Any experienced cat owner will tell you with confidence that their pets have only one flaw — they cannot speak the human language. So you have to master the feline one, that is, determine from your four-legged friend's behavior what it wants, what it is unhappy about, and how it perceives any change in its life.
If you let these important rules of communication slide, nothing good will come of living in close quarters. A cat is a social creature. It requires not only attention but also mutual understanding.
One team
It only seems that cats wander about on their own; in reality they are very attached to their owner. Even more than to their home, although a myth still circulates that a cat does not care at all who is nearby, as long as its food bowl is not empty and its litter box is cleaned in time.
In fact, the animal only feels good when it is in a calm, peaceful environment in which it can fully relax. And alongside a creature it can trust.
It is precisely about establishing contact and trust that we will now talk. This useful piece of advice will come in very handy in cases where a new pet has just appeared in the home or something out of the ordinary has happened that has put the cat in a state of heightened agitation or even aggression. This can be anything, from a loud knock, shouting, the arrival of noisy guests, a move, to the appearance of another pet.
A delicate nature
It is worth knowing that our furry friends are natures with a very delicate emotional constitution. It is no wonder that such highly sought-after specialists as animal psychologists have appeared, helping our whiskered, striped companions cope with stress.
One of them is Marina Zherebilova, who wrote the book «What the Cat Stays Silent About.» It explains precisely that a frightened or angered animal reacts to everything in the same way — it tries to hide or begins to defend itself. The most wrong thing to do in this case would be to try to bring it out of this state through active actions or by displaying even greater force. It can end in serious injuries for both participants in the failed attempt to build a relationship.
Run for your life, there's a stranger in the house: why a cat lies down on your things
Look me in the eyes
What to do? There is a trick called «cat hypnosis» or the «cat kiss.» It will let your pet understand that you do not wish it harm and are not dangerous at all.
For this practice, you first need to get as close as possible to the animal's height. That is, sit down at not too close a distance, but by no means loom over it, which would frighten the cat even more.
And then briefly look it in the eyes and begin to slowly close and open your eyelids. In feline, this signal means — «I am a friend, I will not attack.» If you have ever watched the process of two cats getting acquainted, this is exactly how the sniffing ends, after which it becomes clear that contact has been established and the new family member can take its place.
And cats also show their goodwill toward people in this very way. So the verbal sign a person begins to demonstrate will be more than clear to the pet. It will work much faster and more effectively than an attempt to pick up or pet an anxious animal, which, in its emotional state, will fiercely resist, using its claws and teeth.
