Cat Body Language 101

So I have a black kitten that will do the Halloween cat pose a lot. Sometimes tail up and sometimes tail down and will hop sideways at me like that. He does it while we play sometimes too. I'm kind of confused

the best feeling ever is when i first met a cat and it immediately lets me pet him, and purrs, and when put the cat down, it rubs against my leg and kneads my shoe

One question. I've been kinda curious on this for quite a while... so when I go to pet my cat, She'll often make a little, trilling noise. do you know what this might mean?

My cat decided to make it hard on me by being born without a tail.😂 He's a "Rumpy riser" Manx. I took him in when he showed up at my house one morning as a kitten, so I'm not sure how much Manx is in him. He doesn't have all of the Manx characteristics but looks like a Grey tabby and I know that Manx can also share that look.

Thank you!

I have cat coloured glasses when interacting with dogs 😂 I grew up around so many cats in our family, and didn’t really interact with any dogs properly until I was around 6 or 7? And at that point I’d learned enough about cat body language and behaviour that I just couldn’t figure out dogs 😅 I just can’t connect with dogs on the same level, probably because of my cat coloured glasses! I always say “I’m a dog enjoyer but I’m a cat lover”- both are good but I know what I prefer!

i don't have a cat. Why am I here?

The distinction of the pupils was super helpful!

My cats LOVE their belly rubbed because ive been doing it since they were 5 weeks old. But if someone else was to try and rub there belly, they freak out.

What I don't understand is why my cat climbs on us and offers its butt. She climbs up and gets a quick heat scratch and then offers her butt. Why?

What does the slow upwards tail sway mean? sometimes it has the little question mark curl and sometimes it doesn't. I've assumed it means unsure curiousity so I wanna know if I'm right

I'm surprised he didn't mention with the tail that it doesn't always mean fear when it's puffed up. It could also mean the cat is overstimulated. I know my cats get the puffy tail when I'm petting them a lot on their back end toward the base of their tail and it seems to rile them up and the fur goes all poofy. It's not from fear, it just means they're ready to go attack a toy, lol

Jackson please stop showing the Penny videos

It's weird to me I tend to be a person that animals trust. And besides my friends snake that would bite him any time he would put his hand in the tank and it would just slither up my arm when I did. I'm dealing with a stray cat that realy trusts me, the belly thing I never knew but I also never went in for a belly rub for fear of that 4 claw clamp. The kneading has already scratched me enough. I don't need deep scratches by making it mad.

My cat rubs my legs and wrap his tail around sometimes. But whenever he enters my room he just pee everywhere, i dont know what is wrong with my room. His litter box is clean. Even if he went to the litter, he does it in my room. So we had no choice but to lock the room every time😢 why is he doing that?

It suddenly clicked with me that cats and autistic people behave similarly when we're getting overstimulated. The tail swishing actually seems a lot like stimming to me and the thing about cats responding with aggression not being a choice works too. If I get a sensory overload, I cannot control my body properly. I don't generally attack people, but I do tend to shut down and lose the ability to talk coherently or, if possible, flee the situation which is overwhelming me.

Jackson, I'm a proud black cat owner. She is my pride and joy very comical. She has a little what I call a Spud for a tail about 1" long. What other signs that mimic the tail if any. I love her to death she has an awesome character.
I really appreciate your show thanks for the help.

<cats tail wagging HARD>
Friend, "oh hes happy to see me!"
<goes in for pet, instantly loses face>

Dogs wagging their tails also does not translate "happy". That is a dangerous myth. Tail wagging means: excited. That can be good excited but also nervous excited. So it is not really that different from cats. "Excited" is never a good mood to meet, to sniff or to cuddle. Not with cats and not with dogs.

My wife’s cat scratches on stuff when he doesn’t get what he wants…

I bet the “pinned ear” look of Scottish Folds gets a bad reaction from regular cats. Huh.

My cat doesn’t have a tail:(

It baffles me at times that people don’t know these things but I have been around cats my whole life

To say that cat and dogs are a like is like saying Japanese and Chinese are the same culture.

You missed the little eye blinks, and when their tail is upright but they swish the tip side to side, both good things.

But, why do cats get overstimulated through petting? How is that useful evolutionarily?

I respect my cats body language AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. However, when they roll onto their back I CANT HELP MYSELF.

I have a cat called Cora, and she’s the one cat that you can actually form a friendship with.
About 5 years ago, I rescued her off the street when she was very young (we assumed that she was six months old) the poor kitty was scared, hungry, cold, abandoned, and literally begging people to save her. At night I almost hit her, then stopped and went to go see if she was okay, I saw that she had no collar and that she was a bit skinny, so I assumed that she was a stray and tried to chase her out of the road, but instead of running, she came right up to me and rubbed against my hand.
I realized that this kitty would die if someone didn’t do something. So I took her home, she seemed to know that she was in safe hands, and was calm the entire way back. When we were home, I brought her inside, she slept in my room with me, and she wasn’t shy at all, in fact, she laid down on my chest and fell asleep there. While I enjoyed having a cat by my side again, it brought back memories of my precious Mittens, who this stray cat resembled very closely. Mittens had died tragically in February of that year, she was only 2 years old when she died,(indeed, she looked a lot like Cora does, long fluffy gray fur, white paws, and a white chest and muzzle, and striking greenish yellow eyes, only difference is Mittens had darker gray fur then Cora, and she was more long legged while Cora has shorter legs. And the white face pattern is a little different)
Cora stayed with us for several weeks before I decided to keep her, and I noticed that she was getting fatter, I thought that I was over feeding her, but when I tried to get her on a diet, she just kept getting fatter, that’s when I realized that she was going to have kittens.
And in July 2018, she had 5 beautiful kittens, four and one male, surprisingly, none of them looked like her, three of them were tabbies, 2 gray and one Smokey brown, and 2 were jet black. The male tabby was gray with white paws and had Cora’s face, but otherwise he was the closest kitten resembling Cora. The kittens went to new homes 6 months later, we ended up keeping the male, one of the black ones, and the Smokey brown tabby.
After 3 years with Cora, I started studying the cat language, so I could understand her better, once I did, our friendship became stronger, Cora Is more then just a cat, she’s my friend: she’s family. She’s unique in every way. Sweet, gentle, unselfish, motherly, protective, intelligent, and kind. She’s only scratched me twice in her life, once in accident and another when she was in a bad mood, but she apologized both times by curling up beside me and purring, licking my hand. I don’t know for sure if she’s apologizing here, but I think that she is.
Every cat owner has a beautiful story with their cat, short or long. And each cat had a unique and wonderful personality, just like dogs, just like every animal.
And now, Cora is almost 6 years old, so to whoever reads this, give my special kitty a big happy birthday (idk her exact birth date lol)

