Cat Social Behavior

Cats live by a different social structure than people, so sometimes it may be hard for us to understand. They use very specific social behavior to convey certain feelings or concepts.

  1. Hierarchy

    • Cats living in groups typically establish a hierarchy. Age, gender and aggression are all determinant factors in the social order.

    Vocalization

    • Cats have a few distinct vocalizations that mean specific things. For instance, meowing is a cry for attention--the cat probably wants something. Hissing and growling are signs of fear and aggression, while purring is most commonly associated with happiness or being content.

    Positive Body Language

    • Cats rub against their human companions to both show affection and mark you as "theirs." Licking is their way of grooming, and when they do it to other cats or people it's a sign of affection.

    Negative Body Language

    • If a cat's tail is hung low, it often indicates unhappiness. If the tail is twitching around, it usually indicates that the cat is annoyed or angry, but cats may also twitch their tails when hunting.

    Nipping and Biting

    • Gentle biting, or nipping, is a sign of deep affection. This is similar to humans who may exchange non-romantic kisses, such a mother and son. Harder biting is a sign of agitation--it's not intended to injure you, it's just the cat's way to ask you to stop doing whatever is annoying it.