Cats are often considered mysterious and perplexing because it’s hard to know exactly what they’re thinking or the reasoning behind some of their strange actions. Any cat owner can tell you how confusing the post-poop zoomies can be or how weird it is when their pet uses them as a scratching post when they have perfectly good posts around the home. While we may never know what’s driving these strange cat behaviors or what thoughts hide behind those beautiful yellow eyes, we can take an educated guess. Using your cat’s behavior, facial expressions, and body language, feline behaviorists suggest that pet owners can deduce their pet’s thought processes. Keep reading to learn more about how cats think, how to tell what yours is thinking, and what musings may be running around your cat’s noggin at any given time.

Can Cats Think Like Humans? When we look at the structure of the feline and human brain, we can see that they’re actually quite similar. Both species have four lobes in the cerebral cortex, and both brains have grey and white matter. Each region of the brain is connected in the same way. Cats and humans both use the same neurotransmitters to send data. Cats also receive input from the same five senses as humans. While cats do think about various things, their level of thinking is not on par with humans. They have no concept of things like the future or past and can’t contemplate the meaning of things, so they tend to think about things circumstantially. Image Credit: Tran Mau Tri Tam, Unsplash What Does My Cat Think of Me? Cat cognition is a still-emerging field of science, so we’ll all need to wait for more answers to get a full grasp of how the feline brain works. Until more research comes out, we must rely on information shared by professionals in the pet industry. Many vets believe that cats look at their humans as bigger cats. They may not know that humans are a different species or, more likely, don’t care. Cats treat their caregivers in much the same manner as other felines. For example, think of the last time your cat snuggled up to you, purring and kneading. We all know this is a sign of contentment, but it’s also one of the first behaviors cats engage in with their mothers. Research finds that cats respond differently to humans depending on the mood of the human. They are capable of reading the human gaze and do so to gauge situations at hand. For example, your kitty might look to you to determine if a current situation is concerning or not. Image Credit: Stokkete, Shutterstock What’s more, cats don’t only see you as the feeder and poop scooper of the household. Studies suggest that cats display the same distinct attachment styles toward their humans that babies show their parents. So, despite all the rumors about cats being standoffish and aloof, they’re quite the opposite deep down. Though your kitty may not meet you at the door with their tails wagging like a dog, they do care for you and consider you a part of their family.

Using Your Cat’s Body Language to Determine Thoughts While you can’t know for certain what your kitty is thinking, you can use its body language and facial expressions to try and figure out what it may be thinking. Unfortunately, studies suggest that many humans find it difficult to read a cat’s facial expressions. Try taking this interactive quiz to see how you fare. Let’s look at some subtle ways your cat may try communicating with you. Tail Image Credit: Arina Krasnikova, Pexels Your cat’s tail says a lot about its mood, so pay attention to what it’s doing throughout the day to get an idea of what mood your cat is in.

Upright & held high: confident, happy

Curled top: friendly

Straight down: agitated, aggressive

Curved below body: nervous, submissive

Puffy: scared, angry

Whipping back and forth: angry, afraid

Swaying slowly/twitching: Focused

Eyes Image Credit: Christian Bodhi, Pixabay The eyes are one of the most expressive parts of your cat’s body and can tell you much about what your cat may be thinking. It’s not only the action the eye is performing that cues you into your kitty’s mood, but its pupils are also expressive.

Sudden pupil dilation: strong emotional arousal (e.g., fear, pleasure, excitement)

Wide open eyes: alert, trusting

Unblinking stare: dominance, warning

Slit eyes: fear, aggression

Droopy, sleepy eyes: relaxed, trusting

Ears mage Credit By: Valeri Pavljuk, Shutterstock It’s strange to think of ears as an expressive body part, but they certainly are, at least for cats and dogs. So watch your cat’s ears closely for hints at its current mood.

