Domestic cats, often described as impassive or even antisocial, may simply be misunderstood. Researchers Brittany Florkiewicz and Lauren Scott debunked these myths by discovering a wide range of facial expressions in these furry companions. Their recent study highlighted a staggering 276 distinct feline expressions, far exceeding the mere 44 observed in humans.
The investigation into the CatCafé Lounge
While residing in Los Angeles, the two’s curiosity led them to the CatCafé Lounge, a shelter for approximately 50 adoptable cats. Over the course of a year, with countless after-hours visits, they painstakingly recorded and analyzed 194 minutes of feline interactions. Each unique expression was coded, filtering out non-communicative gestures such as yawning.
Feline expressions decoded
Among the 276 distinct expressions documented, nearly half were friendly. 37% were explicit signals of aggression, while the remaining 18% were ambiguous. However, decoding the messages behind many expressions remains a difficult task – a challenge and an opportunity for future studies.
A new avenue in cat research
Historically, most cat research gravitated toward human-cat interactions. However, this new study shifts the spotlight to cat interactions, highlighting a previously underexplored aspect of feline communication.
I study
Florkiewicz and Scott’s study broke new ground by observing 53 adult cats at the CatCafé Lounge. They exploited facial action coding systems tailored to cats to discern and compare signals during friendly and hostile interactions. The results? The social aspect, rather than the complexity, of a signal carries significant weight, suggesting the profound influence of domestication on cat communication.
Notes and insights
Feline Faces: Unraveling the Social Function of Domestic Cat Facial Signals – ScienceDirect (DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2023.104959)
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