Cats are commonly viewed as enigmatic or difficult to decipher,yet they are actually highly skilled communicators.Even in colonies of free-roaming cats,physical conflicts are rare thanks to nuanced body language,scent signaling,and varied sounds.

Cats have also learned to tailor their communication for people.For example,adult cats rarely meow at one another,but they meow frequently around humans—indicating this vocalization has evolved primarily for interacting with us.

And it’s not only meowing.Cats use a wide range of vocal sounds to express different meanings,sometimes tailored for specific people.A close bond between a cat and its human often results in a unique“dialect”of communication.

Cats also understand human cues.Research confirms that cats recognize their own names and the names of familiar companions,detect human emotions,and can adjust their behavior accordingly.

Even so,people frequently misinterpret cats.Our recent study in Frontiers in Ethologyreveals how poorly humans read feline signals.Try the quiz below to test your own ability to understand cats.

What we did

We showed 368 Australian participants videos of people interacting with cats during play.However,not all interactions were positive for the cats:in only half of the clips were the cats truly playing.In the other half,the cats displayed signs of reluctance or stress.

After each video,participants were asked to judge—based solely on the cat’s behavior—whether the interaction was positive or negative for the cat.They were then asked how they would respond to the cat in that situation.