Kitty Language: An Illustrated Guide to Understanding Your Cat

by Lili Chin

Learn to identify every meow, tail swish, and slow blink in this fun, informative, illustrated guide to feline body language, from the author of Doggie Language .

Have you ever wanted to know what your cat really thinks? Professional artist Lili Chin explores felines in this whimsical visual guide to reading and understanding the feelings and behaviors of your kitty.

Packed with playful, vibrant, and informative illustrations, Chin demystifies common behaviors—including sniffing, rubbing, kneading, staring, stalking, and more—so you can help your kitty feel safe, secure, stimulated, and happy. Did you know that the further apart your cat's ears are, the less relaxed he is feeling? Or that when kitty bumps you with the top of her head, it can be a sign of affection, a request for interaction, or her way of saying, "You are my friend"?

A well-known artist in the animal training and welfare world, Chin creates informational artwork backed by scientific research and vetted by animal behaviorists and veterinarians. From head rubs and tail twitches to eye blinks and ear flicks, Kitty Language is a fun and quick read to help pet parents connect with and appreciate their feline friends.

Genres: Nonfiction, Cats, Animals, Science, Nature

160 pages, Hardcover

Published June 13, 2023

Reviews

[Mai H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This amuses. I have two cats at home that love to airplane their ears, amongst other funny behaviors. Super cute illustrations. If you have cats, this is a must!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.

[Sue Em · Rating 5 out of 5]

How to interpret what your kitties are saying through their body language. Full of expressive and whimsical illustrations that really nail down the nuances of kitty language with clear descriptive text to illuminate. Of course the caveat at the beginning alerts you to the fact that each kitty is an individual and all details may not always apply. Recommend for new kitty owners especially but there is something for all kitty owners to enjoy and identify with. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity read this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Soňa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Občas sa informácie opakujú, ale celkovo výborný úvod do poznania mačiek a ich správania. Príjemné ilustrácie aj vysvetlenie k nim

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Estaba en clases y aaa me daba tanta curiosidad saber más acerca de los gatos aveces existen prioridades

[Halah Ahmad · Rating 3 out of 5]

¹

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full of adorable and very accurate illustrations, this is a short but very easy reference book that will help you to quickly learn the body language of your cat. I think this book would make an excellent gift to anyone with a new cat member of the family.

Thank you NetGalley and Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Daisy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cute illustrated guide on cat body language!
I’ve lived with several cats with different personalities and volunteered at an animal shelter, and I still learned some new things from this book.

It’s great if you’re like, “Why does my cat randomly XYZ?” Yowl, chirp, trill, zoom around, etc.

I read this because we’re about to move, which is a very stressful process for cats, and I want to be very aware of how they’re feeling. However, I think this should be required reading for anyone with a cat.

[Pink Leaf · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is pretty cute! 🥰 Also, I had no idea that cats have so many scent glands!

[Kelly M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can confirm, my cats hate each other.

[Marina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wie süß kann ein Buch den bitte sein ?
Da ich ehrlicherweise schon viel zu viele Ratgeber gelesen habe, leider nicht so viel neues
Aber diese Illustrationen sind einfach zu knuffig
Perfekt für frische Katzenbesitzer

[Mark R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book; something to benefit everyone who considers themselves a friend to cats. Lili Chin's illustrations are fun to look at, and the information she provides, dispensed in easily digestible, thoughtfully worded missives, is very helpful. If you're interested in learning more about your cat's sounds, body language, and moods, check this out.

[Rebecca Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read on less than an hour. Absolutely devoured this book; made me love my kitty cats even more 🥰

[Ioana Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fiind prima zi a lui 2025, energia mea a fost destul de scăzută, însă acum seara, am zis sa ma relaxez puțin înainte de somn.
Cum moș Crăciun m-a surprins anul acesta de doua ori cu carti, am ales sa citesc pe îndelete Limbajul pisicilor.
O am pe Alma de patru ani și jumătate și cred ca zi de zi am învățat lucruri de la ea și despre ea, însă niciodată nu strica sa cunoaștem mai multe despre animăluțul nostru.
Cartea de față este de fapt un Coffee Table Book. Unul adorabil ilustrat, in care autoarea ne explica intr-o maniera foarte simpla tot ce tine de corpul pisicii. De la poziție pana la mimica feței.
Recunosc ca majoritatea lucrurilor prezentate îmi erau deja cunoscute, însă din punctul meu de vedere, cartea poate fi un cadou foarte potrivit pentru cineva la început de drum în lumea felina. Mi-ar fi prins foarte bine sa citesc informațiile aflate acum, atunci când Alma era mica. Nu știam absolut nimic despre pisici, pana sa apară dorinta de a o avea, chiar nu îmi plăceau deloc 🙈.
Pentru mine, a fost modul perfect de a începe anul. Chiar m-am amuzat pe alocuri și am reimprospatat cunoștințele dobândite de când sunt stăpâna Almei.
O carte delicioasa prin imagini și foarte utila prin explicații, in opinia mea de nelipsit din casa fiecărui iubitor de pisici! 😺🧡

[Lata · Rating 5 out of 5]

Attractive, kinetic and playful images illustrate this great little book. Author Lili Chin speaks to readers who may be new to cats and their subtle behavioural clues, to help people decipher cats' moods and interest in their surroundings and fellow residents.

