diff --git a/translator/bat2cat/translator.go b/translator/bat2cat/translator.go
index d633891..a1edf25 100644
--- a/translator/bat2cat/translator.go
+++ b/translator/bat2cat/translator.go
@@ -150,6 +150,11 @@ func handleShortFlags(arg string, args []string, i int, result *[]string, skipNe
 		} else {
 			// Flags without direct mapping or bat-specific flags
 			switch flag {
+			case 'v':
+				// -v (display non-printing as ^X / M-x) — approximated with --show-all
+				// and caret notation. Note: bat also visualizes spaces/newlines which
+				// cat -v does not, but this is the closest available approximation.
+				*result = append(*result, "--show-all", "--nonprintable-notation=caret")
 			case 'p':
 				// -p (plain) is already added by default, ignore
 			case 'l', 'H', 'm':
diff --git a/translator/bat2cat/translator_test.go b/translator/bat2cat/translator_test.go
index 4085ae3..74a9f86 100644
--- a/translator/bat2cat/translator_test.go
+++ b/translator/bat2cat/translator_test.go
@@ -70,6 +70,13 @@ func TestTranslateFlags(t *testing.T) {
 			expected: []string{"-p", "--paging=never", "--color=auto", "-u", "file.txt"},
 		},
 
+		// Show non-printing (approximate: also shows spaces/newlines)
+		{
+			name:     "show non-printing",
+			input:    []string{"-v", "file.txt"},
+			expected: []string{"-p", "--paging=never", "--color=auto", "--show-all", "--nonprintable-notation=caret", "file.txt"},
+		},
+
 		// Combined flags
 		{
 			name:     "combined flags",
@@ -81,6 +88,21 @@ func TestTranslateFlags(t *testing.T) {
 			input:    []string{"-nsu", "file.txt"},
 			expected: []string{"-p", "--paging=never", "--color=auto", "-n", "-s", "-u", "file.txt"},
 		},
+		{
+			name:     "non-printing with line numbers",
+			input:    []string{"-vn", "file.txt"},
+			expected: []string{"-p", "--paging=never", "--color=auto", "--show-all", "--nonprintable-notation=caret", "-n", "file.txt"},
+		},
+		{
+			name:     "non-printing with squeeze and unbuffered",
+			input:    []string{"-vsu", "file.txt"},
+			expected: []string{"-p", "--paging=never", "--color=auto", "--show-all", "--nonprintable-notation=caret", "-s", "-u", "file.txt"},
+		},
+		{
+			name:     "non-printing as separate flag with others",
+			input:    []string{"-n", "-v", "-s", "file.txt"},
+			expected: []string{"-p", "--paging=never", "--color=auto", "-n", "--show-all", "--nonprintable-notation=caret", "-s", "file.txt"},
+		},
 
 		// bat-specific flags that are ignored or overridden
 		{