Cats are more animated and less aloof than thought, as scientists were able to record hundreds of different cat facial expressions.
Animal Facial Expressions
It took researchers a year to record 276 unique cat facial expressions in a cat colony of 50 felines in a LA cat cafe. The facial expressions of these cats ranged from aggressive to playful and all that comes in between.
This study is one of the first to delve into feline communication that goes beyond meowing and purring
Among humans, chimpanzees, dogs, and humans, facial expressions have been well-studied subjects. Humans are reported to have 44 facial expressions, while chimpanzees have 357 and dogs only have 27.
Cat Facial Expressions
While these were well-studied, the same was not the case for cats facial expressions. Most studies only look into the link between cats and humans throughout the course that lasted 10,000 years. This is according to Brittany Florkiewicz, a co-author of the study and assistant psychology professor at Arkansas' Lyon College. Assistant professor Florkiewicz explains that they were able to record spontaneous interactions among cats and document these felines' facial expressions.
According to the study, each one had around four out of the 276 distinct facial movements. These included constricted or dilated pupils, parted lips, curned mouth corners, blinkings, different ear positions, and nose licks.
In one particular interaction, the scientists observed that two kittens suddenly went from being playful to becoming confrontational. One of these kittens crouched and hissed at another littermate before leaving.
Assistant professor Florkiewicz notes that it was a surprise to see the cats play-fighting and transition into an encounter that is aggressive. Facial expression changes could be observed. Initially, the eye of one cat was relaxed while the cat's whiskers and ears were pushed forward. This was done for it to get closer to the other feline.
However, things quickly changed. The cat then moved its whiskers and ears backward, signifying a quickly changed demeanor.
As the researchers reviewed the recording, they were able to conclude that the expressions of the felines were friendly (45%) compared to aggressive (37%). The remaining 18% had ambiguous results or fell into the two categories.
Aside from this, the scientists also found that several faces, including the common play face one, depicted drawn back mouths and dropped jaws for laughter. This can be similarly observed among various species, such as monkeys, dogs, and people.
Further research is necessary to know the meaning of these feline interactions. Nevertheless, researchers are hopeful that their efforts will reveal the various expressions of a species that is known to be aloof.
Assistant professor Florkiewicz explains their hopes that humane societies and animal shelters can maximize their findings to take better care of their cats.
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