Hiding is almost always bad--it means they don't feel well. I think
that's a throwback from their anecestry when *not* showing weakness was
necessary for survival.
The ears, tail, and whiskers are good indicators of a cat's mood. A cat
with his tail straight up, or like a "question mark" is a happy cat.
Whiskers forward is also a sign of contentment. Ears forward is a happy
cat. Ears back, they're angry and aggressive. Ears flattened, and
they're defensive.
One of the cutest things about cat body language is when a kitten is
playing, and arches his back, puffs out his tail, and does this little
side-step dance, walking toward you side-ways. All that is instinctual
for him, but what he's really doing is making himself "look bigger",
all the better to look more imposing to his opponent. (you) Adult cats
do the same thing when they're about to fight.

Sherry

Tail Signals from Desmond Morris's Catlore:

Tail curves gently down and then up again at the tip... this is the
relaxed cat, at peace with the world.

Tail raised slightly and softly curved.... the cat is becoming
interested in something.

Tail held erect with tip tilted over.. the cat is very interested and
in a friendly greeting mood but with slight reservations.

Tail fully erect and the tip stiffly vertical... an intense greeting
display with no reservations.

Tail lowered fully and even tucked between legs... defeated or totally
submissive that wishes to stress its lowly social status.

Tail lowered and fluffed out ... fear.

Tail swishing from side to side..
animal is about to attack

Tail held still but with tip twitching ... mild irritation

Tail held to one side ... sexual invitation of the female

Tail arched and bristled ... on the defence, but may attack if provoked
further.

Chris

Brad <bjdbradnospam@gmail.com> wrote:

I will never forget when Kiki jumped out in front of me with paws
spread up in the air. It was the cutest thing.

As far as my cat talking to me. I don't know if you are implying
that a cat should be able to understand its manager. I don't put
that burden on my cat, I can much more easily understand my cat
than it can understand me. That's my opinion.

Have fun.

To a point, yes.
Google "feline body language"
Just like humans and dogs, some things are very consistent and others vary by
cat. Also, you have to look at the whole body, not just one part. Eyes, body
position, ears, tail.

Cats do not have the same vocalizations (pitch, length, occurance vary), but
when you know your cat, you get a feel for what is normal for them and what
they mean. For example, when my Rowan meows a certain way, she's complaining,
but when she meows another way, she's asking for something. When I do
anything to her she doesn't like (clip claws, groom, clean teeth, etc) she
growls at me, but the tone is totally different than when she growls at the
vet for doing things. For me, it's much lighter in tone. For the vet, it's
deep and from the chest -- much more threatening.

Hiding from company is normal for my kids.
Hiding from me is not.

Like people, cats have personalities. Each one is a unique being with his or
her own quirks. While they share some common traits, of course, your cat will
be his/her own person, so to speak, so you need to observe him/her and learn
what is normal for him/her.
For example, really listen to how your cat meows and when. How does it sound
when kitty is hungry? Wants attention? Is pissed off (wants something, can't
have it, or such)? Does s/he vocalize often, or not much? One of mine talks
far more often than another.
Really look at your cat and see how s/he normally carries the body. Tail up?
Tail down? Most cats carry the tail horizontally with a slight curl up at the
end when they're relaxed. The tail shoots up in the air when they're excited,
angry, or otherwise not relaxed. It curls down to cover the genitals ("tail
between their legs") when they're sick or very afraid. My cats all carry
their tails a little differently both relaxed and excited. But the general
rule remains true for them.
How is your cat's normal gait? Does the cat walk slow most of the time? Does
s/he trot? How does the body move? Fluid and graceful? Back arched a bit or
more flat?
When you _really_ know how the cat normally looks and sounds (things a lot of
people just don't really notice, even about other people and animals they
live with), it's a lot easier to catch problems early.

My cat is very verbal when Im in the shower...

He either, goes to his big pot of water, and takes a cat bath (dips his
foot, rubs his head you know) or, hangs out next to the tub.
If I open the curtain and talk to him, his eyes light up, and he just
starts real intently telling me something...I get the feeling he is
frustrated because I don't know what he's saying. I've never seen him
try harder to talk to me than at shower times.

I have no idea what he is saying, or what he really wants.

Maybe he's just razzin me about getting clean. I take a shower once a
week wether I need it or not.