The Cat Behavior Answer Book - Arden Moore [22]
The Halloween Pose
Q Occasionally, my young cat will arch his back, puff out his hair, and bounce around the room on stiff legs. He looks ridiculous. I have to laugh when he strikes that classic Halloween cat spooky pose. Why does he do that?
A Faced with a fight-or-flight predicament, a cat needs to deal with what he perceives to be a fearful situation. Inside your frightened cat, biochemicals are at work. Adrenaline starts coursing through his body, causing his hair to bristle, his back to arch, and his tail to puff out. The result? He looks like a poster child for Halloween symbols.
Cats strike this pose to look physically bigger and more menacing to approaching threats. Notice that your cat also turns his body sideways toward the attacker to further magnify his appearance. Outwardly, the cat looks mean and ready to rumble, but inside, he is hoping that the attacker (be it a strange dog, an unfamiliar house guest, or a startling sound on the television) will just go away and leave him alone.
This is a classic feline bluff posture. It may look comical to us, but to our cats, the threat is real and the pose is an instinctive reaction. If this posture doesn’t work, the cat faces two options: flee the scene or prepare to fight.
Seeing Eye to Eye
Q My cat, Daphne, has beautiful, big, round, golden eyes. She is a Bengal who I adopted as a kitten about three years ago. She has developed into a very affectionate cat who likes to play and who follows me from room to room. Sometimes I try to engage in staring contests with her for fun. I thought that cats could outstare us, but she always seems to break her stare and starts blinking at me. What is she trying to tell me?
A Ah, you are the proud recipient of the feline eye-wink. Cats who gently flutter their eyes at selected people are conveying not only affection but also trust. Daphne is telling you in candid cat language that she adores you. Make Daphne’s day by responding with soft winks back to her. She may be wowed by your cat savvy and display other forms of friendship toward you.
As for staring contests, cats save that intense look for when they are on alert or are feeling animosity toward someone or some situation, so it’s best to avoid looking your cat directly in the eyes if you want to keep those happy feelings.
Cat-to-Cat Communication
Q My four cats get along pretty well, as far as I can tell. They don’t have bloody fights or nasty howling exchanges. They are all adults, ranging from three to ten years old. Each arrived at a different time. How can I tell if they like each other or simply tolerate one another?
A In spite of the variety of sounds described on page 68, cats rely less on sounds and more on body postures and scent marking when communicating with each other. However, some cats hiss at a feline housemate when feeling defensive or threatened.
Cats are generally thought of as solitary creatures who enjoy company only when mating or mothering, yet many cats do form close friendships. Why? That is a complex question still being studied by animal behaviorists. What is known is that space matters between cats. I’m talking about the physical space between two cats who share the same home.
Cats who at least tolerate and at best like one another require far less physical separation in a home than do feuding housemates. In addition to feline elbowroom, the availability of resources also plays a role in keeping the peace. If there is plenty of chow available for all, there is less chance of fighting over food. The same goes for the number of available litter boxes. The rule is one litter box per cat plus one.
Not all cats will cuddle up together or play together, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t content to share a house. Don’t worry if your cats ignore each other or only sniff noses occasionally. Do be alert to signs of stress such as flattened ears, dilated pupils, hissing, and lowered tails. From your description, I’m betting that your foursome more often display relaxed postures with their ears and tails and that they all feel safe, secure, and well