Cat Body Language Ears. A Useful Guide

Cats use their body language to communicate with us. Even though the overall body posture matters, your cat’s ear talk should let you in on what your cat is feeling. Sometimes he might appear playful and other times fear or discomfort. Observing his ears should help you determine his innermost feelings. Without much delay, we are going to hop in and discuss cat body language and ears.

 

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Understanding cat body language: Ears

 

 

As we have mentioned above, our cats talk to us, and other pets using their body language. Their ears will particularly help you understand him. It is therefore important for you to understand cat body language even before you adopt a kitty. However, if you do not seem to understand what your cat is telling you through his ear talk, do not despair as we are going to discuss cat body language while focusing on his ear talk:

Happy kitty

You can be able to observe a happy cat through his ears. Now, even though his emotional status will depend on other cues of communication, ear talk is mostly accurate. A happy cat will have his ears all the way upright with his tips facing forward.

At this stage, your cat is content and genuinely happy. He might casually throw in a short meow as he approaches you. You will observe his ears in this position when you come home from work each evening. He is happy to see you and wants to say hello to you. However, even as tempting as it might be to pick up your kitty and pet him, wait until he comes to you instead.

It is also common that your cat will have his ears in this position during play when he is excited.

Relaxed cat

Unless there is something bothering your cat, he will spend most of the days calm and collected in the house. Once again, he will have relaxed ears, with his tips facing forward. It is an indication that your cat is content and relaxed.

You will observe this when your cat is calmly relaxing on the couch or his perching places. If you look at his eyes, they might be half-closed or blinking slowly. It means that he is comfortable and unbothered.

Angry cat

Now, cats are quite expressive and loving. At the same time, they can also get angry and it is usually nasty. When your cat is angry, he will have his ears straight up. The ear tips will face sideways.

There are several situations that could lead to an angry cat. Most cat owners running multi-cat homes have witnessed a catfight. His eyes might also appear to be wide open and his body lying low. This is a defensive position and it means the cat is about to attack.

You should get your kitty out of the situation making him angry. In the case two cats are about to fight, you should probably leave them alone to settle it out.

Frightened cat

In the case your cat is frightened or scared, you will also see it in his ears. He will have his ears flat on his head, and his claws exposed. Well, remember that cats are quite territorial when it comes to their space. For instance, if there is a stray or local cat/dog coming near your house, it might scare your cat.

You will notice a sudden change in his ear positioning. Flattened ears facing backward indicates that your cat is frightened. Well, you could get rid of the element causing fear for your kitty. This position ensures that the ears are out of his way in case there is a fight going down.

Once again, get him out of the situation causing fear and agitation right away. This is going to calm your cat down.

Defensive kitty

When your cat is frightened, there are two things that might happen. Your cat could fight off his opponent or run away to hiding. Either way, your cat is going to try and exhibit his superiority. His ears will face backward and just like an angry kitty, he will flatten them on his head. This is in preparation for fight or flight.

Whenever your cat gets into a defensive position, you might want to stay away completely. Understand that this is not a good time to pet him. You should keep off completely.

Even though cat ears body language will let you in to understand what he is feeling, there are other cues you can observe for the same. Below, we shall look at other cat communication cues that accompany the ear talk.

Curious cat

Cats are generally curious. They want to figure out each and every situation surrounding them. Well, through ear body language, you can be able to tell when your cat is curious. This is characterized by forward-facing ears, probably towards the source of noise or any other distractions.

You will definitely observe since cats have a very good sense of hearing. If you live along a busy street, your cat is going to have a few moments before he gets used to the noise.

Uneasy cat

Some situations can cause your cat to be uneasy and nervous. For instance, a quarrel between two cats can have your cat all nervous. As a result of the fear, he will move his ears to the side and open his eyes wider. If you are playing with your kitty and he ends up in this state, back off and leaves whatever it is that you are doing.

 

Cat body language communication

 

In addition to cat body language ears, there are other cues of communication that he might use. For instance, the eyes, tail and even his body posture. It is up to you however, to decipher what each cue means in order to understand your kitty even better. Let us discuss these communication cues right away:

Tail talk

Cats will also communicate using their tails. You can be able to tell his mood by simply observing his tail. For instance, you will realize that when he is happy, his tail will be raised up high even as he walks around. This is also a sign of confidence and he is most approachable as he is cheerful.

On the other hand, when he walks with the tail trailing down, it means that he feels threatened. You may want to check whether there is an intruder cat in the house.  Besides, when the cattail is moving or thumping rapidly, your cat is in an agitated state. You should probably leave him alone. On the contrary, when the tail is moving slowly, he is curious. He will have upright ears as he is alert and focused.

When your cat is angry and about to get into a fight, he will form a Halloween cat tail. He will try to make himself look bigger with the hope that he will scare away his opponents. Once again, it would be best to leave him alone or eliminate the situation causing him the irritation.

Cat-eye talk

Your cat will also communicate with you through his eyes. The whole purpose of observing your cat body language is to understand him better. When he is blinking slowly, probably looking at you, It means that he trusts you. It could also be an invitation to a play session.

Wide-open eyes mean that your cat is surprised, scared or even stimulated. Therefore, you will need to look at other body language cues before you can make this judgment. Constricted eyes mean that your kitty is aggressive or tense.

Do not be surprised when your cat takes you up for a stare challenge. When he stares at you, it is probably nothing much.

Body posture

His overall body posture will also tell you what your cat wants or is feeling. For instance, .when he curls up into a ball, it means that he is threatened. Usually, cats do so in efforts to turn away the threat he is facing.

In most cases, your cat will spend time sitting around or lying down. The way he positions his body is also vital in determining what he is trying to tell you. For instance, when he rolls over on his back, it could be a friendly gesture or a defensive posture. It is best not to give him a belly rub or play with him.

When your kitty is curious, he will lay low as he approaches the object or element of concern. Keep in mind that cats are natural hunters. He will definitely try to figure something out before he gets to it. Pay attention to your cat’s body language including ears, eyes, and tail.

Note that you may need to fully observe your kitty be able to decipher what he is telling you. You cannot depend on one communication cue to determine what your kitty is feeling. Therefore, the fore-discussed body language cues should help you do this.

 

Conclusion

In conclusion, your cat will communicate with your cat in so many different ways. He could meow at you or use other cat body language cues such as ears or eyes. It is your responsibility to ensure that you meet your cat’s needs once you adopt him.

Your cat body language should tell you what he feels. If at all he appears threatened, it is advisable to leave him alone. Your cat should feel safe at all times in your home and thus, eliminate any threats around. If you have a dog or another cat making him uncomfortable, you may want to separate them until he gets accustomed to having them around.

In addition, pay close attention to how your cat positions his body in different scenarios. You are going to learn more about your cat when you pay close attention to your cat. Notice how he behaves when he is excited, threatened or even sick. This way, you can always determine the best time to play with your kitty and when to keep off.

Lastly, make sure you spend some time with your cat as much as your cat. This way, you can always tell your cat’s mood and you will know how to handle him.