oi, you cat owners...

[butters]

i've just been watching a programme about cat behaviour. interesting, but when discussing body language, one thing it said was that cats have no facial expressions when communicating with other cats or humans

i either know some strange cats or that's tosh

what about your moggies?

 

[dolf]

I think we imagine expressions onto them. their faces are nowhere near as expressive as dogs.

 

[doowdniw]

We have four. They're all pretty dead pan, unless they're meowing to be fed. Although on the rare occasion, we manage to elicit the "I love you" slow blink. At least that's what we'd like to believe it is. Could just be a bit of lint on an eyelash.

 

[butters]

I think we imagine expressions onto them. their faces are nowhere near as expressive as dogs.

imagine? hmmn, i know i don't
i would say their expressions are more subtle than, perhaps, a dog's and involve how they hold their whiskers, their ears, but most of all what their eyes are doing - closed, half-closed, wide-open - i find the combinations of these elements quite expressive and that's before the signals given off by the rest of their bodies.

 

[butters]

We have four. They're all pretty dead pan, unless they're meowing to be fed. Although on the rare occasion, we manage to elicit the "I love you" slow blink. At least that's what we'd like to believe it is. Could just be a bit of lint on an eyelash.

are they related to eachother at all?

 

[bronzeage]

i've just been watching a programme about cat behaviour. interesting, but when discussing body language, one thing it said was that cats have no facial expressions when communicating with other cats or humans

i either know some strange cats or that's tosh

what about your moggies?

Except for baring their teeth and flattening their ears to show aggression, cat faces are pretty much the same, no matter how they feel. It may be hard to believe, but Grumpy Cat is actually quite goodnatured.

 

[doowdniw]

i find the combinations of these elements quite expressive and that's before the signals given off by the rest of their bodies.

We have one whose tail looks like a bottle brush whenever there are strangers in the house.

They rarely put their ears back, unless getting tired of the dog(s).

 

[doowdniw]

are they related to eachother at all?

Not that we know of, a black and grey tiger stripe tabby, orange tabby, black and white domestic short-hair, and a calico. All rescued.

 

[gotsnowgotslush]

For goodness sake! They have faces. They have foreheads.
They have mouths, and muscles to make those mouths move.
They even have eye lids. What more do they need, to make
an expression that you can read?

The cat is pleased. The cat is displeased.
The cat is is about to take a piece of
your hide, off of your body.

The cat is about to thank you until you
are bewildered.

 

[RedAllan]

The stray whose been living with us for the last 3 months certainly has expressions, I like to think they are of gratitude and love because we have allowed him to adopt us.

 

[lemonbread]

I've had a couple very friendly/personable cats that seemed to almost purse their lips while purring and being pet. The other cats I've had were just cats and had no distinct personalities, but my cats that had more personality and bonded more had more expression.

 

[Stewart_Pidd]

I think we imagine expressions onto them. their faces are nowhere near as expressive as dogs.

I like to think cats have some sort of facial palsy bro!

Stew

 

[bronzeage]

For goodness sake! They have faces. They have foreheads.
They have mouths, and muscles to make those mouths move.
They even have eye lids. What more do they need, to make
an expression that you can read?

The cat is pleased. The cat is displeased.
The cat is is about to take a piece of
your hide, off of your body.

The cat is about to thank you until you
are bewildered.

Yes, cats have all that, but they don't use them the same way we do, but being human, we look for human body language from another species. Cat body language is spoken more with ears and tail, than facial muscles.

 

[Fata Morgana]

Oh they definitely do. Now my Felix, now gone, never altered his expression. Maybe it's cos he was a dull cat bless him. Snowy has several expressions. My fave is his "Arthur Mallard" where his entire face looks scowly and caved in. His jowls bulge out and he looks like he has no teeth. This one is usually when he's run out of prawns or I'm making kissy noises on his beans.

He can also look completely angelic, loving, vicious and jealous. He's a beautiful cat with a great face though. Hence he's been in three national cat magazines. I'm resisting going into full Mrs Slocombe mode here!

 

[butters]

Except for baring their teeth and flattening their ears to show aggression, cat faces are pretty much the same, no matter how they feel. It may be hard to believe, but Grumpy Cat is actually quite goodnatured.

hmmmn - maybe i do know some weird cats then

yeah, grumpy's genetic condition has made them into an internet-star

We have one whose tail looks like a bottle brush whenever there are strangers in the house.

They rarely put their ears back, unless getting tired of the dog(s).

their ears have a whole lot of swivel

Not that we know of, a black and grey tiger stripe tabby, orange tabby, black and white domestic short-hair, and a calico. All rescued.

good for you!

 

[Wings]

My cat has more facial expression than my sister's stupid wiener/poodle mix. I can't stand that dog.

