Purrfect English: Paw-ket Dictionary Cat to Human

Some of the world's top experts, including devoted veterinarians, open a window into the minds of our feline freinds.

Cats have become so beloved in recent years that some 75 million live in American homes as family pets. Another quarter million are community cats, increasingly serving us in barns, breweries, warehouses and more to keep rodents and other unwanted wildlife under control.

Yet the cat has often seemed mysterious—compared to dogs, our cats can feel bit more aloof and difficult...