Neutral: happy, relaxed, chill

Straight up and forward: alert, on control, playing

Low and sideways: frightened, nervous

Low and facing out: under the weather

Low and flat: aggressive

Using Your Cats Behavior to Determine Mood It’s not just your cat’s body parts that can cue you into their emotions. Their behaviors may be the easiest way to determine your kitty’s mood. Happy

Kneading Purring Slow blinking eyes Drooling Whiskers forward Playful Curious attitude Happy meowing Snuggling

Mad

Hissing Swatting Hiding Growling Biting Intense eye contact Erect fur Hard and focused eyes Watching from afar

Nervous/Anxious

Crouching Stiff body posture Open mouth breathing Panting Tucked tail Pacing Hiding Hypervigilance Excessive grooming

Things Your Cat Thinks About While your cat’s body language and behavior provide great clues into the mood and thoughts of your kitty, you still don’t know exactly what it might be thinking. Below you’ll find some things your cat might be thinking about during its day.

  1. Its Next Meal Image Credit: Nina Lishchuk, Shutterstock Cats love food and can be demanding and purposeful when hungry. Your kitty might spend a good portion of its day wondering when you’ll feed it next, especially if you don’t have a predictable mealtime routine. It might also be scheming how to break into the food cabinet or steal treats.

  2. Its Next Nap Image Credit: Madalyn Cox, Unsplash Cats sleep an average of 15 hours a day, so it stands to reason that your kitty probably spends a fair bit of its time thinking about its next nap. Cats can be particular about their napping spot, so your pet might consider where the most comfortable and secure place for its next nap will be.

  3. Its Territory Image credit: MaryBog-Shutterstock Cats are territorial creatures, so your kitty is likely spending some time thinking about its territory. Cats have three types of territories to protect:

Core: where it feels safe and secure (e.g., sleeping and toileting areas)

Hunting: where it hunts (e.g., eating and drinking areas)

Shared/Common: the space it shares with other cats, people, and animals (e.g., hanging out and socializing areas)

Your cat has probably put a lot of thought into the areas it claims as its own, so you may notice it exhibiting natural marking behaviors like scratching or scent rubbing to mark its territory.

  1. Its Next Hunt Image Credit: Robert Way, Shutterstock Your cat’s ancestors were hunters, and though your kitty probably doesn’t have to fight to kill its food, it still carries these instincts in its genes. You may notice your kitty at the window “chirping” at the birds when its prey drive is on high alert or stalking its favorite wand toy before pouncing.

  2. You Image credit: Koldunov Alexey, Shutterstock Your kitty has feelings towards you and probably spends a good chunk of its day thinking about you. It might wonder where you’ve gone when you leave the house for work or when you’ll lay down so it can snuggle up next to you. If your cat brings you “gifts” like dead animals, it’s probably thinking you’re a pretty lousy hunter or it’s gifting you as a way to show you love.

Final Thoughts Though we may never know exactly what thoughts race through the minds of our pets, we can use their body language, facial expressions, and behavior to get a good idea of their thoughts and moods. Of course, our cats are probably capable of much more complex thoughts than we give them credit for, but we’ll have to wait for further research to confirm or deny. Sources

What Do Cats Think About? WHAT IS MY CAT THINKING? (YOUR CAT’S INNERMOST THOUGHTS) Territorial Attachment bonds between domestic cats and humans DOES MY CAT THINK I’M JUST A BIGGER CAT? IT’S COMPLICATED Paws for Thought: Cat Intelligence Angry Cat: 14 Signs Your Cat Is Mad at You The Ultimate Guide to Cat Anxiety Cat Ear Emotions: How Cat Ears Move With Their Mood Cat Tail Language: What Your Cat’s Tail Is Telling You Feline Body Language: What Your Cat’s Eyes Tell You About His Emotions WHAT ARE CATS THINKING? EXPERTS EXPLAIN 4 COMMUNICATION SIGNALS

 

Featured Image Credit: Erik-Jan Leusink, Unsplash

Cats are often considered mysterious and perplexing because it’s hard to know exactly what they’re thinking or the reasoning behind some of their strange actions. Any cat owner can tell you how confusing the post-poop zoomies can be or how weird it is when their pet uses them as a scratching post when they have perfectly good posts around the home.