The author conveys a lot of information in simple to understand prose, but never talks down to the reader. I also liked the use of colour throughout the book, reinforcing the playful natures of the animals. The author's love and fascination for the furry creatures permeates this cute book, one which I wish I had had years ago when adopting my first cat.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press for this ARC in exchange for my review.

[Ulia Murray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best books about pets - when you can recognise your pets in it.

I think it's a very good beginning of a book about cats - to stress that cats are different from dogs and different cats are different from each other. Also this book debunks the myth that cats are emotionless and hard to read: they are all emotion when you treat them properly and they feel comfortable around you.

Good book to start getting to know cats, I think even kids can understand, can recommend. Big plus for fun pics.

[alexander shay · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the art, and confess I read this book mostly because I'm familiar with the writer's artwork in pin form. For someone who is unfamiliar with cat ownership or is more of a "dog person", this book is useful. Cats show similar behaviors (ex wagging tail) to dogs but said behavior generally demonstrates a vastly different emotion, which it's important to know. But I've had my cat for long enough now that I had intuited most of these things just from watching her. For me, the most useful part was about the whiskers. I had no idea they could actually move, and I started paying more attention to my cat's whiskers to see.

[Kat Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having had cats for most of my life, I can't say that I necessarily learned a whole lot, but I did learn the differences between some similar behaviors and enjoyed the refresher. It is very simple and easy to understand with super cute illustrations

[Delynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a cute, little book! I really enjoyed this book and all the kitty drawings! I highly recommend this book for a person that has adopted a cat for the first time. I, myself, have owned a cat (or two) the majority of my life and still learned new facts about kitty languages especially when it comes from their whiskers, ears and meows. 🐈‍⬛

[Trang · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the cutest book ever on cats and I adore all the illustrations! It has some nice tips too.

[Jochem Wessel]

Huge recommendation for any and all cat owners.

[Taylor Bush · Rating 5 out of 5]

wondering how i can escape this capitalist hellhole to be a cat lady in the scottish highlands

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨4.5✨

[Stefan Garland]

"Here kitty, kitty" just got a whole new meaning!

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice short reference for cat behavior with clear illustrations.

[jolative · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!!!

[mahee · Rating 4 out of 5]

adorable

[Elisabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC via Edelweiss+

Nicely illustrated. Perfect for a first time cat owner, or a parent trying to explain to children how cats react and what their body language means. Doesn't go heavily in depth, but I feel that it wasn't really intended to.

Overall, a quick read designed for educating specific audiences, or entertaining a leisurely reader paging through it.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cat facts presented through wonderful kitty drawings. Read it and and improve your ability to speak and understand cat.

[Mish Mash Succotash · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a cute and informative book. The illustrations are wonderful, and I really think this could be useful and entertaining for both children and adults. I've been in the animal welfare industry for well over a decade, and even I had something to learn from this book. I think all cat owners should read this!

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw this book on the endcap of my library's new book display, about a week ago, and, since I live in a house with five cats, felt compelled to check it out.

it is a very quick read, as it is heavily illustrated by the author, and, even though it is 153 pages in length, doesn't have a large amount of words. I was able to read the entire book in about 40 minutes.

It was great fun. I didn't learn a lot that I didn't already know, but some of what I thought I knew was reinforced. One thing I did learn was "flehmening," which is what cats are doing when they stop and sit or stand with their mouth open with an almost sneer-like expression. It seems they have scent glands inside their mouths, and when they do that, they are "smelling" something.

Cats have scent glands everywhere. When they rub their cheeks on the corner of a wall, they are marking it with scent glands. They even have glands between their toes, so when they are scratching things, they aren't always sharpening their claws. Sometimes the are marking are doing a "communal scent" thing.

There's a good section on what ear postures mean. When a cat's ears are back, it doesn't always mean defensive or stressed. Sometimes, they might be protecting their ears during play-fighting, or lowering them to be able to fit through a tight space. They also use their whiskers to navigate through tight spaces, as well.

What I did not learn is why my tuxedo cat attacks and bites my legs, sometimes. Or why she constantly licks my hands. l figure both are out of affection and playfulness. She is also constantly head-butting me, which the book refers to as "bunting." That is definitely a sign of affection.

This was a very enjoyable book, and a good breather between East of Eden and The Once and Future King. And the illustrations are adorable!