Cat Body Language

Between cats the communication through the body language is more effective than the oral. In it they use movements of the ears, whiskers and hairs from the spine, legs and tail.

Some experts say that it is possible to distinguish up to nine different facial expressions and 16 postures of the body and the tail. Cats combine this movements to express thousands of tints; in other words, to react before different situations.

The aggression, for example, is shown with the raising and rhythmic movement of the tail and the bristled hair. The whiskers are still and forward, the ears erect and somewhat thrown backwards, and the pupils appear as thin as lines.

The more angrier the cat, more backwards are the ears and forward the whiskers. When he is ready to attack, the ears rotate a bit more and the tail agitates rhythmically.

Defensive posture
When a cat is in a defensive posture, he situates its flat ears pointing to the sides. The hair and the whiskers get pointed, the loin arcs and the mouth is slightly opened, ready to emit a grunt, growl or to spit.

When a cat wants to show submission, he shrinks its body, reduces the volume of its hair, puts its whiskers down, the tail drops and hits the ground, and the pupils are dilated.

When two strange cats measure their strength, they exhibit an ample variety of aggressive and defensive postures. The confrontation usually begins with a long session of mutual observation, after which one of the cats starts the fight by smelling and grunting at the tail of its rival, and makes the other defend itself. If the aggressor keeps getting nearer, the other cat can surrender and leave, letting the winner pacing proudly through the territory, or to stay in this place and to adopt an aggressive attitude, which is when the real problems begin.

At the moment in which each one of them throws itself against the other, the attacked rolls on its back and raises its claws to defend himself.

This is how a cat fight with all its rules produced, breaking the silence of the night. The fight continues until one of the cats decides that he has had enough ant tries to escape.

When at a prudential distance from each other, both begin an intense ritual of bathing.

But this might not be the end, and they will surely leave the fight for another day.