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Reading Cats’ Minds

Given that, according to a recent study, many cat guardians have trouble deciphering their cat’s emotional state, Andrea Carne explains how those who share their lives with cats can learn to interpret how they are feeling by paying close attention to changes in behavior

Anew study reveals something many cat owners may have already thought for some time – cats can be hard to read in terms of their emotional states (Dawson, Cheal, Niel & Mason, 2019). Surprised? No, I didn’t think so. But what may be surprising is that cats certainly do have facial expressions and they change subtly to give signals to their humans. It’s just that humans may not always be terribly efficient at deciphering them, or even noticing them.

More than 6,300 people from 85 countries took part in the online study which involved watching a series of 20 short YouTube videos featuring cats and assessing whether the cat in each one was either in a positive or negative state. The videos concentrated on the cats’ faces (eyes, muzzles and mouths) in a range of scenarios including playing, being petted, seeing food, and being intimidated by other cats. None of the videos showed the classic fear responses such as flattened ears and bared teeth as the researchers considered these to be already widely understood. The average score was around 59% and, of the thousands of participants, only 13% scored 75% and above. Women scored better than men (but only just), younger people scored better than older, and those that scored well generally had professional experience with cats, such as veterinarians (Dawson et al., 2019). It is perhaps not surprising that veterinarians scored well – it is, after all, in the cat's best interest that veterinarians recognize pain and it is also in the veterinarian's best interest to be able to recognize if a cat is about to lose his cool.

Another recent study into cat facial expressions was aimed at developing a Feline Grimace Scale to assess the pain score of cats under medical care in veterinary hospitals (Evangelista, Watanabe, Leung & Monteiro, 2019). But while vets scored well in the Dawson et al. study, it is interesting to note that being a selfconfessed cat lover made no difference in scoring well in this case, with those listed as having an attach© Can Stock Photo/vladko13 A recent study found that cat guardians were not always able to accurately read their cat’s signals

Cats display a variety of emotional states through their body language and facial expression © Can Stock Photo/ Rustmb

ment to cats not necessarily gaining a higher score than those reporting no such affinity.

What does the Dawson study really tell us then, apart from confirming that people may not always be very skilled in reading their cats’ minds? Well, the research team believes it points to the obvious opportunity to turn that particular statistic around so that more people are educated about the intricacies of cat facial expressions. This knowledgebuilding will greatly improve the bond between cats and their guardians and increase overall cat welfare. I absolutely agree, but this will take time and more research. We are talking about changing an extremely longheld, common opinion that cats are independent, aloof and can take care of themselves. They don’t need us getting all clingy and trying to read their facial expressions, right? Wrong! Those of us that follow the science While body language indicating fear may be more commonly recognized, cats also display more subtle signals that their guardians may not always understand

© Can Stock Photo/ piyato

know this simply isn’t true. Our cats do like us – for the most part – they are just extremely good at hiding how they feel (including their subtle facial expressions), so it’s up to us to work out when they need our help. While we are waiting for the world to catch up with the science and for more cat owners to understand the importance of being able to read feline facial expressions, we need to remember that there are many ways to decipher what’s going on with our cats. If we want to be responsible cat owners whose feline companions lead happy, healthy lives, we just need to be better detectives and take more notice of all the messages we’re being given. Physical Changes Has your cat shown a physical change in the way he goes about his normal daily routine? Has he stopped jumping up into his favorite chair, couch or cat tree? Often, this is the first sign that there may be some pain issues going on. Jumping hurts, so the cat simply avoids it. Has the cat’s gait changed? Does his walking style seem a little odd? Again, he may be experiencing pain and is walking in a way that helps alleviate the discomfort. Is he still able to curl up in a tight ball when he is asleep? Is he still able to do the “snorkel” leg lift when grooming? Any changes to these scenarios can indicate pain and should be checked out by a vet. There are so many options to safely manage pain these days and make our felines more comfortable, particularly in their senior years. If he is a younger cat, he may have injured himself or be in the early stages of any number of health problems that can be diagnosed and treated before getting worse. We are talking about changing an extremely long-held, common opinion that cats are independent, aloof and can take care of themselves. They don’t need us getting all clingy and trying to read their facial expressions, right? Wrong! Those of us that follow the science know this simply isn’t true. Our cats do like us – for the most part – they are just extremely good at hiding how they feel.

