BBC - h2g2 - How to Speak Cat

Some people assume that human beings are the only creatures on the planet that have developed the ability to speak. This is not true. Communication is used by a huge number of species, from the simple body language of beetles to the complex song of whales. Somewhere in between this there appears a species known as the Cat. Our domesticated cats have developed quite a complex form of verbal and physical communication extending far beyond the "Meeow" that most people use to represent it.

Verbal Communication

This is the most obvious form of communication that we perceive. Despite only being able to form a limited number or noises cats do have a surprisingly varied vocabluary:

brrr	A tired form of greeting. Cats make this sound when woken up by someone they know. If woken by a stranger however cats will flee in terror.
brrr- REEOW	A greeting or farewell made when entering or leaving the house, or when meeting you as you arrive home. Usually said when a cat is hungry.
C- H- EEE	Hissing is most often a sign of fear rather than anger. More nervous cats will hiss at the appearance of a stranger, but stepping on any cat's paw will give a very loud example! Cats will say this in an attempt to frighten off opponents in a fight. (See also REE- OOO (challenge) and and Fur on end)
mee- OWW	This is only actually said when a cat makes demands. This can range from telling you to hurry up with their food, to asking you not to push them off of the sofa.
REE- OOO	A challenge, usually to other cats. It's a sign of aggression, and often a precursor to a fight. (See also C- H- eee (hissing) and Fur on end)
rrr- AHA- AHA- AHA	One of the rarest sounds that cats make. They say this when trying to catch birds, attempting to imitate the sound of bird song. It is often used to tempt birds out of trees but it almost never works.
thrrr- thrrr- thrrr- thrrr	Purring, possibly the most common of cat sounds. A sign of contentment made when a cat is stroked, but feeding gives the best example. (See also Eye-Squinting and Padding)

Body Language

On top of this verbal vocabulary cats have an extensive body language. In many circumstances (particularly when meeting other cats) this is more important than verbal communcation:

Dilated Pupils	This is a signal of terror. A cat being persuaded into its carrying box will display this. Also used when hunting.
Eye-Squinting	A sign of submission. When meeting large opponents cats will often squint their eyes in an attempt to avoid a conflict. It is also a sign of affection. (See also thrrr- thrrr- thrrr- thrrr- (purring) and Padding)
Swishing Tail	This is not actually caused by anger, but indecision. Cats will swish their tails when trying to decide whether or not to go out into the rain, or when assessing whether to fight an enemy or flee.
Fur on end	To try an make themselves look bigger in a fight cats make all of their fur stand on end and arch their back. It is usually the smaller cat in a confrontation that does this. Some more nervous cats are actually frightened off by this.
Nuzzling	Cats either do this when stroked or when trying to get your attention to feed them. Two cats sometimes nuzzle when they meet to show friendship.
Head on Paws	Cats can be quite amazing sulkers, and this is how they do it. When thrown off of a bed or sofa cats will lay full length on the floor, rest their head on their paws and sulk. They can do this for a surprisingly long time.
Padding	When settling down to sleep cats will first pad their potential bed. It is also used to show contentment. (See also thrrr- thrrr- thrrr- thrrr- (purring) and Eye-Squinting)