Cattail language: what your cat's tail tells you

There is a well-known phrase that the eyes are the windows of the soul, but when dealing with cats, the position of the tail is the thing that provides the best idea of what the cat is feeling.

You can read your cat's body language to determine how you feel about your interaction with them in a particular way, as well as to identify situations or circumstances that make your cat happy or cause them fear. Reading the language of a cat's tail can also help you recognize its illness or pain more easily.

These tips on understanding cat tail language will enable you to build a more loving, trusting, and fulfilling relationship with your cat.

Why do cats wag their tails?

Cats move their tails to express their feelings. So what does it mean when a cat wags its tail in particular?

Tail movement in the form of quick strokes

When your cat moves its tail in quick blows or hits its tail the ground, it means that it feels irritated, annoyed, or angry. So this behavior tells you that something is bothering your cat.

This behavior is a warning sign. In other words, if you're caressing your cat and start moving its tail in quick strokes, it means she's trying to ask you to stop. If you don't, moving the tail like this may be a prelude to frowning on hissing, rumbling, hitting or biting.

Tail swing

When your cat slowly moves its tail from side to side, it can be a sign that it is very attentively focused on something like a doll or other animal in the house or something outside. And the cat here may be about to attack and pounce!

Engaging in predators' characteristic behavior such as stalking and swooping down is a good enrichment for your cat's personality, so let her continuously engage in anything that grabs her attention.

Tail twitching

Your cat may shiver its tail when it is particularly excited to see you or another cat. Sometimes, when a cat's tail trembles as you lift it straight and support it to a vertical surface, it can be a sign of urination.

What does it mean when a cat's tail stands up straight?

When the cat's tail is upright up, it means that she feels socially intimate, confident and approaching in a friendly way.

This sign in the language of the cat's tail indicates a friendly greeting between cats, and this is how kittens greet their mothers. A research study by Cameron-Beaumont in 1997 found that cats were willing to easily approach a cat-shaped silhouette if their tail was raised, but were reluctant to approach that silhouette if their tail was low.

If your cat approaches you with its tail raised up, this is a good time to pet or play with it.

What does it mean to take the tail to the shape of a question mark or the shape of a hook?

You may notice that your cat's tail sometimes sounds like a question mark, standing upright upright and then twisting at its end. This sign in the language of the cat's tail indicates that your cat is happy and that it is approaching friendly.

Seeing your cat's tail in this pose is an invitation to interact with your cat. But while it's tempting to caress this tail with a curled end, most cats prefer to caress around the facial glands on their cheeks, under their chins, and next to their ears.

Why do cats fluff their tails?

If your cat takes the perfect position for a Halloween cat with a bulging tail and arched back, it means that she is stunned or afraid of a sudden and severe threat.

Your cat's hair can stand at its ends (hair erection) so that it looks larger. This is a defensive reaction that signals your cat's desire to be alone.

This tail position is often stimulated by a sense of threat by other animals in the yard, by approaching dogs, by visitors in the house, or by sudden noises. Remove triggers to reduce the severity imposed on your cat. If you try to interact with your cat when her hair is upright, your approach may be seen as a threat and become aggressive.

What if your cat's tail is low towards the floor?

A cat may lower its tail below the level of its back if it is frightened or worried. If your cat's tail is folded between her legs, it means that she is already scared or may be in pain.

Why do cats wrap their tails around their bodies?

If your cat is sitting or lying down with its tail wrapped around its body, it means that it is scared, on the defensive, in pain or feeling unwell. When you see this, end your interaction with your cat, and make sure that the surrounding conditions are free of stressors.

If your cat is frequently crouching with its tail tightly wrapped around its body for more than a few days, this warrants an evaluation by a veterinarian to rule out pain or illness.

Although fully understanding your cat's emotional state requires looking at more than just tail movements, the tail may be the most expressive part of your cat's body language. Understanding your cat's body language better is sure to improve your relationship with it.