Rrroow! What Your Cat Is Trying To Tell You

Aye, there's the rub: rubbing his cheek on you, slinking his tail along your calf, or padding his little feet back and forth on your tummy. All those parts have scent glands. "You belong to me, baby," your cat is telling you, "and I'm yours."

A cat's tail is like a flag. If your cat is scared, it puffs up like a feather duster. When your cat is mad, hair rises only on a ridge down the back. "Keep it up, Bub," he's warning, "and I'll add your eyeball to my collection."

A twitching tail indicates your cat is stuck between two incompatible options: "My owner left the front door open! But I'm afraid to go out."

The slow blink: that droopy-eyed expression reminiscent of Marlene Dietrich? Your cat is telling you you're the best.

If your cat meows, listen up: cats don't meow at other cats; only at humans. Even the experts at Cat Furniture.com can't translate Meow to English.

Unlike dogs, cats aren't into domination or pecking orders. They couldn't care less who's the boss, as long as they get fed. But cats draw swords over territory. If a new cat met yours on neutral ground, one would wait a safe distance for the other to pass; if a stranger cat stumbled into your yard--or worse, into your house--your kitty will go nuts. This is behind why cats like to get high. (No, we're not talking catnip.) A tall cat window perch is a safe place for your tabby to keep tabs on the kingdom.

Three Story Condo

If your cat goes outside, you've probably experienced The Gift: a dead bird or mouse left at your feet. Because this happens most often with spayed females, experts think it's not an act of generosity, but of pity: your cat thinks you're a helpless, hopeless hunter and you need help. Think about it: the best you come up with is a bag of dry kibble. Your cat is just trying to show you how to bring home the bacon.

What does it mean when your cat chases invisible spirits, non-existent mice, flies from breakfast table to counter to refrigerator top, slides Tarzan-like down the philodendron, and hoards all manner of odd objects under the couch? Your friends at Cat Furniture think it's a sure sign that your cat is normal.