Do you want to know what your cat is thinking? Experts share what their facial expressions can mean

Science says that cats, known for their restraint and aloofness, have 276 facial expressions, which is much more than humans (44) and dogs (27).

"This conclusion," SSPDaily writes, "was made by scientists from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). They filmed 53 adult domestic shorthair cats and analyzed 26 facial muscle movements, from blinking and whisker movement to licking lips and wrinkling the nose. Of all the recorded expressions, about 45% were found to be friendly, 37% were found to be aggressive, and 18% were an indeterminate mixture of the two."

Here are some of the cat "grimaces" from this work that indicate a certain mood of the animal.

Anxiety and an attempt to calm down

If a cat's ears are flattened and their tips are pointing down or back, it means that they are anxious. And if it suddenly starts licking itself, periodically interrupted by other activities, it is most likely trying to calm down.

Curiosity

In this case, experts advise paying attention to the "radar ears" when their openings turn in one direction and then change course. This means that the cat is curious and scans the space in search of a certain sound.

A cat's tail can also be a clue to its curiosity. Its movement means greeting, and swaying from side to side means that the cat is fascinated by something. The larger the swing, the stronger the interest.

Excitement

This mood is indicated by whiskers pushed forward and teeth chattering, which indicates the highest degree of excitement.

Aggression

If the whiskers are pushed back, it means that your cat wants you to stay away. A long stare with the head held high also means a certain level of threat.

In addition, if your cat licks his lips or nose quickly for no apparent reason and then swallows, they may be uncomfortable and want to release tension.

Fright

Scientists say that cats are better at seeing movement than details of an object.

Therefore, if the animal's gaze looks like it's staring at you without looking away, it's possible that the cat is just watching a moving object and it's not interested in you at all.

However, if the cat's tail is down and motionless and it behaves with restraint, it means that the animal is frightened by something.

In general, experts advise those interested in cat facial expressions to pay attention to the ears, eyes, whiskers, and mouth, which, for example, can easily tell if a cat is preparing for a fight.