Cat Chat: Communicate Better with Your Cat

When your cat gets to know you and feel secure in your care, it will show some unmistakable signs of comfort and trust. These are generally behaviors that cats in the wild exhibit either only among their own kind or when they feel safe from predators or other threats. So take them as a compliment. Your pet is either saying, "You're my kind of cat," or "I know I don't have to worry when you're around."

You'll know your cat loves and trusts you when it:

• "Kneads" your lap, much as kittens knead at their mother's breasts to stimulate milk flow.
• Greets you with its tail held high and straight, as if to say, "I'm so happy you're home!"
• Rolls over to expose its belly, not always to invite you to scratch it, but to show it trusts you enough to assume this vulnerable position.