Credit: Special Arrangement
If our pets fought for which species is the most understood by humans, dogs would win it hands down. Decades of research on dog evolution, behaviour, communication and body language have decoded many interesting nuggets about ‘(hu)man’s best friend’: their coevolution with our species, their response to our gestures, and the allure of ‘puppy eyes’. Science has also shattered some long-held myths of the pack/dominance theory that parachuted the ‘alpha dog’ and the ‘success’ of fear-based training. Arguably, these strides, rooted in science, have strengthened our bond with dogs, especially those whom we call our pets.
Cats, on the other hand, have remained an enigma. Although the domestic cat, which descended from the African wildcat, has lived with humans since around 6,000 BCE, we know very little about how they communicate with us and with their own kind. The little that we know is also steeped in stereotypes of cats being standoffish, aloof or boss-like around the house. Worse, some of us (me included) even fail to recognise the moment a cat morphs from the lovey-dovey fluff ball enjoying a belly rub into a hissing monster ready to strike with 10 knives (read claws). My ankles and my arms have been victims of such feline fury.
However, scientists in the last few years have been trying to ‘let the cat out of the bag’, quite literally, when it comes to feline communication. From understanding the evolutionary origins of the ‘meow’ to suggesting tips on how to crack a ‘cat smile ’— it’s now a purr-fect time to be a cat. The highlights, presented below, not only help cat people bond with their floofballs but also give hope to people like me, with whom the feline gods aren’t always pleased.
Meows for humans
Unlike dogs who are happy to wag their tails until they drop or slobber our face with love, cats do few things to please humans, and the classic ‘meow’ tops that list. Research finds that unlike other sounds, such as hissing, purring, growling and caterwauling — which cats use to talk to others of their own kind — meowing is a bespoke sound that developed as the African wild cat became the domestic cat. The ‘meow’, aimed to grab human attention, appears so attractive to our ears because it mimics a baby’s cry, and we instinctively respond. Surprisingly, cat-cat communication involves no meowing. Kittens, however, meow for the same reason as cats do — to get attention from their parents.
Facial acrobatics
The grinning ‘Cheshire Cat’ from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland may be the most famous one, but a study last year found that cats show 276 facial expressions— nearly five times as many as humans — when they interact with each other. After closely studying video footage of 50 cats in a Los Angeles cat cafe after people had left for the day, scientists found the felines’ expressions came from a combination of 26 facial movements, such as parted lips, jaw drops, dilated or constricted pupils, blinks and half blinks, nose licks, extended or retracted whiskers and various ear positions. About half of the nearly 300 expressions were ‘friendly,’ and about 37% were thought to be ‘aggressive.’ However, they too could not place about a fifth of these expressions in either of the categories — they remained a mystery just like everything cat!
Catty much!
A cat can talk through its body, from the nose to the tail. Apart from the facial expressions, puffed tails, arched backs, and slow blinks are also part of the grand cat repertoire. If sounds weren’t enough, they also have the power of scent. Notice how cats rub their bodies against furniture, their favourite humans or even other cats? Well, they are leaving behind pheromones and oils from their scent glands to mark their presence. A study last year found five families of bacteria live in a cat’s anal gland, and they all cook a concoction of odour that’s specific to a cat —much like that of humans, dogs, hyenas or foxes. The scent, which varies from one individual to another but is unnoticeable to the human nose, is affected by diet, health conditions and other environmental factors. Oh, and how could I forget the pee-marking? Ask any cat parent, and they’ll have some annoying stories to share!
Smile like a feline
Now that you know a thing or two about how cats communicate, can we use them to talk to cats, you ask? Yes, say the scientists, armed with their research on ‘smiling’: not by flashing teeth but by narrowing the eyes and blinking slowly. In a 2020 study, researchers made people ‘cat-smile’ at 50 cats — some known to them and a few new ones — and found that cats were more likely to approach and be receptive to humans who slow-blinked at them. Cats were also more likely to slow-blink at humans after humans have slow-blinked at them. That’s the ‘return smile,’ perhaps.
With 16 known vocalisations, nearly 300 known facial expressions and a handful of known body language gestures, we are only scratching the surface of cat communication.
Tailspin is your monthly column on everything that’s heartwarming and annoying about pet parenting.
The writer is a science communicator and mom to Pippi, a six-year-old rescued Indie. She posts on X @RamanSpoorthy