Read the eyes

eyes are a good signal. When a cat is frightened, the pupils of his eyes dilate. (And if you’re familiar with cats, you know those pupils c...

Hiss vs. growl

Neither is exactly a sign of pleasure, but hisses and growls don’t communicate quite the same thing. Basically, a hiss is a sign of fear. So...

Urban manners

basic fact about human beings: the farther apart they live, the more pleasant their relations are. The flip side: the closer together, the m...

Paws together = I’m scared

A truly frightened cat will not only hiss and arch his back, he will literally gather all four feet together under his body, as if his back ...

Not glad to meet

unneutered toms can be hostile in a very noisy way. Normally the two approach each other with tails moving slowly from side to side, all ...

Go for the gut

Cats use their hind claws to scratch themselves, but those long hind claws serve a defensive purpose as well. A cat under serious attack by ...

Scavenger buffet

food inside, and while he might have been someone’s pet, he was most likely a feral cat dining at one of his favorite feeding sites. Huma...