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You'd better have a good excuse for waking me...
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Why do cats seem so regal? What element makes them so graceful appearing? Look at the curve of his left foreleg, the centered, nearly formal positioning of the head. His tail is drawn about him like a royal cape. There really is an expression of superiority, demanding, authoritative.
That said, where do our standards of "regal" and "graceful" and “demanding” originate? Why do we perceive these things this way? This cat has not spoken so what is it in this image that delivers this message? What do YOU see?
Yes?
originally uploaded by anyjazz65.
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 Nat Lockwood- Grand Prix Pix Ltd says: Wow, fantastic! What a cutie!
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 anyjazz65 says: Thanks. She was guarding the waiting room seats in an Oregon bus station.
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 Varla's Drive says: Looks like she's been on the road a while with those slightly grubby paws. Very pretty.
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 snapshotmelly says: I love the expression!!
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 Lucky Clov says: A Schopenarian analogy ;-) Am I playing with the cat, or is the cat playing with me...
Such a beautiful creature, and what a dainty expression!
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anyjazz65 says: @snapshotmelly: I think cats know more than they let on.
@Lucky Clov: A good start for a discussion! I was impressed to by the curious but cautious and annoyed look. Cats are capable of communication with just a look
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 Dunottar says: Yes. Regal, graceful, demanding. Look at my buddy icon. Bow! Lower! Lower! :-)
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 soozika says: I imagine they happen to display expressions or postures that coincidentally bear a similarity to the same expressions and postures as we have learned to interpret them in humans (and as you described them !) and of which the brain/mind "simply" recognizes specific basic features (like "regal" = upright posture", graceful = displaying a certain "curly" sinuosity, etc.) (the latter possibly applying to cats in particular due to their lithe bodies) and triggers an impression/association. I mean, it's not limited to cats - some of your birds for instance also display certain - well, expressions that could be interpreted in 'human' terms. I guess our brain is in constant 'pattern recognition mode' and the rest is pure coincidence (like I don't think the cat gives it any thought (ha) how she/he comes across). I mean, when confronted with purely abstract pictures/paintings/shapes the brain instantly tends to recognize meaningful patterns (--> ref. evolution ... survival = determine whether something is friend or foe, etc.). It's difficult - well, I find it difficult to simply take in something without the associative synapses (or whatever they may be called) jumping into action. Instead of simply enjoying what the eye receives.
Well, my two cents after two glasses of sherry. Maybe that cat is a born again Egyptian goddess after all.
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anyjazz65 says:
@Dunottar: So we have another loyal subject?
@soozika: Oh, I can see this could be a long discussion, or as Walt Kelly once said, “To be drug out…” We certainly do apply our human interpretations of emotions and expressions to the animals about us. Most of the time it’s doubtful that the animal has any idea what is being expressed in human terms.
There are probably two categories: 1.) The characteristics that mean different things to humans and animals. The attributes that humans apply to characteristics of the animal’s natural physiognomy, activity or posture might parallel something in the human realm of experience but seldom in the animal’s. For example, a cat with a black band of fur across its face we often name “Bandit.” Only a human makes this association; the cat is unaware of the characteristic. No cat has ever been known to hold up a stage coach or a train.
2.) The characteristics that mean the SAME to both humans and animals. There are only a few of these. A dog wags its tail when it is happy or excited and that means about the same to a human. (Although most humans don’t have tails.) Also our dog barks because it wants attention and we understand that. Our neighbor’s dog barks because it wants to be annoying and we understand that.
Also we must include the “animal” characteristics that we often apply to human behavior: monkey shines, cat burglar, dog soldier and horse hockey. Animals are completely unaware of these associations too.
One must remember too that although an animal's communication skills are far and away simpler than ours, they understand us far better than we understand them.
 TLC_WV says: Some cats (and dogs) are much more expressive than others. Many times I believe they pick up on our attitudes toward their expressions to
"train us" so to speak. If by chance they display something that illicits an enjoyable response from us such as petting, or filling the food bowl, they will repeat it to garner the same response. Then we, just as Pavlov's dogs, will obey their commands not even realizing that we are the ones being manipulated.
 anyjazz65 says: I think you are right.
Example: We dog-sat my son's Jack Russell Terrier last week. As my wife and I were talking one afternoon she perched between us trying to get our attention. She does almost no barking or whining in any case and further she knew that would only draw a negative response. So she tried to mimic our speech. She moved her mouth and made small, breathy and staccato sounds and clicked her teeth. She indeed probably thought she was contributing to our discussion. I found myself looking at her expecting her to utter something that I actually understood. It was an eerie feeling. She got a treat and lots of attention.
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