https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/67273692 BBC Homepage * Skip to content * Accessibility Help * Your account * CBBC * CBBC iPlayer * Newsround * Bitesize * Own It * CBeebies * CBBC on TV * More menu More menu Search CBBC * CBBC * CBBC iPlayer * Newsround * Bitesize * Own It * CBeebies * CBBC on TV * CBBC Help Close menu HomeMenu * Home * Shows * Games * Quizzes * Watch * Join In * Puzzles * Newsround Link to newsround Cats have nearly 300 different facial expressions says US study * Published 2 days ago * comments Comments cats-expressions.Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Cats are more expressive than we first thought! Meowza! Have you ever wondered what your cat's facial expression means? Well, you might soon be able to find out. A new study by researchers at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) has been investigating the different types of facial expressions cats use to communicate with each other. The team recorded 276 unique different facial expressions from the cats they studied - by comparison, chimpanzees have around 357 different facial expressions. They also found that cats have some expressions in common with humans, and may have picked them up from their 10,000 year history living with us! More stories Cats can tell when you're speaking to them How to tell if your cats are playing or fighting for real! Meet the cats with human lookalikes! How did the researchers find out cats make faces? cat.Image source, Getty Images Scientist Lauren Scott visited a charity cat cafe in California throughout August and June. During this time the researcher filmed around 194 minutes of cats' facial expressions - specifically those aimed at other cats. Lauren then analysed the footage with the help of Brittany Florkiewicz - an evolutionary psychologist - someone who studies emotions and behaviours of certain animal species. What did they discover about cats' facial expressions? cat-facial-expression.Image source, Getty Images They discovered 276 different facial expressions in the cats they'd filmed. Each of the cat's expressions was made up of a mix of four out of 26 unique facial movements - things like open mouths, wide or small pupils, blinks, nose licks, whisker movements, and ear positions. By comparison, humans have around 44 unique facial movements, and dogs have 27, but the total number of expressions isn't known. Of the recorded facial expressions, around 45% were thought to be friendly, and 37% were more aggressive or angry, with the leftover 18% an unclear mixture of the two. cat-expression.Image source, Getty Images Some of the cat's friendly facial expressions - where their mouth was drawn back and their jaw opened to form a smile or laugh - were similar to the 'play face' made by people, dogs, monkeys, and other animals. The researchers don't yet know exactly what the cats were trying to say to each other through these facial expressions, but they hope that their research could help pet owners and animal shelters to care for and understand their relationships with other cats better. Do you know what your cat or pet is trying to tell you? Are they happy? Sad? In need of a stroke, a snooze or their favourite food? Let us know your thoughts in the comments More on this story * Cats can tell when you're speaking to them + Published 27 October 2022 cat. * International Cat Day: Which cat are you? + Published 7 August 2020 cat. View comments Watch Newsround * Watch Newsround. VideoWatch Newsround + Published 14 hours ago De-Graft in the studio * Watch Newsround. VideoWatch Newsround + Published 9 hours ago BSL logo Top Stories * Hundreds of schools close as Storm Ciaran hits UK + Published 14 hours ago + Comments 21 Selsey beach house in West Sussex with waves crashing from the sea * PM: American bully XL dogs to be banned + Published 1 day ago + Comments 57 An American bully on a lead * No goals football team scraps October's 'goal of the month' + Published 16 hours ago + Comments 3 basel-football-team. * What is artificial intelligence? + Published 9 hours ago + Comments 8 a boy plays with his tablet with illustrations of a chat bot on the screen * Israel and Hamas: What's happening? + Published 1 day ago + Comments 251 family in UN centre * Check out this year's Royal Mail Christmas stamps + Published 12 hours ago + Comments 4 stamps * Did the weather help carve Egypt's sphinxes? + Published 1 day ago + Comments 1 sphinx-statue. * CBBC * CBBC iPlayer * Newsround * Bitesize * Own It * CBeebies * CBBC on TV * CBBC Help * Terms of Use * About the BBC * Privacy Policy * Cookies * Accessibility Help * Parental Guidance * Contact the BBC * Get Personalised Newsletters * Why you can trust the BBC * Advertise with us (c) 2023 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. [p]