No one likes the silent treatment — and that goes for pets, too.

Jean Craighead George, a naturalist and author of the new children’s books “How to Talk to Your Dog” and “How to Talk to Your Cat” (HarperTrophy) offers these tips to get human-animal conversations started and how to read your cat’s or dog’s mood:

• If a cat’s whiskers are bent forward, it is a sign the cat is embracing you; bent backward, it means the cat is alarmed.
• If a cat’s tail is hanging down and loose from the body, the cat is saying “All is well,” but if it’s lashing around, the cat is angry.
• If a cat’s back is arched high and its fur is standing up, the cat is ready to battle. It’s both a defensive and offensive pose.
• A dog’s tail that is hanging low is a sign that it’s depressed while a tail that is up and slightly curved means the dog is happy. If the dog is sick, the tail might be lowered and hanging toward one side.
• A suspicious dog thrusts his head forward, presses his ears back and frowns. A wrinkled brow and ears held out to the side is a way of saying “I’m confused.”
• Dogs love to play. They invite each other to tumble and romp by spanking their forepaws on the ground, rear ends up. If a person gets into the same position, it also is an invitation to play.