Happy Cat Month

Do you know when your cat is happy? 

The subtly of cat body language often leads to them being highly misunderstood. A 2022 study published by The University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University, in collaboration with Battersea Dogs and Cats home discovered that even ‘experienced and knowledgeable’ cat owners often don’t know enough about cat behaviour. Their research found that these cat owners didn’t pay attention or know cat body language and often gave the cats less choice and agency during interactions and petted them in less preferred areas such as the tail, tummy, or back. To learn more about this fascinating study on cat owners and cat behaviour click here.

Due to the common misconceptions about cats and their behaviour, CATalyst Council started Happy Cat Month every September to increase awareness and education on the health and welfare of our feline companions.

How to know when your cat is happy

BradyCare’s mission is to prevent and reduce unnecessary animal suffering. So, to help reduce unnecessary suffering for cats and celebrate #HappyCatMonth, we’ve been discussing cat body language and facts for our #DidYouKnow Tuesday posts on our social media.

Cats show their emotions from their ears to their tails. Our cat companions tell us how they feel with their body such as the twitches of their ears and tails, the shape of their pupils and changes in body posture. In the images above from our social media, you can see the unique and subtle ways that cats show that they are happy, content and relaxed using their tails, eyes, bodies, and ears.

Learn more about the various changes in a cat’s body language when they are stressed or fearful, by following us on our social media.

When we improve our understanding of cat body language, we are also improving the welfare of the cats in our homes and communities and helping them be happy and healthy. We would love to hear from you in the comments what body language your cat(s) show when they’re happy.