Today I’m concluding my look at the meaning of feline body language and noises, as set out by animal behavior specialist Amy Shojai. The rest of Shojai’s list covers actual body language as opposed to noises. First I’ll describe an upset, aggressive cat using her parameters, then a relaxed, happy cat. Scared cats arch their backs to look larger, whereas defensive cats try to shrink into themselves. Ears flicking back and forth mean agitation, ears directed sideways indicate unease, and ears curled tightly towards the head denote that the cat’s preparing itself to attack. The fur bunches and stands up … Continue reading →

After writing about how to introduce pets to newborns, I started thinking about pet body language. By reading that we can most easily determine our pet’s moods, and thus intervene before a potentially negative situation could become worse. Also, we all wonder from time to time what our pets are thinking, and interpreting body language is about the closest we can come to learning that. Amy D. Shojai, author of over 20 books on pet behavior, recently posted two articles on website Paw Nation on what various positions and sounds indicate about feline and canine moods and thoughts. First I … Continue reading →