你真的了解喵星人嗎？

楊濤

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.

每個養(yǎng)貓的人都認為他們和自己的貓咪朋友有著不一般的關系，可是專家認為很多養(yǎng)貓者都沒能和他們的貓咪進行真正有效的溝通。調查發(fā)現很多養(yǎng)貓者并不充分了解自己的寵物貓的各種行為，對此英國的貓咪保護機構制作了一段貓咪行為指南視頻。該機構的專家希望這個三分鐘的視頻能夠幫助人們了解他們的寵物貓何時開心，何時感到緊張。

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.

四分之三的養(yǎng)貓人不知道貓咪豎起尾巴是表示見到他們很高興，并且試著向他們打招呼。并且有三分之一的養(yǎng)貓人以為貓咪和狗一樣，仰躺在地上是想讓人給它撓肚皮。事實上，這種行為表明貓咪很放松，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.

在這個慈善機構工作的貓科行為專家尼基·特雷沃羅說道，如果在這時貓主人試圖撫摸貓咪的肚子，就可能被貓抓甚至被咬，因為貓咪會認為主人辜負了自己的信任。它們更希望自己的頭被撫摸。

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.

在接受調查的1100名養(yǎng)貓者中，約有三分之一都不曾意識到貓咪緩慢地眨眼表明它此刻感到平靜和滿足。而且有三分之二都以為貓咪發(fā)出咕嚕聲就一定意味著它很開心，其實這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養(yǎng)貓者都不知道貓咪耷拉著耳朵表明它感到害怕，并且需要地方躲藏。如果為了安慰一只受到驚嚇的貓就硬把它從它躲藏的地方拖出來，它便會感到更加緊張害怕。這段視頻建議養(yǎng)貓者在這時要確保貓咪有地方可以躲藏，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.

近一半的養(yǎng)貓者都不知道貓咪舔嘴唇也是它感到緊張的一個信號，他們通常認為這是代表它餓了或者嘴巴干燥。當然如果貓咪吃過飯后舔舔嘴唇，也許就是想確保面部清潔。

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.

當你回到家時貓咪過來蹭你的腿，這看起來像是一種向你表達喜愛的行為，也是一種打招呼的方式。其實狡猾的小貓只是覺得主人身上的味道變得有點陌生，所以想要在主人身上留下一點自己的味道，這樣聞起來比較熟悉。

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.

貓咪表情微妙，難以捉摸，所以主人們需要尋找表情以外的信號來揣測貓咪的感受。很多養(yǎng)貓者對自己的寵物就像對人類一樣，覺得給它漫長、深情的擁抱就能表達自己的善意。但貓咪是非常獨立的動物，它們只需要你能夠時常注意到它并給予短暫的關注。

[1] stressed adj. 緊張的；感到有壓力的 [2] upright adj. 垂直的，直立的

[3] tummy n. 肚子；胃 [4] tickle vt. 使發(fā)癢；撓癢

[5] scratch vt. 抓 [6] abuse vt. 濫用

[7] stroke vt. 輕撫 [8] contented adj. 滿足的；心安的 [9] puzzled adj. 困惑的；茫然的 [10] flattened adj. 沒精打采的；垂頭喪氣的

[11] frightened adj. 害怕的；受驚的 [12] affectionate adj. 深情的；充滿深情的

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

[15] solitary adj. 孤獨的；獨居的