Cats have a reputation for being inscrutable and unexpressive, but according to a new study, that’s simply not true. Researchers found that cats, in fact, make 276 different facial expressions.
The research, published in Behavioural Processes, demonstrated that cats have a wide array of both friendly and unfriendly facial expressions, belying the idea that cats are not social creatures. The study unpacks how cats interact with each other and with us.
Your Cat’s Face Can Tell You If They Are Feeling Friendly or Not
Whether your cat is feeling friendly (or not) toward another cat is all shown on their face. One of the fascinating things about domestic cats is that they exist on a spectrum, from solitary cats to those who live in small or large social groups. In colonies of free-roaming cats, female cats cooperate with each other to raise their kittens. However, housecats, depending in part on their early life experiences, may prefer to be the only feline, while others happily coexist with multiple cats. Given this variance, it makes sense for cats to have facial expressions that tell other cats when they are feeling friendly—but scientists had not looked at it before now. It turns out that cats exhibit a much wider range of expressions than previously credited.
Brittany Florkiewicz, PhD, second author of the study and an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Lyon College in Arkansas notes, “We know that cats are very social. What the results of our study show is that to navigate different social interactions and structures, they use a wide variety of facial expressions.”
Researchers identified 26 different facial movements that combined to create a total of 276 combinations. Notably, 46 percent were used in friendly contexts, 37 percent in unfriendly contexts, and the remainder in both situations. The number of distinct facial expressions is quite complex—more akin to chimps (with 357 documented expressions) than gibbons (with about 80).
“One of the most interesting findings is the vast variety of individual muscle movements observed during the interactions,” says Mikel Delgado, PhD, author of the upcoming book Play With Your Cat!: The Essential Guide to Interactive Play for a Happier, Healthier Feline, who is not affiliated with the research. “In fact, there were more signals linked to friendly (affiliative) behaviors than to unfriendly interactions.”
Yeti Cooper
Photo by Sydney McIntyre
What Your Cat’s Facial Expressions Mean
The study showed a wide variety of facial movements, some of which did not necessarily signify friendliness or hostility on their own. However, eight specific movements were noted, clustering into two distinct categories: one associated with friendliness towards other cats, and the other with unfriendly interactions. Key indicators of a friendly expression include ear movements, while it’s also crucial to observe the eyes, whiskers, and tongue.
This builds on previous research that suggests familiar signals in cat interactions, such as the tail-up posture or mutual rubbing, indicate friendly relations.
Interestingly, there was no discernible complexity between the facial expressions categorized as friendly or unfriendly, indicating that both types involved an equal number of facial muscles.
How to Tell If Your Cat’s Facial Expression is Friendly to Another Cat
FRIENDLY FACIAL SIGNALS
- Ears move to the middle of the head
- Ears move forward
- Whiskers move forward
- Eyes are closed
UNFRIENDLY FACIAL SIGNALS
- Ears are rotated
- Ears are flattened to the head
- Pupils are constricted (narrow)
- The tongue wipes the lip
Play Face
Some of the friendly interactions recorded in the study involved cats playing, which led to another enlightening discovery: cats possess a distinct facial expression associated with play, referred to as the “play face.” This has been identified in other mammals such as dogs and humans, but this study is the first to scientifically validate its existence in cats.
Across various mammals, a play face typically involves similar facial musculature. In dogs, these expressions may vary in intensity, saliently involving parted lips, pulled-back mouth corners, and relaxed jaws, often accompanied by panting or laughter-like sounds. It appears that cats exhibit a comparable play face that varies in intensity and may include similar sounds.
“Play faces are beneficial because play is great for cognitive, social, and motor skill development,” asserts Florkiewicz. “Nevertheless, play can also lead to risks if it gets a bit too intense, so the play face helps cats modulate their play intensity and shift behaviors such as from roughhousing to chasing.”
Yorkshire Puddington
Photo by Sydney McIntyre
The discovery of the play face illustrates that cats share common play expressions with other species, enhancing the understanding of their social behavior. Observing these expressions can help discern whether cats are engaging in play or fighting, a confusion often experienced by multi-cat households.
According to Delgado, “A quick method to tell them apart is whether they are making noise; typically, play is quiet while fighting tends to be loud.”
Other indicators of playful behavior include role reversals during play, shifts in activity, and absence of overt aggression. Observable actions in cat play may consist of sideways steps with arched backs, one cat lying belly-up, and playful face-offs.
Feline Facial Expressions and Domestication
The study suggests that these feline facial expressions—and the ability to produce them—have evolved for a purpose. Domestic cats are significantly more social than their wild counterparts and engage in various social behaviors, such as grooming and playing together. Interestingly, domesticated animals become more tolerant of each other as they share living spaces; this tolerance may account for the extensive range of friendly facial expressions observed in cats, despite their relatively brief domestication period (around 10,000 years).
“Cats have developed greater social tolerance and affiliation with one another, allowing them to use facial expressions to navigate social interactions,” Florkiewicz concludes. Both she and other researchers have established that domesticated animals exhibit more complex social lives, leading to an expanded repertoire of facial expressions.
Whiskers serve as excellent indicators; content or happy cats often point their whiskers forward.
How They Did The Study
The research data were collected at the CatCafé Lounge in Los Angeles over ten months. Lauren Scott, the lead author, captured video recordings of cats post-hours when the café was empty. The cats were filmed within two main areas—the lounge and the catio—where they roamed freely among themselves. The study involved 27 female and 26 male domestic shorthair cats, documenting a total of 688 facial signals over the duration.
Once data collection was completed, the analysis utilized a method called catFACS (cat Facial Action Coding System), which requires extensive knowledge of feline anatomy to operate. This analysis focused solely on facial signals directed toward other cats; parameters like breathing and yawning were not included. The study examined detailed facial movements such as ears forward and nose licking.
Florkiewicz observed these friendly signs in her own home after introducing a second cat: “Noticing the ears forward, whiskers out, and closed eyes, alongside purring and mutual rubbing indicated a positive relationship, showcasing their affiliation through facial expressions.”
Svetlana Rey/Shutterstock
This study indicates there is much more to feline faces than previously understood. The findings could be particularly advantageous for shelters, veterinarians, and cat guardians in assessing feline relations, aiding in decisions about cat adoptions, and enhancing interaction among multi-cat households.
Researchers are also pursuing the development of a feline grimace scale to identify facial movements associated with acute pain in cats, providing a reference for guardians and veterinarians to detect distress in their feline companions.
In the future, advancements may lead to tools that help people interpret their cat’s expressions better—perhaps even using AI applications to analyze video or photos to detect specific facial movements.
FAQ
- 1. How many facial expressions can cats make?
- Cats can make a total of 276 different facial expressions.
- 2. What are some signs that indicate a cat is feeling friendly?
- Friendly signs include ears moving to the middle and forward, whiskers moving forward, and eyes being closed.
- 3. Can a cat’s facial expressions indicate their mood?
- Yes, a cat’s facial expressions can provide insight into their mood, indicating whether they are friendly or unfriendly.
- 4. What is the significance of the play face in cats?
- The play face indicates that a cat is engaged in play behavior, helping to distinguish play from aggressive interactions.
- 5. How can this research benefit cat owners?
- Understanding feline facial expressions can help cat owners better interpret their cats’ feelings and foster positive interactions within multi-cat households.
