Cats try to communicate with us, but how much do we understand?

The domestic cats who share homes with so many of us are descended from shy, solitary North African wild cats.

And they've had to learn over time how to communicate with us.

But how well do we understand what our cats' meows and other signals mean?

A new book called 'The Hidden Language of Cats: How They Have Us at Meow' seeks to translate those messages. And cat lovers out there might be surprised about what they've been misinterpreting.

On Cincinnati Edition, we talk with the author and get tips to better understand what our cats are trying to tell us.