The moment in the post above — Favorite pic from earlier in the week. She made it clear it was time to take a break from syllabus prep. — is one of those small everyday scenes that says a lot about life with cats.
Resting Cat Face is one of the great optical illusions in the animal kingdom. A cat who looks furious is very often just relaxed. The shape of a cat’s face — the heavy brow, the downward mouth corners, the unblinking gaze — was tuned by evolution to communicate intensity to other cats, not displeasure to humans. The cat in the post above is almost certainly fine.
That said, real cat grumpiness exists and is worth learning to read. Pinned-back ears, a low twitching tail, dilated pupils, and a sudden change in posture are the genuine warning signs. The classic glare that goes viral on the internet, on the other hand, is usually the cat equivalent of zoning out on the couch.
Either way, posts like this one prove that cats are masters of accidental comedy. They are not trying to look like furious tiny accountants; we just keep catching them at the perfect angle.
Favorite pic from earlier in the week. She made it clear it was time to take a break from syllabus prep.