Post AuefFfbIIBIU4RLoHI by PalmAndNeedle@norden.social
(DIR) More posts by PalmAndNeedle@norden.social
(DIR) Post #AueHG3S3DXGN8vg5rM by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-05-31T09:22:11Z
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Do people who have no experience with small mammals and cats in particular read cat body language correctly?Some things are pretty obvious, such as hissing and teeth. But what about "airplane ears" or a thrashing tail?Or blinking and looking away? (happy cat)I wonder how much of this is based off of similar human expressions, if any of it is "hard wired" ... etc.
(DIR) Post #AueHQ07qRCi7ivyAWe by waitworry@sakurajima.moe
2025-05-31T09:23:57Z
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@futurebird my experience is that people who aren't familiar with cats will have to have these explained
(DIR) Post #AueHZE9NfBoNpL5TKi by Remittancegirl@mstdn.social
2025-05-31T09:25:36Z
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@futurebird I’ve come to notice that most humans don’t actually read other human body language very effectively, so I would suspect intra-species reading is even harder.Plus, I notice people get stuck on single-meaning indicators. A swishing tail has a few different meanings.
(DIR) Post #AueItIc0srupPXcBM0 by TheOtterDragon@eldritch.cafe
2025-05-31T09:40:26Z
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@futurebird In my experience, they don't (I'm Official Cat Body Language Translator for several friends). Like, question mark tail ? Absolutely not intuitive for someone who doesn't know cats well.
(DIR) Post #AueKVLMvBQYcv1GDWS by TerryHancock@realsocial.life
2025-05-31T09:58:31Z
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@futurebird My experience with non-cat-people is that the answer is "no". These seem to be things you learn from living with cats.I read cats pretty well, but I grew up with them.Of course, I think this is somewhat true about reading humans, in that people from different cultures and languages often have distinct body language.
(DIR) Post #AueN0aB0NV23jIi6jY by Errantus@mstdn.mx
2025-05-31T10:26:27Z
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@futurebird I know a girl who got scared when a cat started purring while she was carrying it and she threw it away. So, it's no obvious.
(DIR) Post #AueOMLjypZbBHa0ria by yllamana@mastodon.social
2025-05-31T10:41:43Z
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@futurebird I didn't really have any interactions with them for the first almost 40 years of my life and had no idea they had the depth of body language (or emotion) that they do. I've learned a lot over the past few years!
(DIR) Post #AuePOS9w2Ndpisihu4 by llewelly@sauropods.win
2025-05-31T10:53:19Z
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@futurebird I actually think most people, including many who live with cats, don't read expressions like slow blinks or airplane ears correctly. I don't think they're similar enough to human expressions to be read easily.
(DIR) Post #AueWrdbrFA7FJRdzqS by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-05-31T12:16:58Z
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@ngaylinn I notice things about ants that are a bit like that.
(DIR) Post #AueXO2GN7Ndr2a2hm4 by funkula@goblin.camp
2025-05-31T12:22:52Z
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@futurebird I have read that dog body language is more similar to human body language than to wolf, due to the long association between our species. But cats are far less co-evolved with humans, so their body language is more like their wild cousins and less immediately recognizable to us (and it goes the other way too, dogs are good at reading us but cats aren't)
(DIR) Post #AueXo8WyRAJE0cFoHo by Gustodon@mas.to
2025-05-31T12:27:35Z
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@futurebird If you were able to make yourself tiny would you attempt to interact with ants at that scale?
(DIR) Post #AueXvkswEeKgzQA13I by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-05-31T12:29:00Z
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@Gustodon No! Not unless I could get some ... "ant perfume" as a small soft creature they would decide to eat me right away. Ants are predators!
(DIR) Post #AueY2mk9iyN4mRP9tY by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-05-31T12:30:17Z
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@Gustodon That said if I had a collection of pheromones I would try to work out some communication with them. Which is mostly about starting and participating in popular ant projects of moving things, digging things and attacking things.
