The Many Faces of Felines
looorg writes:
According to an observational study cats are found to have at least 276 different facial expressions combinations. That humans can identify and distinguish between, maybe or sort of ...
https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/67273692
Each of the cat's expressions was made up of a mix of four out of 26 unique facial movements - things like open mouths, wide or small pupils, blinks, nose licks, whisker movements, and ear positions.By comparison, humans have around 44 unique facial movements, and dogs have 27, but the total number of expressions isn't known.Of the recorded facial expressions, around 45% were thought to be friendly, and 37% were more aggressive or angry, with the leftover 18% an unclear mixture of the two.
https://www.science.org/content/article/cats-have-nearly-300-facial-expressions
"Many people still consider cats-erroneously-to be a largely nonsocial species," says Daniel Mills, a veterinary behaviorist at the University of Lincoln who was not involved in the study. The facial expressions described in the new study suggest otherwise, he notes. "There is clearly a lot going on that we are not aware of."
[...] Georgia Mason, a behavioral biologist at the University of Guelph, says she was "very impressed" by the new study. One day it might be used to design an app to help cat owners better understand their pets' subtle cues, she adds. "This could really help the cat-human bond."
Journal Article: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0376635723001419
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