Bob almost always looks puzzled but when he's startled he looks like he's seen the scariest ghost. When he's happy it's eye lids at half-mast and cheeks puffed out.

He certainly doesn't smile like my pup does but he has his way of communicating.

 

[butters]

For goodness sake! They have faces. They have foreheads.
They have mouths, and muscles to make those mouths move.
They even have eye lids. What more do they need, to make
an expression that you can read?

The cat is pleased. The cat is displeased.
The cat is is about to take a piece of
your hide, off of your body.

The cat is about to thank you until you
are bewildered.

i think this might be a very relevant point - how much is it we're not seeing what our cats are communicating through a more subtle language?

The stray whose been living with us for the last 3 months certainly has expressions, I like to think they are of gratitude and love because we have allowed him to adopt us.

cats enjoy family bonds; if you are now seen by the cat as family, then it's more likely to be communicating more freely and more affectionately with you. and it's cool you've provided a home *nods*

I've had a couple very friendly/personable cats that seemed to almost purse their lips while purring and being pet. The other cats I've had were just cats and had no distinct personalities, but my cats that had more personality and bonded more had more expression.

yeah, i've had some more expressive than others - and that expressiveness, whether it's through vocalisation or body language, is what encourages us to shelter and feed them

Yes, cats have all that, but they don't use them the same way we do, but being human, we look for human body language from another species. Cat body language is spoken more with ears and tail, than facial muscles.

don't underestimate the power of a cat's stare

Oh they definitely do. Now my Felix, now gone, never altered his expression. Maybe it's cos he was a dull cat bless him. Snowy has several expressions. My fave is his "Arthur Mallard" where his entire face looks scowly and caved in. His jowls bulge out and he looks like he has no teeth. This one is usually when he's run out of prawns or I'm making kissy noises on his beans.

He can also look completely angelic, loving, vicious and jealous. He's a beautiful cat with a great face though. Hence he's been in three national cat magazines. I'm resisting going into full Mrs Slocombe mode here!

pics of your pussy or it din't happen!

 

[butters]

My cat has more facial expression than my sister's stupid wiener/poodle mix. I can't stand that dog.

Bob almost always looks puzzled but when he's startled he looks like he's seen the scariest ghost. When he's happy it's eye lids at half-mast and cheeks puffed out.

He certainly doesn't smile like my pup does but he has his way of communicating.

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff450/AedonGawen/oie_213521c00C9d1S.gif

lol

 

[Fata Morgana]

i think this might be a very relevant point - how much is it we're not seeing what our cats are communicating through a more subtle language?


cats enjoy family bonds; if you are now seen by the cat as family, then it's more likely to be communicating more freely and more affectionately with you. and it's cool you've provided a home *nods*


yeah, i've had some more expressive than others - and that expressiveness, whether it's through vocalisation or body language, is what encourages us to shelter and feed them


don't underestimate the power of a cat's stare


pics of your pussy or it din't happen!

Aww I've posted him tons on here. On my phone now or I would. Will send you some over the weekend.

 

[Wings]

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff450/AedonGawen/oie_213521c00C9d1S.gif

lol

Pretty close!!

 

[Fata Morgana]

Fucking autocorrect should have read Arthur Mullard. Only you and Sean will know him!

 

[butters]

Aww I've posted him tons on here. On my phone now or I would. Will send you some over the weekend.

awesome

Pretty close!!

my cat pulls faces when she's sulking, when she's feeling a bit uptight, does the wink thing, the closed-eye 'trust' thing, allsorts of stuff. and the look of disgust on her face when she's offered a food she's decided not to like is withering!

 

[gotsnowgotslush]

bronze, you have a good point about moggies having the added advantage of mobile ears and a tail, to add to visual cues.

That leads me to wonder about how much they learn from the people that they live with.

Do they pick up habits from us ? We are limited by what we have, and they are limited by what they have.

Maybe, these limitations are overcome by mutual agreement.

(I am fascinated by cheetah and dog pairings.)

 

[butters]

Fucking autocorrect should have read Arthur Mullard. Only you and Sean will know him!

arfur. arfur mull'ard. heh. http://movie-dude.co.uk/Arthur Mullard Father Came Too! (1963).jpg

 

[Wings]

bronze, you have a good point about moggies having the added advantage of mobile ears and a tail, to add to visual cues.

That leads me to wonder about how much they learn from the people that they live with.

Do they pick up habits from us ? We are limited by what we have, and they are limited by what they have.

Maybe, these limitations are overcome by mutual agreement.

(I am fascinated by cheetah and dog pairings.)

I'm not sure if they learn from humans but I can tell you that I've seen Bob learn how to cat by hanging out with my other 2 cats. He was never a lap sitter until he met the other two and now he gets it. Still hesitant about invading my space but he will do it. Of course now he fetches like the dog and comes when he's called so I'm not sure that he didn't pick up dog traits too.