Why is my cat’s fur standing up?
Do you sometimes wonder why your cats or looks the way they do? Whether it’s their eyes, ears, whiskers, posture, tail or vocalizations, our cats are communicating their internal state to us in a myriad of different ways. Sometimes, we find them funny for it, but it’s important to realize that the way they look can indicate fear, discomfort or anger. When seeing a cat’s fur standing up, we tend not to know what’s going on.
Have you ever seen your cat’s fur standing up, making them look bigger? That’s called piloerection.
Piloerection is when a cat’s fur becomes puffy. This can happen when a cat:
- is scared
- is cold
- has some kind of discomfort on their skin
- is in pain
- is startled
The following images are taken from the video below. On the left, the cat’s fur is normal. On the right the cat as seen a dog in the yard. Look at how the cat seems bigger. When a cat is scared, piloerection allows them to look bigger, and therefore more imposing to their adversary. These pictures are taken seconds apart, as you’ll see in the video below.
What else other than the cat’s fur standing up did you see in that video?
Concentrating on only one part of a cat gives us limited information however. What have you spotted in the video?
- What’s the cat’s movement quality like as the video progresses? Can you see all the fluidity at the beginning. Contrast that with the tension and lack of movement when the cat sees the dog and stares at him. Can you see the huge difference? Practicing noticing these things helps us to better recognize what our own cats are feeling.
- We can ask “What do I see?” but sometimes, asking “What don’t I see?” is even more valuable. In a comfortable cat, I should be seeing movement, looseness, flow, blinking, etc. Even if it’s only the eyes, the head and the tip of the tail that are moving, that’s still movement. If I can’t see movement, that tells me there’s likely tension.
- The ears are forward, alert to the dog.
- The front end goes down towards the ground while the back end stays high.
- The cat’s focus is straight forward; he barely acknowledges us.
Would you like to know more about cat body language and communication?
The book Kitty Language by Lili Chin is available both in ebook and paper formats. It illustrates a wide variety of cat body language items and explains what they mean. If you’d like to better understand and connect with your cat, this book is a very good tool.
These short videos by Fear Free Happy Homes are a good place to start:
If you’d like a more complete webinar, here’s a good one by San Diego Humane Society.
Wondering what your cat’s face might be telling about their internal state? In this article, my cat Léa shows us how expressive a cat’s face can be.
Are you still in doubt about your cat’s body language? Schedule an appointment with us here. We’re here to help you to give your cat their best life possible and to better understand them!