CAT BODY LANGUAGE-Just like humans, cats use body movements and facial expressions to let you and other cats know what’s on his mind.

When your cat is relaxed and contented, he turns his ears forward, closes his eyes half way and purrs.
When your cat is alert, his eyes open completely and his whiskers stand out.
When your cat is afraid, he draws his ears back and folds them down.
When your cat is feeling aggressive, he has flattened ears, taut facial muscles, bared teeth and dilated pupils. He also brings his whiskers forward.
When your cat feels threatened, he stares. In fact, when you look at your cat, it’s a good idea to blink your eyes occasionally to let him know it is a friendly look.
When your cat feels threatened, he arches his back and puffs up his fur. This makes him appear larger to other cats.
If your cat trusts you, he may roll over and show you his belly. This is a very friendly sign. Don’t try to rub his belly, though. He may not like that and may claw your hand.

THE TAIL END-Moving his tail is another way your cat “talks” to you.

· Tail held erect for the full length-friendly greeting to another cat or human.

· Tail curves gently down, then up at the tip-cat relaxed and at peace with the world.

· Tail raised slightly and softly curved-cat becoming interested in something.

· Tail lowered and possibly tucked between the hind legs-sign of defeat or total submissiveness.

· Tail swishing from side to side-angry cat about to attack.

· Tail held still but with tip twitching-mild irritation.

CAT TALK-Your cat may also use his voice to communicate. Cats make over 100 different vocal sounds from meows to gurgles to purrs. The more you talk to your cat, the more he will talk back to you. Soon you will recognize his sounds and know what he wants.

Generally, the more rapid, intense and loud the sounds are, the more panicked scared and anxious your cat may be. And the slower and less intense the sounds, the more confident or potentially assertive your cat is.

FOLLOWING THEIR NOSE-You’ve probably noticed your cat nuzzling up to you. He takes his face and rubs against your hand or your face or even your foot. He may also nuzzle up to the other things like chairs or his scratching post. It feels like a hug, doesn’t it? What your cat is doing is leaving his scent through a special substance called a pheromone (fer’-a-mon). This substance is secreted from glands on your cat’s cheek (he also has these glands on the underside of the paws and under his tail).

When your cat deposits his scent around the house, it makes him feel comfortable. The house seems familiar to him. If you have more than one cat, you will notice them butting heads and rubbing their cheeks on each other. Only cats, comfortable with each other will engage in mutual rubbing.

I LOVE YOU-Does your cat say I love you? I’ll bet he does. When he wants to let you know he loves you he might nuzzle your face and touch your nose with his. Or he might bring you a present that he has killed. Or he might just try to be with you wherever you are in the house. Your cat may do something else to say I love you. But, I’ll be it’s the easiest to understand of all!

CATS AND PERSONAL HYGIENE

When it comes to personal hygiene, cats are the epitome of cleanliness. They are naturally equipped with the implements to groom themselves: a barbed tongue with which to lick, forepaws they moisten with saliva and use as a surrogate washcloth, and teeth to dig out tougher debris. Believe it or not, adult cats may spend as much as half of their waking hours grooming themselves, their relatives and friends.

The Onset of Grooming-Mothers begin licking their kittens, right after birth, to clean them, stimulate them to release urine and feces, rouse them to suckle, and provide comfort. Kittens usually begin grooming themselves when they are about 4 weeks old. At 5 weeks of age, kittens also begin grooming their littermates, as well as their mom. Mutual grooming amongst littermates, called allogrooming, often continues into adulthood. Allogrooming is a social activity that serves to strengthen the bond between cats.

Licking Patterns-If you've ever watched a cat groom her face, you've probably noticed the highly stereotyped manner in which she does it: First saliva is applied to the inside of one paw, then, using an upward circular motion, the cat begins rubbing her nose with her paw from back to front. The cat will then reapply saliva to that paw and, using semi circular motions, groom behind the corresponding ear, the back of the ear, the forehead and over the eye. When finished with one side, the process is repeated with the other paw on the other side of the head. After the head is clean, the cat grooms the front legs, shoulders, flanks, anogenital area, hind legs and tail with long strokes of the tongue. The order of body parts may vary, and not all of these areas are necessarily groomed in one sitting.

Problematic Grooming-It comes as no surprise to anyone that grooming has hygienic benefits. It helps eliminate parasites, keep the cat's coat clean and smooth, cool the cat down through evaporation of saliva, and stimulate glands attached to hair roots that secrete substances to keep hair water-proofed. However, grooming can also have psychological benefits. A cat may groom to temporarily reduce conflict, frustration or anxiety. Under these conditions, licking becomes what is called a "displacement behavior." Displacement behavior can occur when an animal is motivated to perform two or more conflicting behaviors simultaneously.

Unable to do so, a third behavior arises that is out of context with the situation.

For example, during a social conflict a cat that feels threatened may be conflicted between running from its attacker and fighting. Caught in a bind, the cat decides to groom instead! Grooming appears to calm and assure the cat.

Over-grooming, in the form of excessive licking, biting, nibbling, chewing or sucking the coat or skin, with no underlying medical cause, is typically indicative of stress. Common causes of feline stress are: fear, lack of stimulation, isolation, new pet in the household, move to a new household, separation anxiety, or in some cases early weaning. Over-grooming becomes problematic when it results in self-inflicted injury (hair thinning, removal of complete tufts of hair, skin infections), a condition called "psychogenic alopecia." This diagnosis is made when no underlying medical condition can be detected. In some cases, excessive grooming can start in response to a skin irritation (fleas, allergies, infections), but it can escalate into a behavioral problem even though the condition has cleared. It is thought that the grooming behaviors become self-reinforcing by reducing anxiety. The grooming actions become repetitive, called "stereotypies," that may come and go, depending on the cat's current level of stress.

What Does It Mean if My Cat Grooms Me?
Cats are social animals. They lick their owners as a display of affection and trust, the way they would lick littermates or their mother. They also may lick to taste any substance that is on your skin, such as salt.

Should You Groom Your Cat?
If your cat enjoys being brushed or combed then I encourage you to do so. Grooming your cat can serve to strengthen the bond between you and your pet. Grooming can also help you screen your cat for any problems that may be developing on the skin. However, many cats do not take fondly to being groomed by any tools but their own, so if you value your own safety, it is best to leave these cats to take care of the job themselves! If your cat is prone to hairballs, matting fur or excessive shedding, you may need to leave the grooming to a professional groomer.

Barbara Pezzanite, Ph.D.
Animal Behavior Fellow
Animal Behavior Center
ASPCA