How To Talk To Your Cat?

Sure, you talk to your cat now, but does he know what the heck you’re saying? And do you understand his purrs and meows? If not, it’s time to have a good chat with your furry¹ friend.

You will need: a willingness to look silly, attention to pay to his sounds and a working knowledge of cat body language.

Create greater intimacy² with your cat by mimicking³ his meows. Just knowing that you're attempting to speak his language will make him feel closer to you.

Increase your chances of your cat listening to you by using his name when you're issuing a command.

Men should use a higher-pitched voice when speaking to their cats, because cats respond better to sopranos.

Like humans, cats seek clues about a person's mood by listening to his voice. So when you talk to your cat, be sure that your tone matches the message you want to convey.

If you want your cat to know you’re upset that he just peed on the rug, do what his mom would do: Gently pick him up by the scruff of his neck and growl⁴.

Cats have about 100 words in their vocabulary in the form of meows, growls⁵, purrs and hisses⁶. Pay close attention and you'll begin to learn sound he makes when he's hungry, angry, fearful and so on.

Learn how to read your cat's tail. If only the tip is moving, he's irritated. If the tail is swinging from side to side, he's PO'd. If he's carrying his tail tall and proud, he's happy.

Figure out kitty's mood by paying attention to the speed and volume of his mewling. Fast, loud sounds indicate anxiety, while slow, quieter sounds convey confidence.

Did you know? In ancient Egypt, cats were so revered⁷ that when one died, the owner placed embalmed⁸ mice in the cat’s coffin⁹ so he’d have food in the afterlife.