time. The sounds of neutered cats can resemble those of a kitten even in their adulthood, especially in male cats.

Some cats produce a pigeon-like coo in greeting. Tigers use this sound too. With the cooing, the young should actually be called to suckle or to a prey brought along. When the young are asleep, the cat will often coo until they wake up and eat. Cooing or trilling is also used as an expression of comfort and friendship.

Meow

One of the most common ways the cat communicates is meowing ? / i . The sound of this cat sound can change significantly depending on its meaning. Do cats usually meow when they wail, to say hello or to get human attention ? to demand / i , for example when the cat owner is in the kitchen preparing something to eat. Some cats are very "talkative", others rarely meow. Audio file / audio sample Audio file / audio sample

Wildcats from the small cats and cheetah families are also able to meow. This type of utterance is used more frequently in captivity than in the wild.

purr

Relaxed cat

Cats are able to make purring noises ? / i to give away. A cat purrs in the most varied of moods. The purring is usually an expression of satisfaction and well-being. A parent animal thus signals to the young that everything is in order and that there is no danger . However, it can also mean that the cat is feeling harassed, so a purring cat is not necessarily a happy cat. Cats also purr when they are very afraid , in severe pain or in distress, and females even purr when they give birth. It is believed that the reason cats also purr in these situations is because of the need to calm themselves down. Cats also purr among themselves, e.g. B. when the mother cat takes care of her young. Kittens purr when they are suckled. Even when (intensive) begging for z. B. Food, cats sometimes purr. Audio file / audio sample

Until recently, several theories existed about how cats purr, for example through the vibration of the vocal cords when inhaling and exhaling, through vibrations in the lungs, the vibration of the hyoid bone, or through the blood flowing through the aorta . It is currently believed that the purr is the result of rhythmic impulses from the cat's larynx .

It is possible for a cat to meow and purr at the same time. When they are relaxed and satisfied, cats blink in addition to purring or sometimes close their eyes completely.

However, purring can also be a way for the cat to calm down if it is injured or in distress. While it's not yet definitively proven, researchers suspect that the frequency of the vibrations created by the purr may promote healing of the cat's bones and organs.

Growling, hissing, hissing

Snarling cat

Growling, hissing or hissing are signs of aggression and can be the precursor to further aggressive behavior (see threatening behavior ). Yodelling sounds and sounds similar to the crying of human babies ("Katzenjammer" or yowling) are signs of aggression, whereas " yodelling " is a sign of extreme anger. These vocalizations are not necessarily followed by a physical attack on the part of the cat; the cat can also withdraw or flee.

Chatter and cackle

The so-called chatter is often heard in cats when they see something they would like to catch but which is not within reach. For example, the cat can sit on the windowsill and watch a bird fly outside. This sound - often paired with the tail whipping back and forth - signals the cat's full attention. Sometimes the cat only makes the appropriate movements of the mouth, so "chattering" silently or clattering its teeth.

It is not known exactly whether this is a sound of threat or an expression of frustration. Animal researchers have concluded that these sounds represent "training behavior" that anticipates or practices the killing of the prey, since the sound is usually accompanied by a bite movement, similar to the bite the cat uses to kill its prey ( the "killing bite" that severed the prey's cervical vertebra).

Depending on the cat's character, chattering can also be an expression of injustice that has just been experienced (e.g. the cat's reaction to the owner's scolding). Some cats also chatter when they are upset (loud noises, unexpected wake-up, etc.).

Body language

eyes

Cats often communicate through looks and eye contact that are not recognizable to humans . Staring, especially prolonged direct eye contact, is an expression of aggression in communication. In the course of such a duel, the defeated cat averts its eyes as a gesture of appeasement.

Slow blinking or blinking, on the other hand, followed by looking away is a sign of affection. If you blink slowly at a cat, it will often reciprocate this friendly gesture among cats. However, continuing to stare directly at the cat after blinking is an unfriendly gesture. This is one of the reasons cats enjoy going around those who don't like cats. These people avoid eye contact with the cat, which the cat interprets as friendly behavior. However, when cats live together with humans, they also learn to interpret their "wrong" behavior.

