你真的了解喵星人吗？

杨涛

Every cat owner tends to think they have special relation with their cat friend， but experts believe that many people fail to have effective communication with their cats. Britains Cats Protection has produced a video guide about cat behaviour after a study found many owners are unable to fully understand their pet. The charitys experts hope their 3-minute video can help people notice when their pet cats are happy or stressed1.

每个养猫的人都认为他们和自己的猫咪朋友有着不一般的关系，可是专家认为很多养猫者都没能和他们的猫咪进行真正有效的沟通。调查发现很多养猫者并不充分了解自己的宠物猫的各种行为，对此英国的猫咪保护机构制作了一段猫咪行为指南视频。该机构的专家希望这个三分钟的视频能够帮助人们了解他们的宠物猫何时开心，何时感到紧张。

Three quarters of cat owners did not know an upright2 tail means the cat is pleased to see them and is trying to say hello. And one in three thought a cat lies on its back when it wants its tummy3 tickled4 like a dog. In fact， it only means cats are relaxed and trust you.

四分之三的养猫人不知道猫咪竖起尾巴是表示见到他们很高兴，并且试着向他们打招呼。并且有三分之一的养猫人以为猫咪和狗一样，仰躺在地上是想让人给它挠肚皮。事实上，这种行为表明猫咪很放松，而且很信任你。

Cat behaviour expert Nicky Trevorrow， who works at the charity， said it is likely that owners may be scratched5 and bitten when they try to rub their cats tummy. Maybe its because cats see the action as an abuse6 of the their trust and would rather have their heads stroked7.

在这个慈善机构工作的猫科行为专家尼基·特雷沃罗说道，如果在这时猫主人试图抚摸猫咪的肚子，就可能被猫抓甚至被咬，因为猫咪会认为主人辜负了自己的信任。它们更希望自己的头被抚摸。

A third of the 1，100 cat owners surveyed failed to notice that when a cat blinks slowly， it feels calm and contented8. And two in three think a purring cat is always a happy one， when it could actually mean they are in pain.

在接受调查的1100名养猫者中，约有三分之一都不曾意识到猫咪缓慢地眨眼表明它此刻感到平静和满足。而且有三分之二都以为猫咪发出咕噜声就一定意味着它很开心，其实这也可能表明它感到疼痛。

Four in ten puzzled9 owners did not realize a cat with flattened10 ears means it is scared and in need of somewhere to hide. Pulling a frightened11 cat out of a hiding place in order to comfort it could actually make it feel more stressed. The video recommends owners to make sure there is somewhere for them to hide or climb up high.

有十分之四的困惑的养猫者都不知道猫咪耷拉着耳朵表明它感到害怕，并且需要地方躲藏。如果为了安慰一只受到惊吓的猫就硬把它从它躲藏的地方拖出来，它便会感到更加紧张害怕。这段视频建议养猫者在这时要确保猫咪有地方可以躲藏，或者可以爬高。

Half of owners didnt know that cats also signal stress by licking their lips， usually they think it means a cat is hungry or has dry lips. Of course it may lick their lips to make sure their face is clean after a meal.

近一半的养猫者都不知道猫咪舔嘴唇也是它感到紧张的一个信号，他们通常认为这是代表它饿了或者嘴巴干燥。当然如果猫咪吃过饭后舔舔嘴唇，也许就是想确保面部清洁。

It can look like affectionate12 behavior if they rub against your legs when you return home， and it is also a form of greeting. Actually the sneaky13 kitties think their owner smells a bit strange and are depositing their scent so the human smells familiar once more.

当你回到家时猫咪过来蹭你的腿，这看起来像是一种向你表达喜爱的行为，也是一种打招呼的方式。其实狡猾的小猫只是觉得主人身上的味道变得有点陌生，所以想要在主人身上留下一点自己的味道，这样闻起来比较熟悉。

They are subtle14 and can be difficult to read， so owners also need to look for non-facial signals that can indicate how their cat is feeling. Many cat owners treat their pet like a human friend and think they are being kind when they give it with long， affectionate hugs. Cats are quite solitary15 creatures and they prefer frequent but brief attention.

猫咪表情微妙，难以捉摸，所以主人们需要寻找表情以外的信号来揣测猫咪的感受。很多养猫者对自己的宠物就像对人类一样，觉得给它漫长、深情的拥抱就能表达自己的善意。但猫咪是非常独立的动物，它们只需要你能够时常注意到它并给予短暂的关注。

[1] stressed adj. 紧张的；感到有压力的 [2] upright adj. 垂直的，直立的

[3] tummy n. 肚子；胃 [4] tickle vt. 使发痒；挠痒

[5] scratch vt. 抓 [6] abuse vt. 滥用

[7] stroke vt. 轻抚 [8] contented adj. 满足的；心安的 [9] puzzled adj. 困惑的；茫然的 [10] flattened adj. 没精打采的；垂头丧气的

[11] frightened adj. 害怕的；受惊的 [12] affectionate adj. 深情的；充满深情的

[13] sneaky adj. 鬼鬼祟祟的；暗中的，卑鄙的 [14] subtle adj. 微妙的

[15] solitary adj. 孤独的；独居的