My cat I've found is very dog like, of all my cats I've never had one the rolled to have his belly pet as vigorously as he does. Give him the biggest rubs and he just streeeeeeeetches and yawns

Introducing a new kitten with a 2 and a half year old. This Fridat😢. We will let hem sniff one under the door morning until early afternoon 4:pm.
This is Polly’s old home of 2 years. She’s my cat and has moved away from her kitt😢home. We are visiting her old home with a new kitten that now lives there. Fingers crossed, the greeting will go well. Polly is such a sweet rescue cat.

What if...he does the "Leave me alone" wag but he's coming to you and asking for pets?

Could you give advice about bringing home a Senior Cat from a rescue shelter to live out the rest of their life, please?

My cat is unpredictable it is all on me while i pet it with a tail that swings like a vine 😂 sometimes she tries to claw me while i rub yet comes right back 5 seconds later like😅

I live in an apartment on the first level. A stray cat keeps peeing on the sliding glass door and on the legs of the chairs. I’ve cleaned with vinegar but he keeps coming back. How do I stop this?

Hello Jackson Galaxy, I am not sure where to reach you out. I introduced a new kitten to my cat, and wanted to ask some questions and maybe ask if you could suggest anything.

My cat's tail is constantly in motion. Sometimes it's straight up, sometimes it's straight out, sometimes it's just laying there, but if it's visible, it's moving.

When I go to pet my cat, instead of lifting her back like a regular cat, she goes down to the ground like if I’m pushing her the the floor or something. I don’t know why she dose it.

Recently, I cured a seriously injured cat. Part of the process involved feeding him with a syringe and helping him to the litter box. One night, around 3 am, as I checked to see if he was still alive, he started meowing. I thought he might want food or water, but he didn't. Surprisingly, even though he could only move with pain, he managed to partially crawl onto my lap. It turned out he simply wanted to be petted. So there I was, at 3 am, sitting on the cold floor, gently petting the injured cat. I believe he wanted to express his gratitude for taking care of him.

My cat is incredibly friendly and well behaved
Had her since she was about 2 and I haven’t like researched cat behaviour till recently.

I have a lot of dog lover friends who hate cats and when they come round they always comment on how she is the nicest cat they’ve ever met one friend even said “that’s the most plastic cat I’ve ever seen she’s not real”

She has never scratched or bitten me ever and never scratches furniture either.
Always sleeps next to me on my pillow too.

Was wondering if some cats just have it in their nature because I do remember agitating her a couple times when playing with her tail (her tail and ears would start twitching) but she’s still only ever been lovely to me even in those situations?

I feel like a cat whisperer. I seem to feel their mood. It's so stinking cute!

Wag tail=high af
Ear flick = high af

these puns are great

The thing that confuses me, my cat ALWAYS whips her tail and she absolutely loves me. I mean she follows me from room to room and never leaves my side. She’ll be purring, come up to me while trilling and bunting, etc and still whip her tail so I’m confused if she’s actually upset or what’s going on? It’s not like she runs away either so🤷🏼‍♀️

Galactic cats. My ragdolls have eyes like moonshine. And they gaze into my eyes like they are reaching into my soul and inner being. For chicken treats

Jackson i saw a video of a cat's head was inside a dog's mouth and people thought it was funny

My kitten likes to lay on her back and ive learnt that it means she wants me to scratch her chin haha

If my cat rolls over and shows her belly for me that usually means she wants to play. If I went to scratch her belly in that moment she would absolutely four claw grab me. Not out of meanness but she thinks I’m playing so. I do not go for a belly rub in those moments but instead dangle a string above her. My cat seems really good at communicating in my eyes. She sits and meows by her bowl when she’s hungry, she climbs on me when she wants love, she sits by her toy when she wants play, she lays on her back when she’s comfy in the room and wants like “chill play” not full on run around play. she runs away when she’s scared. I feel lucky to have a communicative cat :3

She’s also good at telling my dog when to leave her alone 🤣

i have a stray cat that I feed in the evenings and now that it trusts me he walks literally right on my feet, weaving between my leagues and runs to catch up with me when i walk around the yard. Its almost annoying and dangerous for him bc I trip over him so many times lol

Always wants to get scratched and pet from his nose to the tip of his tail.

I have an appt set up to get him neutered next week.

Most of this applies to my sweet lady, and some of it doesn't at all. That's one of the things I love about cats. Building a relationship with a cat takes real, sustained curiosity and interest, and guides like this are a great place to start, but really you just have to get to know your cat and learn to communicate with them