Do you wish you could talk to your cat sometimes? What if we told you, you actually can! In this blog post, we are going over 5 ways how you can communicate with your cat properly. Methods backed by scientific studies, years of experience with multiple cats and opinions of renown cat experts, you will know exactly how to make your cat understand you after reading this. 1. Eye-movementCats seem to have limited ability to communicate at first glance. However, when looking into their behavior more closely, we can see that they are very flexible and talkative! One way cats talk with other animals, cats and us is with their eyes. The first way they do that is simply by not looking at us. This might seem weird but bear with us here. Cats used to be home to a very competitive environment and attacks by other animals were happening every day. Therefore, feral cats needed to pay close attention to their surroundings at all time. By walking, sitting or even eating next to you without eye-balling you the whole time, your kitty tells you that it deeply trusts you. We can implement that way of communication and mimic it to convey the same thing towards our cats. The next time you have eye contact with your cat, close your eyes for 2-3 seconds and open them again. Repeat a few times. This way, you signal your cat that you don't perceive it as a threat but rather a close friend. Your cat will notice that. 2. TonalityCats have very sensitive ears and can detect your mood by the way you speak to them. Be sure to speak in a calm, loving way so your cat feels like it is welcome around you. If your cat miss-behaved, never ever scream at it. In your cat's world, there is no such thing as miss-behaving, so it will just see you screaming at it without any reason. You don't want that. Make your cat feel loved by a loving tone in your voice, warm words and corresponding face expressions. Your cat will feel it and respond accordingly with loving behavior. 3. ConsistencyThis is rather a long-term method of chatting with your kitty, but it's just as important as the instant methods. In a nutshell, with this method it's important to be consistent and congruent with the ways you inform your cat about play time, lunch, dinner, cuddle time and literally anything else. This way, you and your cat will understand each other better and better over time. For instance, if you want to cuddle up with your cat on the couch, always use the same phrase. Your cat will perfectly understand and react accordingly. The same goes for everything you do with your cat. It may feel weird blurring out the same phrases over and over again, but it will definitely be worth it. 4. Discipline the right wayWe have mentioned it before in this article, but it deserves its own section: Disciplining your cat is part of living together but do it the right way! Never be physically or verbally abusive to your cat in the attempt to teach it what to do and not to do in your household. There is no right or wrong in a cat's mind and you will hurt it emotionally when doing so. Instead, act like you are kind of offended at a wrong doing of your cat. Voice your pain, ignore it and walk away from it. Be passive and refusing for the next couple of hours. This way, your cat will learn that whatever it has done, it wasn't ok and it hurt you. 5. Listen"Seek first to understand, then to be understood" - Dr. Steven Covey Cats often seek communication with their humans but never get listened to. If your cat is approaching you, take a few seconds to observe your cat's behavior and draw your conclusions from it. Don't go on your knees and expect that your cat wants to cuddle with you every time it approaches you. Listen. Look. Your cat will appreciate it and you will get better and better at understanding it. Win-Win. ConclusionTo conclude the article: Utilize your eyes, be soft and consistent, never discipline physically and listen to your cat. If you keep all these things in mind, you will improve the communication with your cat by a huge fold.
Keep in mind that communicating with your cat takes a bit of practice and experience. Don't expect casual chats with your cat after a week of consciously observing your cat and sticking to the points I have mentioned. But be patient and good things will come. You spent all this money, time and energy into your cat already, you might as well do more now, right? Thank you for reading this article and we hope you stick around for our other blog posts! Until next time. Nicole and Robert
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