Chat to your cat to make a purrfect pal

THE nation’s 11million cat-lovers have been urged to channel Dr Dolittle and learn to speak to their pets.

Understanding the meaning behind every meow, blink or tail-twitch is crucial to making them feel safe and secure at home, experts say.

Dr Pete Wedderburn, a leading vet and animal welfare commentator, explained: ‘Just as you meet a friend for coffee and say hello, you need to sit down with your pet. You need to watch them and understand them.

‘People just don’t pay enough attention to their cats but if they spoke to them, they would have a better relationship.’

Cat specialists are speaking out after ownership soared during lockdown, with more than a million homes acquiring a kitten for the first time.

Without a close bond, the cat may end up leaving home and becoming a stray, experts have warned.

A short meow is a greeting of hello or ‘Hi’, while multiple meows show a cat’s excitement to see you.

A mid-pitched meow means a cat is asking for something – probably food – while a low-pitched ‘mraaooww’ is a sign of annoyance, and a high-pitched ‘rrrooowww’ implies pain or shock.

A hiss is usually a sign of anger and a warning they are ready to scratch.

Cat behaviourist and biologist Roger Tabor, who co-presented BBC’s Animal Magic with Johnny Morris, said: ‘The range of vocalisation by a cat is significant and if we listen, we learn, and we soon start talking to cats without realising we are doing it.’