Behavior Changes Has your cat displayed some behavioral changes that seem out of character? Is he normally social with his humans but suddenly, or over time, has become more withdrawn or reluctant to be touched Is he spending more time hiding? Is he overgrooming or not grooming at all? Is he showing aggression towards the humans in the house or other pets where there has been none before? Is he vocalizing more or in a different way? Is he normally playful but has become disinterested in this activity? Have any of these changes to his normal behavior occurred without any apparent reason? If so, he may be unwell and/or in pain. Ongoing and untreated pain or illness can cause a great deal of stress which, in itself, can further deplete the cat’s health and overall wellbeing. Likewise, a stressful event such as moving, home renovations, a stray cat hanging around or a stay in a boarding facility could cause stress which, if left unnoticed, can get very bad very quickly. © Can Stock Photo/ AlexMAK

(Top to bottom) A cat’s ears, eyes, muzzle and mouth are good indicators of whether he is experiencing a positive or negative emotional state © Can Stock Photo/SundryPhotography

Appetite Changes Has the cat gone off his food when he is not normally fussy? Will he only eat wet food and avoid the dry and is this unusual for him? Is he eating way more than normal and yet always seems hungry? Is he drinking more water? He may indeed be unwell and/or have dental issues which can make it very painful to eat. He may also have a thyroid problem, diabetes or another medical condition. All of these potential problems can be properly diagnosed and treated by a vet and the sooner changes are noted and addressed, the better the expected outcome for the cat.

Litter Box Changes The most common behavior issue we tend to see in cats these days is inappropriate toileting. I always tell clients that toileting mishaps are never “vindictive” on the cat’s part but rather a call for help that should not be ignored. Either the cat is not happy with the litter box set up – location, type and size of tray, litter type, cleanliness, number of trays available – or he is being prevented from using the tray due to antagonistic behavior from another cat in the household, or he is actually unwell and perhaps cannot make it to the tray in time or is finding it difficult to get into or move about in the tray due to pain. He may then start to associate the litter box with pain, meaning he may start avoiding it altogether.

Is he straining when using the litter box, or is he visiting it more frequently? Can you see blood in his urine or feces? Does he vocalize when toileting? Any of these point to medical problems which should be treated seriously. (Note: Male cats straining to urinate is a medical emergency.) Environmental Enrichment The key to any of the signals listed above is to rule out potential medical issues first with a trip to the vet. Then work on changes to the cat’s environment – increase resources, increase enrichment and decrease potential stressors. Whether you are dealing with a medical condition, stress, or both (which is often the case, in my experience), making positive changes to a cat’s environment will always be welcomed.

To conclude then, for cat guardians who find it difficult to read their cat’s subtle facial expressions, looking for other signs that all may not be well with their feline companion can be an excellent way to start understanding their cat a little better. Cats are lovers of routine and that goes for their physicality, behavior and dietary and toileting habits. If cat owners see something that is out of character, it should not be ignored. A quick trip to the vet for a checkup will never be wasted.

Oh, and if you are interested in testing your own ability to decipher cat facial expressions, Dawson et al. have set up a website with a shortened version of the online test (see Resources). I’m happy to say I scored 100% if I hadn’t, I’d be reconsidering career paths! Just joking –we all have much to learn about our feline friends and the more research that’s carried out, the better understanding we will have of our intriguing furry companions. n

References Dawson, L.C., Cheal, J., Neil, L., & Mason, G. (2019). Humans can identify cats’ affective states from subtle facial expressions. Animal Welfare 28 (4): 519. Available at: bit.ly/374JEgY Evangelista, M.C., Watanabe, R., Leung, V.S.Y., & Monteiro, B.P. (2019). Facial expressions of pain in cats: the development and validation of a Feline Grimace Scale. Scientific Reports 9 (1) article number 19128. Available at: go.nature.com/2tjixjL Resources University of Guelph Cat Faces Quiz: bit.ly/361XlvG

Andrea Carne is a graduate of the University of Southern Queensland, Australia where she majored in journalism and drama before, later in life, following her dream to work in the field of animal behavior. She is a qualified veterinary nurse and dog trainer and member of PPG Australia. Her special area of interest is cat behavior and her passion for it led to the establishment of her own cat behavior consultancy Cattitude (cattitude.com.au), based in southern Tasmania, through which she offers private in-home consultations.

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