# Silly Cat Language Question **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 13, 2014, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-cat-language-question/683615 "2014-03-13T14:54:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2014, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-cat-language-question/683615/1 "2014-03-13T14:54:33Z")
Do you think when you say ‘Hi’ to your cats and they give the barest flick of their tail, they’re saying ‘Hi’ back…or it’s the cat equivalent of rolling their eyes? ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2014, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-cat-language-question/683615/2 "2014-03-13T15:14:14Z")
They’re saying: “I have no idea what you’re saying to me, I’m a cat.” ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2014, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-cat-language-question/683615/3 "2014-03-13T15:53:26Z")
The barest flick means “I haven’t forgiven you for not being here to cater to me all day.” ---
**Author:** ![Scubaqueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@Scubaqueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scubaqueen)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2014, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-cat-language-question/683615/4 "2014-03-13T19:16:40Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > The barest flick means “I haven’t forgiven you for not being here to cater to me all day.” This. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![OttoDaFe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ottodafe/32/356_2.png) [@OttoDaFe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OttoDaFe)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2014, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-cat-language-question/683615/5 "2014-03-13T20:14:33Z")
“Did I give you permission to address me, underling?” ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2014, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-cat-language-question/683615/6 "2014-03-13T21:56:21Z")
If you do a gentle “trill”, with a rising pitch, like a question, “Mrrrow?” and look away, while wiggling your fingers a little, most cats, even strangers, will come to you in a friendly way. The sound imitates a mother cat calling the kittens to suckle, and they never forget it. ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2014, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-cat-language-question/683615/7 "2014-03-13T22:04:15Z")
You can test it. Give them a slow blink ( Google that to see what it looks like) If you get a slow blink back, that is a friendly gesture. Tailflicking, IMHO doesnt mean much, communicationwise. Rather it means a small inner shift from one state (eg resting) to another , like thinking about getting up. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2014, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-cat-language-question/683615/8 "2014-03-13T22:22:13Z")
> [@Maastricht](#): > > You can test it. Give them a slow blink ( Google that to see what it looks like) If you get a slow blink back, that is a friendly gesture. Tailflicking, IMHO doesnt mean much, communicationwise. Rather it means a small inner shift from one state (eg resting) to another , like thinking about getting up. Maybe it means, “I thought about acknowledging you. I’ll let you know what I come up.” edit: Given they often look away when giving the merest tail flick, maybe it means “Sup.” ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2014, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-cat-language-question/683615/9 "2014-03-13T22:44:48Z")
Finally! The thread I’ve been waiting for all my life! 😃 You’re all right. ---
**Author:** ![Bozuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/edb3f5/32.png) [@Bozuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bozuit)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2014, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-cat-language-question/683615/10 "2014-03-13T22:55:07Z")
I think they’re trying to say “Stop anthropomorphizing me.” ---
**Author:** ![Backwater\_Under\_Duck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ba8739/32.png) [@Backwater\_Under\_Duck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Backwater_Under_Duck)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2014, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-cat-language-question/683615/11 "2014-03-14T00:49:03Z")
Whenever I see a cat go by, I give him a psst-psst. He’ll quickly turn his head to glare at me and i go - Hah! Made you look. Pisses them off every time. ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2014, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-cat-language-question/683615/12 "2014-03-14T10:34:46Z")
> [@Backwater\_Under\_Duck](#): > > Whenever I see a cat go by, I give him a psst-psst. He’ll quickly turn his head to glare at me and i go - Hah! Made you look. Pisses them off every time. Psssst sounds like a cat hissing, ( equivalent of yelling: hey bitch!) so the glaring looks probably are startled looks. ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2014, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-cat-language-question/683615/13 "2014-03-14T10:47:22Z")
This website is, IMHO, the best resource for learning cat language. [http://messybeast.com/cat\_talk2.htm](http://messybeast.com/cat_talk2.htm) ---
**Author:** ![slowlearner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@slowlearner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slowlearner)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2014, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-cat-language-question/683615/14 "2014-03-14T22:56:38Z")
The interrogative trill is used by female cats in heat to indicate a highly romantic state of being. If you make that noise and find a Tom biting the back of your neck watch out! ---
**Author:** ![mage-girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@mage-girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mage-girl)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2014, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-cat-language-question/683615/15 "2014-03-15T03:31:27Z")
> [@Maastricht](#): > > This website is, IMHO, the best resource for learning cat language. > [CAT COMMUNICATION](http://messybeast.com/cat_talk2.htm) Thanks! That’s like a frickin’ thesis! Bookmarked for later. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2014, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-cat-language-question/683615/16 "2014-03-15T08:34:43Z")
> [@Bozuit](#): > > I think they’re trying to say “Stop anthropomorphizing me.” Generally, one should speak to a cat only in Hebrew. ---
**Author:** ![Frank\_Merton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Frank\_Merton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank_Merton)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2014, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-cat-language-question/683615/17 "2014-03-15T11:08:21Z")
As I understand it both cats and dogs assert dominance by sniffing the butt of the other. True or not that is definitely not anthropomorphic behavior. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2014, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-cat-language-question/683615/18 "2014-03-15T12:33:21Z")
Am I the only cat person here who meows at my cats, and they meow right back? ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2014, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-cat-language-question/683615/19 "2014-03-15T15:48:51Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > Am I the only cat person here who meows at my cats, and they meow right back? Nope. I do it.