Research overview: visual body-posture signalling in cats

Cats communicate a great deal through the positions of their ears, tail, body, and fur, and through pupil dilation, conveying emotional state and intentions without sound. This overview surveys ethological descriptions of these visual signals, including the offensive and defensive threat postures, the tail-up greeting, tail lashing in arousal, flattened ears in fear or aggression, and the integration of multiple body regions into coherent displays. It discusses how combinations of signals communicate graded motivational states and how humans frequently misread them. The topic provides the basis for assessing feline welfare and emotional state from body language in homes, shelters, and clinics.