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Cats Purring
From the classic “miaow” to a wide range of purrs and yowls, your little kitten uses her natural voice to make a huge variety of sounds – more than most other animals, in fact.
The more you talk to your kitten, the more she’ll understand you and respond.
Cats have as many as 60 different types of vocalisations and each one, uttered with a different tone and intensity, has a different meaning. But what’s she trying to say to you?
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Cat Body Language
Your little kitten might look like a cute little bundle of fluff, but she’ll do anything she can to avoid a fight.
One trick your kitten might use to frighten a potential opponent is making herself look bigger than she actually is.
Like her big cat cousins, she’s naturally solitary and dependent on herself for survival, so conflict is the last thing she wants.
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Cat Tail Movement
Your kitten's busy little tail will tell you lots about how she's feeling. In fact, it's one of her most effective ways to communicate.
Wiggling at the base or tip means your kitten is saying a friendly 'hello'.
More than just feeling happy
When your kitten holds her tail up high, that means she's happy and confident. She's also doing it to expose her genital region, inviting you to sniff under her tail and find out all about her! It's a friendly gesture, so make sure you show her plenty of affection in return.
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Ear movement
Your kitten's ears are amazing. Each one has 30 separate muscles, allowing your kitten to move her ears through 180° – and even change their shape!
Simply by watching those cute little ear twitches, you’re actually talking to your kitten!
By learning how to interpret your kitten’s different ear movements, you’ll be able to tell what mood she’s in.
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Rubbing and scratching
In the wild, most big cats are naturally dependent upon themselves and not a pack for survival. Your kitten is no different.
Your kitten’s scratching behaviour may be natural, but it isn’t always good for your furniture!
That's why she regularly sends clear signals to other cats, to prevent misunderstandings and avoid potential conflict. One of her strongest signals is scent.
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Cat Kneading
There’s nothing sweeter than when your cute little kitten rests on your lap and kneads your legs with her paws. It’s the equivalent of a kitten massage!
By keeping up this behaviour as she gets older, your kitten is showing you how safe and contented she feels.
Through this display of affection and contentment, your kitten is displaying a natural behaviour that goes all the way back to the day she was born.
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Cat Urine Marking
In the wild, big cats leave clear signals to establish their territory and avoid conflict – which is important because they’re dependent on themselves to stay out of trouble.
Your kitten will use a complex system of scent-based signposts to ensure her territory isn’t being over-hunted.
Your kitten displays the same natural behaviour, and one of her favourite ways to leave her mark is by urine marking, or spraying.
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Dealing With A Stressed Cat
Even cute, adorable kittens can occasionally get stressed. If you notice any signs of stress or unusual behaviour in your kitten, speak to your vet – they’ll give you good advice, and if necessary may refer your pet to an animal behaviourist for treatment.
Remember, she's a hunter at heart.
It’s worth remembering that certain behaviours – like scratching and scent-marking – might be perfectly normal from your kitten's point of view … just not so acceptable from yours!
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Your kitten's independent spirit
In the wild, big cat rely completely on themselves for survival. So does your little kitten. Her natural instinct is to act alone, and ignore what others want or demand from her.
Pay attention to your kitten to see what gets her motivated.
Your kitten’s view of social structure and co-operation is very different from your own. If you want your kitten to learn, then you need to understand her motivations.