(DIR) Post #Aueb0qe2Y2I2ACJPkG by mem@mastodon.cr
2025-05-31T13:03:26Z
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@futurebird I have a dog, where "airplane ears" usually means "guilt" or "caution" (it also depends on the direction of the ears).With cats I tend to interpret that as a warning (I'm ready to pounce if you continue).
(DIR) Post #AuebmljQ7OuSpEgA6q by Remittancegirl@mstdn.social
2025-05-31T11:43:34Z
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@c0dec0dec0de Very sick cats are a little different. They’ll purr alone, to self soothe for sure. But I promise you, big kitty was feeling happy in your arms. Otherwise, it would have left! hahahah @futurebird
(DIR) Post #AuebmmqBzhvAGWr5Iu by Remittancegirl@mstdn.social
2025-05-31T13:10:01Z
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@c0dec0dec0de That’s what I really love about cats. They’ve got little time for dissembling unless they’re hunting. Then, of course, they can be pretty crafty. But they’re mostly no bullshit when it comes to humans. Like the shit I interpret as lovey dovey, but actually, they genuinely mean: I love you now feed me!@futurebird
(DIR) Post #Auebmo09g9U5riWYTI by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-05-31T13:12:09Z
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@Remittancegirl @c0dec0dec0de When cats receive affection or kindness they never ever question or worry if they deserve it. "Of course I do!" and they feel the same about giving affection. It's a much more healthy way to look at such things and I try to learn from Pica in this one area.
(DIR) Post #AuecCivRArYteRfyj2 by Remittancegirl@mstdn.social
2025-05-31T13:16:52Z
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@futurebird Me too. I think they can teach us a lot! @c0dec0dec0de
(DIR) Post #AuefFfbIIBIU4RLoHI by PalmAndNeedle@norden.social
2025-05-31T13:50:59Z
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@futurebird @Remittancegirl @c0dec0dec0de is there.. a course? Maybe?
(DIR) Post #AuefYsJ3HDNOykyYhE by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-05-31T13:54:30Z
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@PalmAndNeedle @Remittancegirl @c0dec0dec0de Oh god... is she selling her online courses again? I'm so sorry I've been trying to stop her. https://sauropods.win/@futurebird/113416076513916606
(DIR) Post #AuefqqrzM9F3jhtBoW by Shanmonster@c.im
2025-05-31T13:57:43Z
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@futurebird I am much more adept at reading the body language of nonhuman animals than I am humans. It helps that I grew up on farms and ranches.
(DIR) Post #Aueg7IwWkSwFR9rDV2 by mattmcirvin@mathstodon.xyz
2025-05-31T14:00:34Z
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@futurebird @Remittancegirl @c0dec0dec0de They're more interested in the second question "do I still *want* the affection?" and this can flip from yes to no in a millisecond.
(DIR) Post #Auegu8jRV9elxR1WUq by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-05-31T14:09:32Z
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@PalmAndNeedle @Remittancegirl @c0dec0dec0de You only need to look at her "positive affirmations of self-love" to see the issue:Twice a day look in the mirror and say "I *do* love Pica enough."
(DIR) Post #AueiGuzopxmNyH6ojo by Rana@mastodon.nl
2025-05-31T14:24:50Z
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@futurebird Definitely notSpeaking from experienceIt's very much a trial and error type of situationYou learn to pick up on stuff over time I thankfully have a kind and patient teacher who's willing to put up with me 😁
(DIR) Post #Auej2Hv5QQ6kg6U0cS by Moss@beige.party
2025-05-31T14:33:25Z
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@futurebird @mayintoronto I’m a dog “expert” not cat, but I can say that most dog bite videos show the dog giving body language and behavior signs long before it bites. As attuned as people *supposedly* are with dogs, they mostly can’t read.
(DIR) Post #AuelS17ogp5S1mpklU by spdegabrielle@functional.cafe
2025-05-31T15:00:20Z
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@futurebirdI know #tailup is a good sign and showing the tummy is not an invitation for a tummy rub (it’s a trap!)