Cats can control their pupil position depending on their mood regardless of the incidence of light. Narrowed eyes and pupils are signs of an impending aggressive behavior, wide-open eyes and pupils - but not frightened eyes - are a sign of curiosity and interest. If the cat fixes a prey or the toy as a prey substitute, the eyes are open and fixed on the target.

Ears

The cat's mood can also be seen in the ears. Flat ears are a sign of fear or aggression because they are more protected from attack and offer a smaller target. Ears that are turned to the side, often a little too tight, indicate discomfort. If the cat is concentrating on a prey, it will pop up its ears and turn them forwards in order to be able to capture noises even better. When the cat is relaxed, it moves its ears slowly and has not fully straightened them. The area is searched for sounds, but this search is not targeted, as is the case with hunting or in a game.

tail

Cat with a fluffy tail after being frightened

Cats twitch the end of their tails when hunting, playing, or being angry. More violent twitching indicates annoyance, slight twitching in part indecision. An erect tail is a sign of satisfaction or is used as a greeting to humans or other cats (usually close relatives). It also acts as a signal to humans and other cats to follow the cat.

A steeply erect tail, the tip of which curves forward almost to neck level, is an expression of the greatest joy and is particularly often used before feeding. A half raised, almost horizontal tail shows decreasing comfort, a low tail shows dissatisfaction.

When the tail whips back and forth, the cat is angry and ready to attack and wants to be left alone. The next level of this warning sign can be a paw slash. A frightened or surprised cat will puff itself up, bristle the fur of its erect tail and threateningly move its body sideways to appear taller. Even tailless cats like the Manx , which have only a small tail stub, move their stub as if they had a full tail. This threatening gesture is an important reason for the communication problems between cat and dog, which misinterprets this tail twitch as a friendly signal or even an invitation to play.

When sneaking in the course of the hunt or in play, only the tip of the cat's tail twitches. The rest of the body is rigid and the tail is lowered.

Nose and whiskers

Nose touches are a kind cat greeting, while a bowed head is a sign of submission. Some cats run their faces down the ankle of their owners as a friendly greeting and token of affection. This behavior also serves as a kind of "territory marking", since there are scent glands in the cat's cheek.

Curiosity or fear can occasionally show up in forward-facing whiskers, but this is usually a sign of a friendly greeting, satisfaction, and even pride. This is not to be confused with erecting the whiskers in the dark with which the cat probes its path. A frightened cat folds its sensitive whiskers back and places them on its head.

posture

Relaxed cat on its back

In the context of the signals described above, the cat's overall posture also expresses its mood, but cannot be viewed in isolation.

A curious laid-back cat walks safely and calmly with its tail raised and not fluffed. The ears are turned to the side and erect, but not straightened. A lurking or creeping cat presses itself flat on the ground or stalks through the grass with its legs bent.

If the cat does not feel completely safe or if it is too cold, a lying cat pulls its limbs under its body to protect them. The tail is wrapped around the body. If the cat is completely relaxed and it is not too cold, it will lie on its side or even on its back and stretch its limbs and tail away from itself. However, lying on its back can also be a defensive position, as the cat can use all its weapons, i.e. the claws of the front and rear paws and its teeth, against the attacker.

An aggressive or frightened cat puffs up as described above and makes the typical cat hump to make itself appear larger. But a cat also pushes its back in a hump if it presses itself with relish against the caressing hand while being petted.

Paws

Cat "pedaling"

The "stepping" of a cat, a relic of the child's milk step , with which the flow of milk was stimulated in the mother animal, is an expression of great comfort. This milk step can be sustained into adulthood of the cat. Cats prefer to show it in humans. The milk step also serves to mark the territory of the cat. With the scent glands on the underside of the paws, the cat also emits scents in order to identify it as belonging to it.