While we may never know what’s driving these strange cat behaviors or what thoughts hide behind those beautiful yellow eyes, we can take an educated guess. Using your cat’s behavior, facial expressions, and body language, feline behaviorists suggest that pet owners can deduce their pet’s thought processes.

Keep reading to learn more about how cats think, how to tell what yours is thinking, and what musings may be running around your cat’s noggin at any given time.

Can Cats Think Like Humans?

When we look at the structure of the feline and human brain, we can see that they’re actually quite similar. Both species have four lobes in the cerebral cortex, and both brains have grey and white matter. Each region of the brain is connected in the same way. Cats and humans both use the same neurotransmitters to send data. Cats also receive input from the same five senses as humans.

While cats do think about various things, their level of thinking is not on par with humans. They have no concept of things like the future or past and can’t contemplate the meaning of things, so they tend to think about things circumstantially.

What Does My Cat Think of Me?

Cat cognition is a still-emerging field of science, so we’ll all need to wait for more answers to get a full grasp of how the feline brain works. Until more research comes out, we must rely on information shared by professionals in the pet industry.

Many vets believe that cats look at their humans as bigger cats. They may not know that humans are a different species or, more likely, don’t care. Cats treat their caregivers in much the same manner as other felines. For example, think of the last time your cat snuggled up to you, purring and kneading. We all know this is a sign of contentment, but it’s also one of the first behaviors cats engage in with their mothers.

Research finds that cats respond differently to humans depending on the mood of the human. They are capable of reading the human gaze and do so to gauge situations at hand. For example, your kitty might look to you to determine if a current situation is concerning or not.

What’s more, cats don’t only see you as the feeder and poop scooper of the household. Studies suggest that cats display the same distinct attachment styles toward their humans that babies show their parents.

So, despite all the rumors about cats being standoffish and aloof, they’re quite the opposite deep down. Though your kitty may not meet you at the door with their tails wagging like a dog, they do care for you and consider you a part of their family.

Using Your Cat’s Body Language to Determine Thoughts

While you can’t know for certain what your kitty is thinking, you can use its body language and facial expressions to try and figure out what it may be thinking. Unfortunately, studies suggest that many humans find it difficult to read a cat’s facial expressions. Try taking this interactive quiz to see how you fare.

Let’s look at some subtle ways your cat may try communicating with you.

Tail

Your cat’s tail says a lot about its mood, so pay attention to what it’s doing throughout the day to get an idea of what mood your cat is in.

Upright & held high: confident, happy

Curled top: friendly

Straight down: agitated, aggressive

Curved below body: nervous, submissive

Puffy: scared, angry

Whipping back and forth: angry, afraid

Swaying slowly/twitching: Focused

Eyes

The eyes are one of the most expressive parts of your cat’s body and can tell you much about what your cat may be thinking. It’s not only the action the eye is performing that cues you into your kitty’s mood, but its pupils are also expressive.

Sudden pupil dilation: strong emotional arousal (e.g., fear, pleasure, excitement)

Wide open eyes: alert, trusting

Unblinking stare: dominance, warning

Slit eyes: fear, aggression

Droopy, sleepy eyes: relaxed, trusting

Ears

It’s strange to think of ears as an expressive body part, but they certainly are, at least for cats and dogs. So watch your cat’s ears closely for hints at its current mood.

Neutral: happy, relaxed, chill

Straight up and forward: alert, on control, playing

Low and sideways: frightened, nervous

Low and facing out: under the weather

Low and flat: aggressive

Using Your Cats Behavior to Determine Mood

It’s not just your cat’s body parts that can cue you into their emotions. Their behaviors may be the easiest way to determine your kitty’s mood.

