Can cats smile?

Question

i was wondering because the other day i was sitting on the couch and she jumped up beside me. i smiled at her and it looked like she smiled back. i know i know it sounds wierd. but can they smile?

sorry i am asking so many kitten questions

Answer 1

There were actually long terms studies with dogs in which they determined that dogs mimic emotional expressions they learn from their owners. They even determined that they truly smile. I personally believe that cats that are close with their human companions attempt to mimic our responses as well.

Dogs have more controls over their facial expressions than cats, however I have seen many real pictures of cats smiling and it is hilarious!

We know that both dogs and cats recognize when we are happy, sad, mad, tired, excited, etc... No surprise that they would pick up this expressive behavior.

Answer 2

Humans happen to smile and laugh when they are happy, and dogs wag their tails. So it is not unusual for an animal to have a physical reaction to happiness. Cats show happiness by purring. They may also purr when startled or upset. It turns out that domestic cats, some wild cats like pumas and mountain lions (in general, any big cat that cannot roar) and even raccoons are all able to purr. It turns out that cats have special wiring! The wiring travels from the brain to the muscles in the voice box, and this wiring is able to vibrate the muscles so that they act as a valve for air flowing past the voice box. The muscles work both during inhalation and exhalation, which creates the impression that cats can purr continuously. The air passes through the valve, which opens and closes rapidly to create the purring sound.

Answer 3

I'm a Hello Kitty fan. The reason why hello kitty doesn't have a mouth because you'll never know if she's smiling or not. Same thing with real cats. In my opinion, cats don't smile but deep inside, they appreciate, reciprocate and cherish your love and affection you're showing to them. You may never see them smiling on their faces but it's their heart that is smiling!

Answer 4

try this with your cat, it'll make you laugh cause you can see the lips move into a smile:

when it's just lounging around start to rub gently under it's chin (you'll notice the lip endings sorta flatten out straight)

then with your other hand, start to rub the top of it's head (quit rubbing the chin) now the lip endings (the part toward the back of the mouth) will start to curl into a smile.

It always makes me smile and laugh to see my cat's "smile" when I do this.

Answer 5

I think they can. I swear mine does. They can also look sad. When I get up in the morning my cat followes me and does this irresistable meow thats soo sad because he knows im off to work for the day! When i cuddle with him, his face gets tight and i swear it looks like hes smiling!

Answer 6

My cat USually always smiles

Answer 7

I definitely think so. Ours get that look on their faces, too. However, it's never been like what you described when they smiled back. I don't doubt it happened for a moment though. I truly don't believe we give animals enough credit for what they do understand and infer.

Answer 8

If you think she can smile and saw her do it then she can.
I had a cat that said Milk to me while standing in front of the frig. needless to say she got some.

Answer 9

yes they smile.

Try sometimes to tickle your cat? You might see more than a smile

Answer 10

I think they can when they are content !