#1 Went To My Local Humane Society To Adopt And This Happened. He Fell Asleep On My Leg. Guess I'm Stuck Here Forever. My Family Said They'd Bring Me Food And Water So I Don't Die
Generally, cats have an expressionless look on their faces, regardless of whether they’re hungry or happy to see you. However, there are nearly 300 facial expressions humans likely don’t see. According to a 2023 study published in Behavioural Processes, there are 276 to be exact.
#6 This Is Not My Picture, But If The Phrase "The Audacity " Had A Face, I Think It Would Be This
The study included 194 minutes of videos of cats' facial expressions while communicating with fellow felines. These expressions revealed 26 unique facial movements, such as parted lips, dilated pupils, jaw drops, half-blinks, nose licks, and retracted whiskers.
For context, humans have 44 unique facial movements, while dogs have 27. Chimpanzees, so far, have the most facial expressions with 357.
University of Kansas medical student Lauren Scott and evolutionary psychologist Brittany Florkiewicz conducted the study. During their research, they broke down a cat’s expression into three categories: distinctly friendly (45% of the time), distinctly aggressive (37% of the time), and ambiguous (18%).
In an interview with Modern Cat, Florkiewicz explained that a cat’s facial expressions have evolved over time. Domesticated cats, in particular, have become more tolerant towards everyone around them, whether with humans or fellow cats. As a result, they’ve developed friendlier expressions.
“They’re using facial expressions to navigate social interactions,” Florkiewicz stated.
#14 My Friend’s Cat Is A Bit Too Spicy For The Vet. She Gets The Space Helmet With Every Visit Meow
For all of you cat parents out there, have you noticed your beloved pets in these nonchalant, seemingly irked facial expressions? If you have photos of them, share them in the comments section below!
