Slow blinking and trilling are some of the ways felines show affection – but experts say to ‘read the whole cat in context’
I talk to my cat, Blue, constantly. I say things like, “You’re my little baby,” and “Wow, good jump,” and “Can you stop being a jerk for like, two seconds?”
She also seems to say a lot, like, “Feed me,” “Feed me right now,” and “Stop working and play with me.”
Because I’m obsessed with her, I like to think we have a perfect, mind-meld level of communication. But what if I’m wrong? What is Blue really trying to tell me? And what am I really telling her?
I turned to cat experts to find out how cats communicate, and how we can better understand them.
First, it’s worth exploring how cats perceive us, as this can shape how they communicate with us. Do they see humans as big, weird, hairless cats? Food dispensers? Or something else?
“There are so many varied beliefs here,” says Jessica Mockett, a certified feline behavior, training and holistic health consultant. “In some ways, they treat us like they would another cat,” she says – they groom us, make biscuits on us, and co-sleep with us, all things they might do with other cats in their group.
