what can tell me about a cats mood?

Question

make it very detailed

put in web sites too

Answer 1

Although cats have a reputation for being independent, there are times and situations when they can (and do) interact with others of their own kind and humans in a social way. When motivated, they make their needs and wishes known to others without the benefit of speech or language as we know it. Cats have subtle ways of communicating, some of which have eluded scientific scrutiny for years. The senses and behaviors cats use to facilitate communication include vision/eye position, olfaction, touch, voice, body language, and operant actions.

Vision/Eye Position

A blind cat is at a serious disadvantage when it comes to communication because so many signals sent and received by cats are visual. On the aggressive end of ocular signaling is the stare. An irate cat will transfix her adversary with a blood-curdling look of animosity and malicious intent. If you’ve even been the subject of one of these looks, you'll know what I'm talking about. The corollary to the stare is the fluttering blink of trust and affection. If a cat doesn't trust another creature, she will keep her eyes wide open. Semi-closed eyelids are indicative of trust. ("See, I don't even have to keep my eyes open.")

Without vision, a wealth of communication is lost, leaving a cat literally in the dark as to the intentions of other animals nearby. All is not lost, however, as auditory, olfactory, and tactile signals will help fill in the blanks.

Audition/Vocalization

Cats make a variety of sounds in a variety of intonations. McKinley (1982) classified cats' vocalizations into two basic categories – pure (simple) sounds and complex (multiple) sounds. Pure sounds include the growl, squeak, shriek, hiss, spit and chatter. Complex sounds include the mew, meow and moan.

The growl, shriek, hiss and spit are pure sounds that communicate aggression. To another cat there may be some qualitative differences between these warnings. For example, it may be that the hiss and growl signal two levels of warning whereas the spit and shriek are more extreme utterances inferring that “boiling point” has been reached or exceeded.

The only benign communication in the pure sound group is the squeak – a high-pitched, raspy cry given in play or in anticipation of feeding.

Chattering is not a sound used in communication but rather is reflexive chattering of the teeth brought about by frustrated predatory ambitions (i.e. seeing birds on a feeder on the other side of a window).

Two complex sounds are interesting: the mew and the meow. The mew may just be the kittenish equivalent of the adult meow as, like the meow, it signals a wish for attention from a benevolent attention-seeker. The meow is made up of two sounds, phonetically "me" and "ow." The former is thought to mean "here I am" and the latter "don't hurt me." Kittens, of course, direct the mew toward their mothers. Adult cats direct the meow toward humans perhaps because, as cats’ feeders and groomers, we fill a parental role.

Touch

Cats groom other cats, and sometimes their significant humans, as an altruistic stress-relieving measure. Perhaps they expect payback at some time in the future (reciprocal altruism) but it is nonetheless an affectionate gesture. This form of grooming is tendered and received in a way that indicates close relationships or mutual bonding.

Answer 2

Your cat lets you know when it is pleased, angry, frightened or unhappy. Eyes, ears, tail, whiskers and voice are all powerful indicators of your pet's mood. Although sometimes regarded as lone hunters, cats are very sociable animals that have evolved a complex body language and a range of different vocal sounds to communicate with you and with other felines. A cat's face is particularly telling, expressing a variety of different emotions ranging from contentment to fear and aggression.A happy cat may greet you with its tail fur held high and the tail tip bent slightly forward. An erect tail indicates that a cat is happy and confident. A tail flicked from side to side indicates a state of tension. A cat on the defensive fluffs up its coat and its tal fur in order to appear larger. You can pet him !!A cat poised to make a strategic withdrawal away may remain still for several minutes.The attention is focused, the gaze intense and the ears pricked forward to monitor any sound. Leave him alone until he feels secure with no dangers.The purr is a low-frequency sound that is produced not by the vocal chords but from somewhere deep in a cat's chest. Purring is usually a sign of pleasure or contentment. A mother cat purrs when her kittens are born and when they begin to suckle; tiny kittens purr when they feel secure, warm and are well fed. However, a cat will also purr to comfort itself when it is nervous or in pain. Purring is a uniquely feline sound that usually means that a cat is relaxed and contented.With its teeth and claws showing, a formidable array of weaponry is displayed. The cat faces the enemy with the body turned sideways to present as large as possible. The hind-legs are tensed and ready to spring forward in attack or away in flight, and the weight of the front of the body is poised on one foreleg while the other, claws unsheathed, is prepared to strike out. The cat's chin is drawn tightly in to protect its throat, the ears are laid flat to its head as the cat snarls fiercely. The signs of extreme agitation in the cat are easy to recognize. Its eyes open wide and glance rapidly from side to side while the body is crouched, chin held in and the ears held out at the side of the head. A cat showing these signs should be coaxed gently, and should not be touched until the eyes and ears regain there normal appearance.

Answer 3

That's an odd question. Cats have moods just like people. Happy, sad, grieving, aggravated, irritated, depressed, angry, confused, playful, mischievous, scared, paranoid, etc..

Happy is usually ears up, tail up in a question mark shape.
Irritated or angry, tale swishing angrily, ears back or at half mast, irritated look on the face.
Sad is all droopy, staying low to the ground, tail down, little movement, lethargic...

Answer 4

when it acts. when a cat purrs and rubs it's head against your leg, you know that means it's happy! but when your cat scratches and growls it means it's not that pleased or happy. it might even give you a special look that tell you, you shouldn't do a specific thing to her.

Answer 5

Well when he is licking his nuts and I spray him a water bottle, he gets really ticked off especially when he is staring lustfully at the neighbors calico.

Answer 6

They have about as many moods as a woman... :) very mercurial creatures... and you can't predict when they will shift moods.

Answer 7

well if a cat purrs it means the cats happy, if it hisses its mad, and if it shows arrection it loves you!

Answer 8

if their eyes r squinted and theyr purring there happy.
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if theyr meowing then they want sumthing
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if they smac u on the head while ur on the couch like my cat.....theyr spoiled and they want sumthing!!

Answer 9

when it wants love it rubs against you and when it purrs it is happy it is mad its tail is strait up in the air