Can you speak cat? Scientists develop quiz that reveals how well you understand our feline friends
Although often mistakenly considered mysterious or difficult to understand, cats are actually excellent communicators. In fact, in free-ranging cat coloniesphysical combat is kept to a minimum through intelligent use of bodily postures, exchanges of odors and vocalizations.
Cats also have adapted their communication for humans. For example, adult cats generally don’t meow at each other. But when around people, cats meow a lot, suggesting that they have adapted this vocalization to communicate. with humans.
Cats can also understand human communication. Studies show that cats know their own names and names of their companionsand can recognize human emotionseven changing their own behavior in response.
Despite all this, humans still have a poor understanding of cats. Our new study, published in Frontiers in ethologyshows how little people understand the signals given by cats. Try the quiz below to see how well You speak cat.
What we did
We asked 368 Australian participants to watch videos of human-cat interactions. But not all videos were “game” for the cat. Only half of the cats played, while the other half showed signs of not wanting to play or felt stressed by the interaction.
After each video, participants were asked whether they thought the interaction was overall positive or negative for the cat, based only on the cat’s behavior. They were then asked how they would interact with the cat in the video they had just seen.
How well do you speak cat?
Watch the short videos below and decide: is the cat feeling positive or negative about the interaction? Remember to base your answers solely on the cat’s behavior.
What did our study reveal?
The results showed that participants had difficulty recognizing negative signals indicating discomfort or stress in cats.
For videos of cats that were not playing and showed subtle negative signals (such as sudden tension in the body or avoiding contact), participants only recognized the negative signals as well as chance (48.7%).
Even when participants watched videos of cats showing overt negative signals like hissing, biting, or trying to escape, they still misclassified them as positive 25 percent of the time.
Recognizing when a cat is stressed is only the first step. We also need to know how to respond to these signals.
Even when participants were successful in recognizing negative cues, they often chose to interact with the cat in ways that would cause more stress and increase the risk of human injury, such as petting it, rubbing its belly, and playing with its hands.
Stress is unhealthy
Stress can have serious consequences. Cats who experience regular or prolonged stress (including from unwanted interactions like those in the negative videos) are at higher risk of health problems such as bladder inflammation.
They are also more likely to develop behaviors that people find problematic, like increased aggression or urinating outside the litter box. In turn, these behaviors increase the risk that the cat will be euthanized or rehoused.
Cat stress is also bad for humans. If a person does not heed the warning signs, the cat may bite or scratch itself, bacteria deposition and microorganisms deep into the skin. Rapid infection follows 30% to 50% cat bites. If not treated promptly, it can lead to serious complications, including sepsis, chronic health problems and even death. Cat bites and scratches can also transmit zoonotic diseases such as cat scratch disease.
How to play safely with cats
Watch for warning signs that a cat is not having fun and stop if you notice any. By the time the signals become evident, cats are already experiencing distress.
Early warnings include turning away, dodging or blocking attempts to touch, flinching, body tension, ears thrown back or to the side, lip/nose licking and tail wagging, slapping or cowering.
Touch
Avoid sensitive areas like the belly, legs or base of the tail. Cats prefer to be touched on the head and neck.
Avoid using hands to play. This teaches cats that hands are toys and increases the risk of accidental injury. Instead, use toys that move your face and hands away, like a magic wand with a long handle.
Tail
Tail wagging isn’t always a negative sign: it just means the cat is emotionally stimulated, which could be due to stress or excitement. Cats also use their tails to maintain balance. It is therefore best to consider the tail in combination with the whole body and the context.
Changes in tail movements can also give important clues about the cat’s mood. Generally, the greater the movement, the more intense the sensation. So if movements start to get bigger or faster during play, or if a tail goes from relaxed to swishing when you touch, this may be a sign of backing off.
Ears
Cats’ ears are like antennas that rotate and adjust to localize sound, but they can also give us an idea of what they are feeling. If the ears move for a moment and then return to a relaxed position, it usually means they are listening to the world around them. If the ears remain flattened and thrown back, it is a sign of distress.
Vocalizations
Trills and chirps both suggest a playful cat, while hisses, growls, and meows all indicate stress. Purring may sound positive, but may indicate that a cat is stressed and trying to calm down.
Let them be
When early warnings don’t work, cats may show overt signs such as hissing, growling, shaking, hiding, and ultimately biting or scratching.
If you notice warning signs, give the cat plenty of space. When stressed, cats don’t like to be touched or have people too close. If the cat comes back and reestablishes contact, that’s a good sign that he’s comfortable, but watch for the warning signs to return.
If you pay attention to your cat’s behavior and give her space when she needs it, with a little practice you may be able to speak cat fluently.
This edited article is republished from The conversation under Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
