What is your cat's body telling you?

A cat says most of what it feels with its tail, its ears and its eyes. Reading those three is most of the job. It also tells you when a cat has had enough of being petted, before it scratches.

This page has what each signal usually means, with the source for each one, and a one-page sheet you can print.

It prints on one page, without the rest of this page.

What is your cat's body telling you?Petipedia · petipedia.io/behavior/cat-body-language/
What you seeWhat it usually meansWhat to do
Tail upThe tail points straight up as the cat comes toward you.
A friendly hello.
Say hello, and let the cat come to you.
RelaxedThe ears face forward and the body is loose.
Relaxed.
A good moment for a slow blink.
Slow blinkThe cat narrows its eyes slowly, or closes them for a moment.
Friendly.
Blink slowly back.
Rolled overThe cat rolls onto its back and shows its belly.
A relaxed greeting, not a request to touch the belly.
Stroke the head and cheeks, not the tummy.
PurringThe cat purrs.
Content, if the body is relaxed. Cats also purr when they are sick or hurt.
Read the rest of the body.
TenseThe whiskers fan out forward, or the cat crouches low with its paws tucked under and its head drawn in.
Tense or very alert.
Leave the cat alone.
EnoughWhile you pet it, the cat turns its head away, its fur ripples or its tail twitches.
That is enough petting.
Stop.
FrightenedThe ears turn sideways or flatten, the pupils go wide, and the cat turns side-on.
Frightened or defensive.
Look away and give the cat space.
DefensiveThe cat crouches and thumps its tail, or puffs up its tail and arches its back.
Ready to defend itself.
Back away. Do not reach for the cat.

Most cats like being touched at the base of the ears, on the cheeks, and some under the chin.

Most cats dislike being touched near the tail, on the belly and on the feet.

From International Cat Care, the feline veterinary guidelines of the AAFP and ISFM, Cats Protection, the ASPCA, Cornell and two studies. The full page with every source is at petipedia.io/behavior/cat-body-language/

The tail

The upright tail is the easiest signal a cat gives, and the friendliest.

…the 'tail up' position (where the tail is held vertically in the air, at a right angle to the ground) signals friendly intentInternational Cat Care, Cat communication, updated September 2025
A cat crouching down and thumping their tail on the ground is a classic defensive posture.International Cat Care, Cat communication, updated September 2025

A cat that is ready to fight shows several signs at once.

Signs of aggression include dilated pupils, ears flattened backward on the head, tail held erect with hairs raised, and an arched back.Cornell Feline Health Center, Feline behavior problems: aggression

The ears, the eyes and the whiskers

Relaxed cats tend to have their ears facing forward in the normal position.International Cat Care, Cat communication, updated September 2025
…dilated pupils with ears held flat against the head are often a sign of fear.International Cat Care, Cat communication, updated September 2025

The ASPCA lists ears flattened sideways or backward, and a cat turning side-on instead of facing you, among the defensive signs.

When tense or highly alert, the whiskers will be fanned out and pointing forward in front of the face.International Cat Care, Cat communication, updated September 2025

A tense cat also makes itself small, and International Cat Care's advice is to leave a cat like this alone.

…crouched/low body posture, all four paws positioned tightly underneath them, head drawn into the neckInternational Cat Care, Handling and interactions, updated June 2026

The slow blink

In a 2020 study, cats narrowed their eyes more when their owners gave them a slow blink, and they were more likely to approach a stranger after the stranger slow-blinked at them than after a neutral face.

Collectively, our results suggest that slow blink sequences may function as a form of positive emotional communication between cats and humans.Humphrey and others, Scientific Reports, 2020

The feline veterinary guidelines add the other side of it: a stare from someone the cat does not know can feel like a threat.

Many cats respond positively to slow blinks in their direction, even from unfamiliar people2022 AAFP/ISFM Cat Friendly Veterinary Interaction Guidelines
…direct eye contact from an unfamiliar person can be perceived as threatening.2022 AAFP/ISFM Cat Friendly Veterinary Interaction Guidelines

To try it, look at the cat with a soft face, narrow your eyes slowly, and close them for a moment. The researchers were careful about what it means: they called for more research before firm conclusions about how the cat feels when it blinks back.

Rolling over and purring

A cat that rolls over in front of you is usually greeting you. It is not asking for its belly to be touched.

…and is usually carried out as a friendly greeting, showing that the cat is relaxed and comfortableInternational Cat Care, Cat communication, updated September 2025
Rolling over is not an invitation to touch a cat's tummyInternational Cat Care, Handling and interactions, updated June 2026

Purring is less simple than it looks.

We often think that our cats are happy when they purr. This is only true if their body language is relaxed.Cats Protection, Cat body language
Cats will also purr when they are sick or injuredInternational Cat Care, Why do cats..?, updated September 2025

Where cats like to be touched, and when to stop

A 2021 study tested a short set of petting rules called CAT: give the cat choice and control, pay attention to its body, and keep touch mostly to the sides of the head.

…providing the cat with choice and control ('C'), paying attention ('A') to the cats' behavior and body language and limiting touch ('T'), primarily to their temporal regionsHaywood and others, Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 2021
Most friendly cats will prefer being touched at the base of their ears, around their cheeks, and some also under their chinHaywood and others, Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 2021
Most cats dislike touch over the caudal area, the abdomen and feet, and this should be avoided as much as possible.2022 AAFP/ISFM Cat Friendly Veterinary Interaction Guidelines

The caudal area means the base of the tail and the rear end. The study also listed the signs that a cat wants the petting to stop: it turns its head or moves away, the fur on its back ripples, or its tail twitches or swishes hard.

When your cat signals you to stop petting, the best response is simply to stop.ASPCA, Aggression in cats

In the study, 120 members of the public met 100 cats waiting for new homes at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home in the UK. Each person met three cats before being taught the CAT rules and three after. The cats were more aggressive in the meetings before the training.

…cats in the control displayed significantly greater frequencies of human-directed aggressionHaywood and others, Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 2021

What the sources do not settle

When a cat's behavior changes

New hiding, biting or crying can be a medical problem rather than a mood. When a cat's behavior changes has which changes point to the vet.

The five things in a cat's face that vets score for pain are on this page: How do I know if my cat is in pain?

Sources

Sources read 23 September 2026. Quotes are copied word for word from each source.