Sometimes when I go to bed at night one of my cats will lay beside me with his tail toward my face, and then whack me in the face with his tail, usually in the mouth. I then purse my lips and blow to try to blow the fur off my lips, and I swear he does it on purpose because he thinks it's funny. But is it true? Can cats laugh? Let's see what the experts think!
Do cats have a sense of humor?
A few weeks ago, I was looking into whether cats get embarrassed and learned that cats do experience emotions like fear and joy. Do they also have a sense of humor? Cats.com says when cats do something destructive like swinging for the curtains, or knocking something off the counter (or smacking you in the face with their tail when you're trying to sleep), they are probably looking for attention more than they are laughing at you.
The cats.com article also mentions that cats are known for their silliness - that's one of the things we love about them! Cats love to play, and can get themselves into some situations that look pretty silly to us in the process. Recently, my cat got a paperbag on his head and walked around for a minute or two shaking his head back and forth before it fell off again. And, then he went right back and stuck his head in the paper bag again! He was having fun!
Your cat is probably not going to respond if you tell them a joke, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't think things are funny, and one of the things that cats.com says they think is funny is you! They cite cat behaviorist John Bradshaw, who says in National Geographic that cats act the same toward us as they do toward other cats. They know we're bigger than them, and think we're clumsy. Could they be amused by our lack of co-ordination? I think my cat also finds it funny that I can't seem to find my way in the dark!
But, do cats laugh?
The answer seems to be no. Rover.com mentions a study done in 2021 where researchers at UCLA studied "play vocalizations" that are unique to playing and considered a close approximation of human laughter. They found 65 other species also laugh, including most primates, dolphins and even mice! Cats were included in the study, but they were not found to have "play vocalizations". However, every cat lover knows that cats do make sounds that are closely associated with being happy! Purring comes to mind, and while it might not be the same as our laughter, they certainly can express their happiness!
If you are sure you heard a sound coming from your cat that sounded like a laugh it could be what I think of as a cat chirp but is also sometimes called a cat trill. It is a sound of excitement that cats make when they see something like a bird out the window, or is playing with it's favorite toy. Sometimes this can sound more like a laugh than a chirp, and considering it's a sound made when excited, the cat chirp might be the closest analog to a human laugh.
Do cats understand when we laugh?
Catster.com says cats are attuned to their owners, so they can recognize when you are laughing versus when you are not, although they may not understand what has made you laugh. Some cats might interpret the sudden loud noise as a threat, so if your cat hides or hisses when you laugh, you probably frightened them! Rover.com says it is probably the best sign if your cat does nothing when you laugh - it means they are comfortable, even if you are sometimes a big, loud weirdo!
So, even though my cats and I are probably not going to go to a comedy club together, I think they have their own sense of humor, and while they might not laugh out loud, they do find things funny!
What do you think, do you think your cats have a sense of humor?
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