The feline faces communicated everything from their intent to be playful to aggressive and all moods in between.

Majority of the cats’ expressions in the study were either distinctly friendly (45 per cent) or aggressive (37 per cent). About 18 per cent were ambiguous and fell into both categories.

While it remains unclear what exactly the cats are saying to each other with these expressions, scientists found some overall patterns in their communications.

For instance, researchers say the cats move their ears and whiskers toward another feline during friendly interactions, and tend to move them away from others during unfriendly interactions.

Some of these expressions, including some sneers and smiles were not just meant for communication between cats but also a product of the feline’s 10,000-year co-evolution with humans, scientists say.

“Our findings indicate that domestication likely had a significant impact on the development of intraspecific facial signaling repertoires in cats,” researchers wrote in the study.

The latest research also shows that cats are far from the nonsocial creatures they are often thought to be.

Scientists say the new findings can also help pet owners in the future to better understand their cats and select the felines that could get along better with the ones they already care for.