Bite

A cat bite can come as a complete surprise to a person who does not correctly interpret the cat's body language. The cat usually makes subtle hints that it no longer wants to play or cuddle. The tail can whip back and forth, the fur begins to stand on end, the cat growls, the purring stops, the ears are laid flat on the sides or the posture is changed. Anyone who ignores these signals can expect a bite or a paw blow.

Not to be confused with aggressive biting is the cat's "love bite", which is often accompanied by a pleasant purr, sometimes with a shake of the head at the bite. This bite is more like a nibble. At the beginning, kittens cannot properly dose the bite strength, so their playful nibbles can be uncomfortable to painful for humans, without the kittens intending to do so.

If you cuddle a tomcat on the stomach, it will stimulate especially uncastrated tomcats sexually. Since biting is also part of the cat's sexual behavior, they can bite the caressing hand out of excitement.

Temporary uncleanliness

Temporary or one-off uncleanliness in the cat is a sign of greatest dissatisfaction if organic reasons such as cystitis , urinary incontinence , diabetes or dementia can be ruled out.

See also

Commons : utterances of the house cat  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files
Commons : behavior of the cat  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

literature

  • Dennis C. Turner, Paul Patrick Gordon Bateson (Eds.): The Domestic Cat: The Biology of Its Behavior. 2nd Edition. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 2000, ISBN 0-521-63648-5 .
  • Paul Leyhausen : Katzenseele: Essence and social behavior. 2nd Edition. Kosmos, Stuttgart 2005, ISBN 3-440-09864-8

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Chemocommunication of the cat , World of Cats
  2. ^ Dennis C. Turner, Paul Patrick Gordon Bateson (Eds.): The Domestic Cat: The Biology of Its Behavior (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 2000, ISBN 0-521-63648-5 , p. 4
  3. Sound of the cat , world of cats
  4. Gerd Ludwig, Katzenssprache: Learning to understand step by step , Verlag Grafe Und Unzer, 2016, p. 39
  5. ^ Cat Communication. (No longer available online.) 21cats, 2004, archived from the original on May 14, 2007 ; Retrieved March 17, 2006 .
  6. The Felid Purr: A bio-mechanical healing mechanism. (No longer available online.) Fauna Communications Research Institute, 2001, archived from the original on May 25, 2006 ; Retrieved May 29, 2006 .
  7. Gina Spadafori, Paul D. Pion: Cats for Dummies , Wiley-VCH-Verlag, Weinheim 2008, ISBN 978-3-527-70484-2 , pp. 143-144
  8. a b Gina Spadafori, Paul D. Pion: Katzen für Dummies , Wiley-VCH-Verlag, Weinheim 2008, ISBN 978-3-527-70484-2 , p. 142
  9. Gina Spadafori, Paul D. Pion: Katzen für Dummies , Wiley-VCH-Verlag, Weinheim 2008, ISBN 978-3-527-70484-2 , p. 143
  10. Gina Spadafori, Paul D. Pion: Cats for Dummies , Wiley-VCH-Verlag, Weinheim 2008, ISBN 978-3-527-70484-2 , p. 144
  11. Gina Spadafori, Paul D. Pion: Katzen für Dummies , Wiley-VCH-Verlag, Weinheim 2008, ISBN 978-3-527-70484-2 , pp. 145ff.
  12. Brigitte Rauth-Widmann, cat language: facial expressions, sounds, body language , Franckh-Kosmos-Verlag, Stuttgart, 2019, p. 34
  13. Not necessarily all of these warning signs have to occur at the same time. Why Cats Bite. (No longer available online.) Studio One Networks, 2003, archived from the original on July 5, 2006 ; Retrieved June 10, 2006 .
  14. Gina Spadafori, Paul D. Pion: Katzen für Dummies , Wiley-VCH-Verlag, Weinheim 2008, ISBN 978-3-527-70484-2 , p. 270
  15. Birgit Kieffer: My cat does what it wants , Verlag Graefe and Unzer, Munich 2009, ISBN 978-3-8338-1199-9 , p. 36