The eyes are said to be the windows to the soul, but with cats, it’s the posture of their tail that gives the most insight into how they’re feeling.
Cats communicate by moving their tails, as well as their eyes, ears, and body postures. Understanding cat tail language will help you communicate with your cat more effectively.
You can study your cat’s body language to figure out how they feel about different encounters and to figure out which circumstances or surroundings make them happy or fearful. Reading a cat’s tail language can also aid in the detection of sickness and discomfort.
These cat tail language ideas can help you develop a more loving, trustworthy, and rewarding connection with your feline companion.
Table of Contents
Why Do Cats Wag Their Tails?
Cats, like dogs, use their tails to communicate their feelings. So, when a cat wags its tail, what exactly does it mean? Let’s look at the various “wagging” tail movements and what they imply.
Tail Movements Thrashing
Your cat is upset, annoyed, or angry if they flail its tail or beats it on the ground. This indicates that your cat is bothered by something.
This is a behavior that increases the distance between two points. To put it another way, if you’re caressing your cat and it starts thrashing its tail, it’s a way of telling you to stop. If you don’t, the thrashing tail might be a sign that hissing, growling, swatting, orbiting is on the way.
Tails swishing
Your cat may be intently engaged on anything like a toy, another animal in the house, or something outdoors when they slowly swish their tail from side to side. They might be about to strike!
Allowing your cat to participate in predatory behavior such as stalking and pouncing is wonderful enrichment for them, so let them do whatever catches their attention.
Quivers tail
When your cat is really happy to meet you or another cat, its tail may quiver. Urine marking can occur when a cat quivers its tail while keeping it straight up and backing up against a vertical surface.
End of the Tail Twitching
When cats are hunting or playing, as well as when they are somewhat agitated or frustrated, they twitch the tips of their tails. Read the situation and search for further indications about their mood in this case. The twitching tail movement indicates that they are irritated if they are not playing or stalking anything.
Why do cats round you with their tails?
Cats may welcome one another by wrapping their tails around humans and interweaving their tails with other cats, just like we do with handshakes or embraces. Tail wrapping is an affiliative activity that shows a readiness to engage in social interactions.
When a cat’s tail stands straight up, what does it mean?
When a cat’s tail is up, it indicates that it is sociable and confident and that it is approaching pleasantly.
This cat tail language is used by kittens to welcome their moms and symbolizes a pleasant greeting amongst cats. Cameron-Beaumont discovered in a 1997 study that cats were eager to approach a cat-shaped silhouette with a high tail but were hesitant to approach the silhouette with a depressed tail. 1
It’s an excellent moment to pat or play with your cat if they approach you with their tail up.
What Does a Question Mark or Hook Shape with a Tail Mean?
Your cat’s tail may occasionally resemble a question mark, standing upright and curling at the end. This cat tail language denotes that your cat is content and approaches you in a friendly manner.
When you see your cat’s tail in this posture, it’s an invitation to play with him. While petting that curly-tipped tail is enticing, most cats prefer to have their facial glands on their cheekbones, beneath their chin, and close to their ears petted.
Why Do Cats Fluff Up Their Tails?
If your cat adopts the classic Halloween cat pose of a puffed tail and arched back, they’ve been startled or scared by a sudden, serious threat.
Your cat’s hair will stand on end (piloerection) to make them look bigger. This is protective behavior that means your cat wants to be left alone.
Feeling frightened by other animals in the yard, approaching dogs, guests in the house, or abrupt noises can all provoke this tail posture. Reduce your cat’s tension by removing the instigating causes. When your cat’s fur stands up, they may view your approach as a danger and become aggressive.
What Should You Do If Your Cat’s Tail Is Low to the Ground?
When frightened or nervous, a cat’s tail may be lowered below the level of its back. If your cat’s tail is tucked between his legs, he or she is either terrified or in discomfort.
Cats’ Tails Curl Around Their Bodies for What Reason?
When your cat sits or lies down with their tail wrapped around its body, it means they are scared, protective, in pain, or ill. When you see this, stop interacting with your cat and make sure your cat’s surroundings are stress-free.
If your cat has been crouching with its tail wrapped closely around its body for more than a few days, it might be a sign of something more serious. Then a visit to your veterinarian to rule out discomfort or sickness is required.
The tail may be the most expressive aspect of a cat’s body language, however, you should look at more than just their tail motions to properly comprehend your cat’s emotional condition. Understanding your cat’s body language will undoubtedly strengthen your relationship with him.
