True or False? Cats talk to each other.
True!
While cats don’t text or call each other, they do communicate with one another through chemical and visual cues, vocalizations and physical contact!
- Chemical cues. Instead of love notes, cats leave pheromones and oils from their scent glands (located on their forehead, cheeks and chins) when they rub against each other and objects. These messages may enhance bonding, show that an object is safe, signal happiness or mark a territory telling other cats to stay away.
- Visual cues. When a cat is approaching another cat they like, their tail may have a curl at the end and their ears may be turned forward. If they’re slowly blinking their eyes, they're showing approval and giving the okay for the cat to approach. If on the other hand your cat is uncertain or fearful, they may crouch down, tuck their tail along their body, look away, lick their lips and pull their ears to the side. When cats flatten their ears, lash their tails from side to side and hold their forelimbs close to their hind limbs, watch out! They may be preparing to attack.
- Vocalizations. Cats may meow or make a trill sound when greeting each other but tend to save their vocalizations for interacting with their humans. However, when a cat is feeling fearful, they may growl or hiss to tell the other cat to stay away.
- Physical contact. When showing affection, cats will rub their heads against each other, rub noses and sometimes will hook their tails and rub them together.
Now that you know how cats communicate, watch to see if you can identify the messages they’re sending each other!
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