![]() But if a cat seems standoffish and tense, check to see if something nearby or something you’re doing is causing them fear or alarm. In that context, you don’t need to worry. Remember, however, context is important.įor example, a cat sitting on your lap may curl their tail around themselves for warmth or because it’s just a comfortable thing to do. This is especially true when this tail position is accompanied with wide eyes, dilated pupils and flattened ears. Tucked-away tail: When a cat tucks their tail under their body or wraps it around themselves, this can be a sign of uncertainty that may indicate feelings of fear and submission. Be sure to reciprocate with a friendly scratch and some words of praise. Tail wrapping: Have you ever seen a cat wrap their tail around another cat or maybe even a person? If you interpreted that as a sign of friendship and affection, you’re correct. Furthermore, a tail that points up accompanied with a quiver at the base of the tail is often an indication your cat is especially excited to see you or to be getting a tasty bowl of cat food. This tail position indicates all is right in the world-or at least it is from the cat’s perspective. Pointing straight up: If a cat walks into the room, tail sticking straight up, they’re feeling confident, comfortable and ready to engage in some friendly interaction. That’s because the question mark-shaped tail position is a cat’s way of asking you, “would you like to play?” Cats may also move the tip of their tails back and forth with the question mark changing orientations, which is an even more intense play signal. Question mark: When a cat bends its tail in the shape of a question mark, this is good news, especially if you have a few minutes to spare and some cat toys at the ready. That way, you’ll have a better idea when your cat feels playful, agitated, confident, worried or any other mood that will cause them to send out signals with their tails. Let’s look at some common cat tail movements and positions and explore what they mean. While cats will continue to stump their owners, answering this question can help you understand your cat and build a stronger bond between you. So, what does it mean when a cat wags their tail or, perhaps more accurately, swishes it back and forth? Cat Tail CommunicationĪlong with purring, meowing, direct eye contact or an arched back, cat tail movement can often indicate how a cat is feeling, their mood, and their intentions. ![]() Despite their occasionally confusing behavior, cats, like most poker players, often have a tell: their tails. While cats can be great at communicating when they want to, there are plenty of times that cats leave their owners completely stumped. If she doesn’t fit any of these situations, she should go to your veterinarian (videotape the behavior) and have a neurologic exam.As any cat owner can tell you, cats can be mysterious and mercurial companions. Avoid situations where she looks like this.įinally, your kitty could have a neurologic problem. Try to identify when this is happening and distract your kitty with play when she looks like this. If your cat’s tail is twitching in neither of those situations and the fur is sticking up (piloerection), your kitty is neurochemically aroused and is very stressed. If this is what you are seeing, your kitty is happy. Keep in mind that cats put their tail up and flip the end down (inverted U tail) when they are happy and want interaction. Enriching the environment is almost always helpful when treating cats with behavioral disorders. Phantom spraying may progress to actual urine marking so it would be important to identify any possible stressors in her environment and remove those. She is anxious or might be territorial and is expressing that. If this is what your cat is doing, she is phantom spraying. The cat backs up to vertical surfaces and kneads her hind feet, twitches her tail and then after a couple of seconds walks away. Phantom spraying looks like true urine spraying (urine marking), but no urine comes out. I’m curious why this happens.Īnswer: Your kitty may be phantom spraying. At times during the day, her tail will shake uncontrollably as it stands straight up. Question: My cat, an American shorthair-blue, is about 1 year old and her tail is always pointing straight up.
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