Cats understand the world from body language and small signs. From our article it turns out why our furry ones do not like it when we point, and what we can do so that they may be calmer.

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The other day we came across the video below, in which cat owners point at their favourites. The reactions, which sometimes already come across as funny, are quite interesting. It is important, however, that no matter how cute this phenomenon is for us, it is worth examining its background as well, since for our furry friends this activity means a source of stress.

This Is Why It May Be a Problem for the Cat If We Point at Them with a Finger

This strange behaviour stems from how cats interpret human movements and signals. Kitties mainly rely on body language and small non-verbal signs to orient themselves in their environment. It is not necessarily the pointing finger directed at them, rather the rigid gaze that accompanies it that may seem threatening or disturbing to them. The rigid stare in almost every case means a threat in the animal world, which is followed either by an attack or by a similarly stress-causing situation. In the eyes of our purring friends it may also be interpreted as an aggressive or dominant signal. Let us see what stands behind the phenomenon, and how we may communicate more effectively with our favourite.

The Most Common Reasons

There may be several reasons why cats do not like it when we point at them. It is interesting that part of these are instinctive, while the others are learnt.

• Perceived as a threat: It may often seem like an aggressive or attacking signal for them, which triggers a defensive reaction.
• Negative experiences: If earlier someone pointed at them during disciplining or frightening, then the gesture may evoke bad memories.
• Misinterpreted communication: Human movements are many times not interpreted in the way we do, that is, what is harmless for us may be disturbing or threatening for them.
• Personality: There are kitties which by their nature are more sensitive or more anxious than other individuals.
• Fear and uncertainty: With stressed or timid cats the action as a whole may easily trigger anxiety.

Some tabbies may consider pointing with a finger an aggressive, threatening signal

Research On Cats’ Reactions Concerning Human Pointing Gestures

According to a study examining the sensitivity of cats, published in the journal titled American Psychological Association, these reactions are completely natural, and stem from the fact that the thinking of kitties differs significantly from what we would like to convey with human gestures. Furthermore, it also pointed out that cats are capable of interpreting and following human pointing gestures. In the experiment the tabbies reacted above performance level both on a group level and on an individual level, which suggests that domestic cats may possess heterospecific (inter-species) communication skills, that is, they may be able to take human signs into account during their decisions.

The Reactions of the Velvet-Pawed Ones

As reactions, we may observe the following signs on our favourites:

• the ears flatten backwards;
• the tail moves nervously;
• the animal withdraws or escapes;
• they hiss, they growl;
• dilated pupils;
• meowing or growling;
• tense posture.

Although in reality it is not the pointing finger directed towards the tabbies itself that causes the problem, it is still worth avoiding this gesture. Since it is often the gaze accompanying the movement, which seems threatening to them, that may trigger the unpleasant reaction, if we were to show the same tense, scolding look without pointing, that too would be disturbing for them. The cat videos circulating on the internet often only show half-truths; here too it is not the finger that is the essence, but that message, that underlying intention, which the cat senses from it. In the same way, in the earlier “cucumber videos” it was not the cucumber that was frightening, but the fact that something appeared unexpectedly behind the cat, which they were not counting on. That is, not everything is what it seems!

Returning to pointing: instead of it, it is worth rather using open-palmed, slow movements, and we should definitely associate these with positive experiences, for example stroking, quiet speech or a reward treat. Over time the positive reinforcement reduces the negative fixations, while we may not only reduce anxiety, but also deepen our relationship.

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