Cats Aren’t as Aloof as We Thought

Researchers observed 276 distinct facial expressions!

It turns out, your cat may not be as aloof as you think they are. In fact, a new study suggests that they are quite expressive…especially with other felines! Researchers filmed 53 cats at a cat cafe in California for almost a year. They had over three hours of footage featuring 186 feline interactions. Overall, they observed 276 distinct facial expressions! The study authors say 45-percent of the expressions were friendly while 37-percent were aggressive. They hope to expand the research to include cats living in multi-cat homes and in feral communities. They would also like to try to decipher what the expressions mean. In case you were wondering, a friendly expression is shown when the ears and whiskers move forward while the eyes close. An aggressive expression consists of constricted pupils, flattened ears and a tongue-swipe of the lip.