  • Kneading

  • Purring

  • Slow blinking eyes

  • Drooling

  • Whiskers forward

  • Playful

  • Curious attitude

  • Happy meowing

  • Snuggling

  • Hissing

  • Swatting

  • Hiding

  • Growling

  • Biting

  • Intense eye contact

  • Erect fur

  • Hard and focused eyes

  • Watching from afar

  • Crouching

  • Stiff body posture

  • Open mouth breathing

  • Panting

  • Tucked tail

  • Pacing

  • Hiding

  • Hypervigilance

  • Excessive grooming

Things Your Cat Thinks About

While your cat’s body language and behavior provide great clues into the mood and thoughts of your kitty, you still don’t know exactly what it might be thinking. Below you’ll find some things your cat might be thinking about during its day.

1. Its Next Meal

Cats love food and can be demanding and purposeful when hungry. Your kitty might spend a good portion of its day wondering when you’ll feed it next, especially if you don’t have a predictable mealtime routine. It might also be scheming how to break into the food cabinet or steal treats.

2. Its Next Nap

Cats sleep an average of 15 hours a day, so it stands to reason that your kitty probably spends a fair bit of its time thinking about its next nap. Cats can be particular about their napping spot, so your pet might consider where the most comfortable and secure place for its next nap will be.

3. Its Territory

Cats are territorial creatures, so your kitty is likely spending some time thinking about its territory. Cats have three types of territories to protect:

  • Core: where it feels safe and secure (e.g., sleeping and toileting areas)
  • Hunting: where it hunts (e.g., eating and drinking areas)
  • Shared/Common: the space it shares with other cats, people, and animals (e.g., hanging out and socializing areas)

Your cat has probably put a lot of thought into the areas it claims as its own, so you may notice it exhibiting natural marking behaviors like scratching or scent rubbing to mark its territory.

4. Its Next Hunt

Your cat’s ancestors were hunters, and though your kitty probably doesn’t have to fight to kill its food, it still carries these instincts in its genes. You may notice your kitty at the window “chirping” at the birds when its prey drive is on high alert or stalking its favorite wand toy before pouncing.

5. You

Your kitty has feelings towards you and probably spends a good chunk of its day thinking about you. It might wonder where you’ve gone when you leave the house for work or when you’ll lay down so it can snuggle up next to you. If your cat brings you “gifts” like dead animals, it’s probably thinking you’re a pretty lousy hunter or it’s gifting you as a way to show you love.

Final Thoughts

Though we may never know exactly what thoughts race through the minds of our pets, we can use their body language, facial expressions, and behavior to get a good idea of their thoughts and moods. Of course, our cats are probably capable of much more complex thoughts than we give them credit for, but we’ll have to wait for further research to confirm or deny.

Sources

What Do Cats Think About? WHAT IS MY CAT THINKING? (YOUR CAT’S INNERMOST THOUGHTS) Territorial Attachment bonds between domestic cats and humans DOES MY CAT THINK I’M JUST A BIGGER CAT? IT’S COMPLICATED Paws for Thought: Cat Intelligence Angry Cat: 14 Signs Your Cat Is Mad at You The Ultimate Guide to Cat Anxiety Cat Ear Emotions: How Cat Ears Move With Their Mood Cat Tail Language: What Your Cat’s Tail Is Telling You Feline Body Language: What Your Cat’s Eyes Tell You About His Emotions WHAT ARE CATS THINKING? EXPERTS EXPLAIN 4 COMMUNICATION SIGNALS

  • What Do Cats Think About?
  • WHAT IS MY CAT THINKING? (YOUR CAT’S INNERMOST THOUGHTS)
  • Territorial
  • Attachment bonds between domestic cats and humans
  • DOES MY CAT THINK I’M JUST A BIGGER CAT? IT’S COMPLICATED
  • Paws for Thought: Cat Intelligence
  • Angry Cat: 14 Signs Your Cat Is Mad at You
  • The Ultimate Guide to Cat Anxiety
  • Cat Ear Emotions: How Cat Ears Move With Their Mood
  • Cat Tail Language: What Your Cat’s Tail Is Telling You
  • Feline Body Language: What Your Cat’s Eyes Tell You About His Emotions
  • WHAT ARE CATS THINKING? EXPERTS EXPLAIN 4 COMMUNICATION SIGNALS

Featured Image Credit: Erik-Jan Leusink, Unsplash