How to understand your cat

Sure you talk to your cat now, but does he know what the heck you’re saying? And do you understand his purrs and meows? If not, it’s time to have a good chat with your furry friend. You will need a willingness to look silly, attention to pay to his sounds and a working knowledge of cat body language.

Step one: Create greater intimacy with your cat by mimicking his meows. Just knowing that you’re attempting to speak his language will make him feel closer to you.

Step two: Increase your chances of your cat listening to you by using his name when issuing a command. Men should use a higher pitched voice when speaking to their cats because cats respond better to sopranos.

Step three: Like humans, cats seek clues about a person’s mood by listening to his voice. When you talk to your cat, be sure that your tone matches the message you want to convey. If you want your cat to know you’re upset that he just peed on the rug, do what his mom would do. Gently pick him up by the scruff of his neck and growl.

Step four: Cats have about one hundred words in their vocabulary in the form of meows, growls, purrs and hisses. Pay close attention and you’ll begin to learn the sound he makes when he’s hungry, angry, fearful and so on.

Step five: Learn how to read your cat’s tail. If only the tip is moving, he’s irritated. If the tail is swinging from side to side, he’s P.O.’ed. If he’s carrying his tail tall and proud, he’s happy.

Step six: Figure out kitty’s mood by paying attention to the speed and volume of his mewling. Fast, loud sounds indicate anxiety while slow, quieter sounds convey confidence.

Did you know? In ancient Egypt, cats were so revered that when one died, the owner placed embalmed mice in the cat’s coffin so he’d have food in the afterlife.