The Secret Language of Cats: How to Understand Your Cat for a Better, Happier Relationship

Have you ever wondered what your cat is saying?

Cats do not meow randomly, nor do they growl or hiss because they have nothing better to do. Cat sounds have a purpose, and they can carry important messages, whether for us or other cats.

Susanne Schötz is hard at work on breaking the cat code. She is a professor at Lund University in Sweden, where a long-standing research program is proving that cats do actually use vocal communication—with each other and with their human caretakers. Understanding the vocal strategies used in human-cat communication will have profound implications for how we communicate with our pets, and has the potential to improve the relationship between animals and humans within several fields, including animal therapy, veterinary medicine and animal sheltering.

In The Secret Language of Cats, Schötz offers a crash course in the phonetic study of cat sounds. She introduces us to the full range of feline vocalizations and explains what they can mean in different situations, and she gives practical tips to help us understand our cats better.

"Those who love cats will also adore this book .... This lively title will help cat lovers achieve a surprising and animating level of understanding with their house pet." -Publishers Weekly

“Schötz weaves in lovable anecdotes about her cats throughout and guides cat owners through the day-to-day challenges of cat ownership. This is a fascinating read for cat lovers who want to improve communication with their furry friends.” —Booklist

“A helpful read for any cat owner.” —Modern Cat

“What would my cat say to me? The book reveals it and gives a crash course in cat language.” —BILD Frankfurt

“Schötz offers many useful tips for dealing with cats; the book is also well set up with tables and glossary for practical use.” —Der Bund

“In a meticulous evaluation of seen and heard signals [Schötz] has cracked many codes of cat language and summarized them in her book.” —Kurier

“A cat moans, growls and hisses. Their sounds have meaning and system. Phonetics Professor Susanne Schötz explains what they mean.” —GEO Wissen