(From left) Target, Inkie and Tic Tac show their mood in very different ways. Photos: Ellen Whyte
Tic Tac marched into my office, ears back, and pointy-nosed. It’s an expression that means trouble, so when Inkie came in behind her, one ear back and narrow-eyed, I knew they’d had a quarrel.
I have always believed that I can read our furries; however, I wondered recently if perhaps I was deluding myself.
I like cats, and I believe they are labelled aloof because they have boundaries. If a cat doesn’t want to be picked up and snuggled, you’ll know all about it. Some people can’t handle that, so they blame and stigmatise the cat.
It’s surprising how misunderstood cats are. For example, there is the assumption that cats are solitary by nature. This is untrue. People adopt single cats or pairs but in nature, feral colonies come in all kinds of forms.
I’ve seen groups of 20 adult cats living together, swapping baby-sitting duties, and sharing food. I’ve also seen family groups that don’t allow outsiders. Some groups have a mix of male and female cats; others do not.
In my view, cat culture is the same as our culture – variable!
When it comes to furry faces, I see cats using facial expressions to communicate with each other, and also us. But frankly, I wonder if some of my beliefs are more inspired by love than fact.
Therefore, I was pleased the other day to come across a paper on cat facial expressions.
In the study, researchers recorded 53 adult domestic shorthair cats at CatCafe Lounge in Los Angeles, California, and analysed their facial expressions.
They discovered that cats have 26 unique facial movements and can make 276 different expressions.
Breaking it down further, the researchers deemed around 45% of cat expressions as friendly, 37% as unfriendly or upset, and 18% were possibly both or just unclear.
In comparison, humans have about 43 facial muscles and we can make a whopping 10,000 different expressions. Research suggests we only use about 3,000 of these, but still!
In human communication, reading expressions is a huge deal.
Interpreting facial expressions is also vital for success – not just when playing poker and mahjong but also for business, security, and personal relationships.
We scan our family, friends, and strangers, looking for frowns, smiles and other signs that tell us how they’re feeling.
The cat scientists were confident about distinguishing the 276 expressions and interpreting 226 of them. It got me wondering how good I am at decoding our furry friends’ faces.
When Tic Tac’s ears go back, her eyes narrow, and her nose lengthens, I see anger. She has some Siamese in her, and so her eyes glow red in low light as well.
When Tic Tac is tired, her face narrows and her fur flattens.
After a wild morning of race and chase, she becomes tired. Just before her nap, her face narrows and her fur flattens. She looks totally shattered.
However, when her eyes begin to close, you can tell she’s happy. Usually we can hear her purring across the room, the ultimate sign of contentment.
Most of the time, our cheerleader girl is filled with beans. She struts around with her ears up, her mouth curved in a little smile, and her fur looks rich and fluffy. That’s a signal she’s happy and ready for fun.
Inkie reveals his inner cat through his ears and eyes. When the ears are up and the eyes are wide open, he’s a happy boy. But if the ears go back and the eyes narrow, our tuxie is in a snit. Flat ears and huge eyes signal fear or upset.
Inkie shows his mood through his ears.
Inkie’s fur stays the same no matter what. It’s thick, velvety and doesn’t change even if he’s been racing around like a furry lunatic all morning.
Target is like Tic Tac in that he’s very expressive. Our orange uses his ears, whiskers, fur, tail, and paws to signal precise emotions but, between you and me, he is a drama cat.
Yesterday, when presented with tuna that was slightly too chilled for optimum flavour, he put one ear forward, one ear half back, twirled his whiskers, and lengthened his nose. As he sniffed, his tail drooped and he sighed a little. If he were a Michelin reviewer, our kitchen would have lost a star.
So I think I can read my cats, but with the fact that researchers are uncertain about many expressions, I was curious how accurate my readings are.
Luckily, there was a simple check. I ran downstairs and asked Tom what the cats had been up to. He rolled his eyes, “Whappy paws.”
Definitely a quarrel. What inspired it, we can’t tell. It may have been a dispute over their favourite space, the corner of the sofa, a misunderstanding about tuna or perhaps someone accidentally jumped up on someone else who was in deep mid-nap.
While the origin of the trouble could not be fixed, I did know a remedy for the tempers. “Treat?”
As if by magic, Tic Tac’s ears went up. Her enthusiastic, “Meow!” infected Inkie with delight. The two of them zoomed into the kitchen where they took up excited positions next to the box filled with yummy cat treats from Japan.
Tic Tac’s fur was up, making her look like a little polar bear, and Inkie was squeezing his eyes open and shut like small semaphores.
Hearing them, Target wailed a “Mrr-wrr-meow-wau” that means, “Wait for me!” He trotted in, ears up and tail at the ready too.
I may not be completely certain what our fuzzies are thinking, but as long as we have tuna treats, life is purr-fect!
Adopt Us
Photos: SPCA Penang/Lily Leng
Pearl was born mid December 2023. This gorgeous lady cat is spayed, and healthy. She and her sister were brought in to SPCA Penang last year on Valentine's Day. The cats are sweet, friendly and love to be patted. If you have a puppy, they will get along.Interested adopters, please contact SPCA Penang, Jalan Jeti Jelutong, 11600 Jelutong, Penang. Phone: 04-281 6559. Website: spca-penang.net
