Pets are great companions to many people, and we tend to anthropomorphize them to the point that we treat them like humans. 84% of owners, for example, say they speak to their pets regularly. We probably don't expect an answer, but we still think they can understand us as if they knew our language.
The reality is a little bit different. Pets, such as dogs and cats, don't exactly speak our language, but they do understand and respond to the way we vocalize, gesture, and what expressions we make. We, in turn, don't understand meowing and barking, but we do read our pets' body language: the movement of their tails, and their expressions.
A study in 2014 set out to explore how cats communicate with their owners. They found that verbal cues are enough to elicit a response. When a person (and not necessarily the owner) would call the cat, they would tilt their heads and pivot their ears while looking at them. Sadly, they wouldn't say "Meow" back.
But they do understand our facial expressions. A 2015 study from researchers at the University of Milan proved that cats react more affectionately to owners when they smile. They would purr and rub against them. When the owners in the study would frown, their cats would avoid them.
But do cats have a sense of humor? When they do the silly things they do, is it random or because they want to make us laugh? Experts say that unlike dogs, cats think that humans are cats, too. While dogs probably understand that we're a different species even though dogs and humans are part of a pack, cats think of us as big, clumsy cats.
Cat behaviorist John Bradshaw explains to National Geographic that cats essentially treat us like they would other cats. "Putting their tails up in the air, rubbing around our legs, and sitting beside us and grooming us are exactly what cats do to each other." However, he says that they probably perceive us as clumsy; not many cats trip over other cats.
Unfortunately, researchers haven't found any evidence yet that cats do naughty things to amuse us. Experts claim that it's more of an attempt to get attention than something they do to laugh at us. Cats themselves don't laugh, although they do make other sounds that mean they're happy and amused.
A smiling cat means something very different than a smiling person. Some cats seem like they're smiling when they're relaxed and calm with a closed mouth. However, sometimes a cat's face might contort into something like a smile if they're in pain or stressed, too. So, it's better to look for other signs of happiness in your cat than a smile.