(DIR) Post #AuesikzwbNoWc454N6 by cshlan@dawdling.net
2025-05-31T16:21:34Z
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@futurebird I know that dogs and cats have different body language. Some of it is the opposite of each other, like the thrashing tail. Seems that's one reason they don't always get along. Until they learn they read each other wrong and then get unexpected responses.
(DIR) Post #Auey1Tf3me8s7I3fua by mattmcirvin@mathstodon.xyz
2025-05-31T17:17:55Z
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@CppGuy @TheOtterDragon @futurebird I had a gray tortie with prominent tufts over her eyes like a scotty dog, and people often thought it made her look angry or skeptical (a picture I took of her actually became a variant of the "Skeptical Cat Is Skeptical" meme). But of course she looked like that regardless of how she felt.
(DIR) Post #AueyWX1HLaiTVeG6Ii by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-05-31T17:26:59Z
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@mattmcirvin @CppGuy @TheOtterDragon When Pica makes her face she is annoyed. But she also has a "give me stuff" face too.
(DIR) Post #AuezIVbxt1A12eIONU by davep@infosec.exchange
2025-05-31T17:35:37Z
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@futurebird Scary! Adorable! Scary! Adorable!@mattmcirvin @CppGuy @TheOtterDragon
(DIR) Post #AuezYwm8etlpvHtPCy by grumpasaurus@infosec.exchange
2025-05-31T17:38:36Z
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@futurebird @mattmcirvin @CppGuy @TheOtterDragon wow!
(DIR) Post #Aueza0tWpStizJrEtE by viq@social.hackerspace.pl
2025-05-31T17:38:35Z
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@futurebird @futurebird @mattmcirvin @CppGuy @TheOtterDragon oh my, those expressions! 😂
(DIR) Post #AuezlQTo2p0HWZGh5k by superflippy@mastodon.xyz
2025-05-31T17:40:46Z
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@futurebird @mattmcirvin @CppGuy @TheOtterDragon I too have a cat who looks perpetually annoyed.
(DIR) Post #Auf0FfuDFvDc3R2l4C by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-05-31T17:46:21Z
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@superflippy @mattmcirvin @CppGuy @TheOtterDragon That's a pretty cat!
(DIR) Post #Auf1VUVZUzRFIFci2K by sprout@mathstodon.xyz
2025-05-31T18:00:14Z
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@futurebird uh, cats close their eyes to appear less aggressive and show affection
(DIR) Post #Auf4VFJ2Jtby0VKoxU by mattmcirvin@mathstodon.xyz
2025-05-31T18:16:35Z
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@CppGuy @TheOtterDragon @futurebird It's this one--this is Niobe, circa 2002:https://christopherberry.ca/fraught-with-skepticism/That orange background is actually a maroon armchair, photographed in indoor light with a primitive digicam that gave everything a heavy yellow cast.
(DIR) Post #AufB8RKc8uxiK293s8 by MostlyTato@mstdn.social
2025-05-31T19:48:15Z
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@futurebird Some cat behaviours are very similar to humans, which makes sense, we are both mammals and if we weren't similar, cats would make crap pets.Some behaviours are specifically cat, & humans often fail to understand them.Cats are evolved to fit into a very specific ecological niche & behave accordingly; the fact that they can then culturally adapt to a human environment is quite amazing.I'm pretty sure they often understand our body language better than we understand theirs.
(DIR) Post #AufSQbBTwpLRJT7OXg by delProfundo@aus.social
2025-05-31T23:02:00Z
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@futurebird my partner loves our kitty. Tho she’d never been frens with one before hand. She fell in love as all humans do. This weekend, after knowing her for a year she’s started to read a lot of kitty’s cat language. She said before she didn’t think they were so communicative or clever.
(DIR) Post #Auflpleo2qRIAAY7lo by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-06-01T02:39:28Z
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@sprout She does that too. But she also makes that particular face before meowing because she's annoyed.