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As I was sorting through pictures the other day, being pleased that I had managed to capture SO many hissing pictures of the Tiny Dancers, I noticed that there’s a distinct difference in tongue position when kittens are hissing versus when they’re yawning, versus when they’re chattering/talking.
This is possibly no big news to a lot of you, and I’ve usually been able to tell at a glance whether a kitten is hissing (etc) in a picture. But I never noticed the specific difference in tongue position, so I present to you:
The Entirely Scientific and Life-Altering Pictorial of Kittens Hissing, Yawning, and Chattering. (I’ll take that Nobel Prize in the Whatever category any time now, thanks.)
First up, Patsy (left), Nolan (right), and Owen who’s just there minding his own business.
Naturally we’ll start this presentation with a picture where you can’t really see the details all that well, but you can always click on the picture and see it larger at Flickr. Patsy, there on the left, is chattering. See how her tongue is in her mouth, rather than sticking out, and slightly rounded on the sides. (Pretend that you do see that.) Nolan, on the right, is yawning. See how his tongue is sticking out of his mouth and is flat?
FASCINATING, RIGHT?!
Let’s move on.
Flamenco is giving us the ol’ hisseroo. See how her tongue is curved up on the side? (Side note: it’s okay if you’re a little scared. That’s the reaction she wants. She can’t get you… or CAN she?)
Now she’s yawning! And I know that not only because (1) I was the one taking the picture, (2) the stretch part of this yawn-and-stretch combo doesn’t exactly inspire the terror that her hiss did but also (3) her tongue is in yawning position, duh.
Sashay gives us a HISS HISS HISS AND I AIN’T KIDDING, HUMAN. Tongue’s rolled up on the side.
Are you getting the hang of this? Oh, let’s see more pictures to make sure the point is really driven home, shall we?
Patsy’s giving us a yawn – I didn’t get a shot of the tongue completely unfurled (how long IS that thing?) but I assure you that when the end of her tongue was all the way out of her mouth, we had a flat yawning tongue and not a rolled hissing tongue.
Patsy chatters! Tongue is completely in her mouth, rolled a bit on the side.
(A more scientific person would launch a study regarding whether rolling the tongue helps to amplify the sound, but I’m just going to state that as a fact.)
The rolled tongue amplifies the sound, of course.
Look at the roll on that tongue! It’s rolled so much the sides are practically touching. Tango is NOT MESSING AROUND. Verdict: hiss.
Flamenco! Rolled tongue! Ergo: hiss. (She certainly looks amused, though, doesn’t she? She needs to work on that.)
Last but never least: Patsy’s got a chatter. See the raised sides on the tongue? She wants us to HEAR that chatter. (Also, she looks like Calvin on school picture day.)
This concludes today’s lecture. You’re welcome!
PS: With their eyes open, the Tiny Dancers have pretty much ceased hissing. I occasionally hear one here or there, but they don’t MEAN it and their Hissing Days are pretty much at an end. Was fun while it lasted!
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Esmeralda is a flop-and-roll cat. That is, when you’re standing still she’ll walk over, flop onto the floor and then roll around – usually belly-up. Sometimes if you’re walking somewhere she’ll hurry to get in front of you, flop down and roll around, and you have no choice but to stop and pet her. It’s the LAW.
She is TOO CUTE, is what she is.
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Alice on the back porch, keeping an eye out for skinks. (What Alice does when she finds skinks: grabs them and brings them inside. THANKS, Alice. Fortunately, it doesn’t happen all that often.)
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Posted on social media (Facebook/Twitter/Instagram/Tumblr/ Bluesky) yesterday.
Tango says “Hi innernets. Is that what you’re wearing?” Already with an opinion, this one.
Earlier this year, we fostered a group of 7 older kittens (some related, some not.) One of them was this super sweet gray and white tuxie who had just a tiny nub of a tail, Andi. Andi was adopted in February, and unfortunately – through no fault of her own – she is being returned. (She is just over 1 year old now.)
I’ll include the description I wrote of her below. If you’re interested in meeting/adopting Andi, please email Forgotten Felines of Huntsville at info (at) ffhsv.org to inquire.
Haaave you met Andi? She’s available for adoption! She has gorgeous green eyes and soft, silky fur. Also, no tail! Well, just a tiny little nub of a tail. She’s loaded with personality and marches to the beat of her own drum.
She’ll let you pet her – when SHE wants you to pet her. She might sit in your lap if SHE wants to. But then again she might race off to play, to watch birds out the window, or to curl up under a blanket in some quiet spot to snooze the day away. She’s a super playful girl who loves furry, fuzzy, fluffy toys – and also springs! Got a feather teaser? That’ll work! How about a laser light toy? She’ll go for it! She is a silly, goofy, sweetheart and you never know what her next move is going to be – she likes to surprise you! She’s spayed, up to date on vaccinations and ready to go! She gets along great with other cats, and would be fine with dogs.
We are located in the Huntsville, Alabama area; out of area adoptions are allowed, but adopters must come here to complete the adoption. Please email Forgotten Felines of Huntsville at INFO (at) FFHSV.ORG to inquire.
YouTube link
Nolan and Owen were adopted (together) yesterday! They join a family that includes other kitties for them to play with – and two (human) brothers. The brothers’ names? Owen and Nolan! The kitties will eventually be given new names (because that could get confusing), but their new family wants to get to know them first.
Here’s their “from “hello” to adoption” video!
Esmeralda says “Now THIS is a box!”
YouTube link
This is the age where it begins to get interesting – they’re getting their legs underneath them and starting to toddle around the crate!
It cracks me up how much this picture of ChaCha looks EXACTLY like something she’d post to her social media to announce that she’s pregnant. BUT SHE IS NOT. Her kitten-bearing days are OVER, thank you very much.
These kittens are just delightfully chonky. (From left: Flamenco, Sashay, Tango & Mambo)
Good night innernets. (Esmeralda looks SO SMUG.)
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Previously
2024: Hanging out in the tunnel scratcher and thinkin’ thoughts.
2023: No entry.
2022: She’s all “Halllllp!”
2021: Molly Marinara hopped up to see what was going on. Not going to find the Churu there, Molly. Just sayin’.
2020: Constance is all “Where’d Athos go?!”
2019: “What you MEAN there’s an entire other level to this house?!” Luc said.
2018: No entry.
2017: No entry.
2016: Juniper pulls Ponyboy in for a kiss.
2015: “You gots more bottle over there, lady? Askin’ for a friend.”
2014: On Tuesdays, we leap.
2013: Livia said “I am not EVEN going to ask what’s going on. I think ignorance is the way to go at this point.”
2012: No entry.
2011: “OH, scratching post, you are so big and strong!”
2010: VERY MUCH do Kara, Sugarbutt and Tommy disapprove when we have the nerve to leave the back yard. Look at the judgmental faces on those three!
2009: No entry.
2008: No entry.
2007: No entry.
2006: No entry.
2005: I almost died from the cuteness.
LOVED this post, and look forward to your forthcoming peer reviewed paper in a scientific journal. Also, could we have some comparative data on tongue position in the condition ‘nursing while asleep’/dreaming about nursing? Thank you 🙂
(From a researcher, but not a researcher of kitten behaviour sadly. Now considering a change of specialism…)
Ooh i like learning about how to tell when they are hissing or yawning!!
I am back from a week away and happy to be back to my morning kitten checks are work, gotta go check the blogs from last week now too yay 😀
I can definitively say that I hiss better when I roll my tongue, versus a flat tongue! (And yes, I just spent several minutes trying it out, for the sake of science!)
That was informative Robyn. Thank you.