Boots does the “swishing” tail type, except when he comes on our couch and sits between me and my husband and gets a few bits of his Temptations treats, he’ll wrap his tail around my head when I snuggle up to him as if he’s returning the snuggle. They all have different tail-wagging behaviors we’ve noticed. We have 5 distinctive different color and fur coated cats an older, female (spade) grey long, furred cat, we call “Grey Grey”, who birthed and mothered our “Boots”, her youngest litter, “Tuxedo” type of long furred cat “Spots”, a short-white furry cat with 3 black spots on his back & a partial black face and black tail a younger short-furry Calicao we named “Phoebe’, and a short-fur, light gray, soft, fur cat we call “Sheba”. Read Next: What Do Different Cat Meow Sounds Mean? This piece was originally published in 2017. When we learn to read the messages our cats are sending us, we will respond accordingly and develop a trusting, respectful relationship with our beloved felines. Cat tail wagging is a way to communicate those feelings with us, but we must consider the entire picture, including non-tail body language and overall demeanor, before accurately interpreting it. The Bottom Line on Cat Tail WaggingĪ cat’s tail is really a barometer for her feelings. Photography ©Nynke van Holten | Thinkstock. Paying attention to how your cat wags her tail will help you better understand your kitty. The bottom line, however, is that cats are going to do everything on their terms, which is no surprise to anyone who shares their lives with a kitty. This type of cat tail wagging is actually a sign of contentment because your cat is telling you that she feels comfortable remaining asleep in your presence. This is cat tail wagging that means, “Yeah, I hear you - I’m just choosing to ignore you.” Instead of blatantly acknowledging us, they choose to meet us with a single - sometimes ever-so-subtle - flick of a sleepy tail. Other times, if they’re sleeping when we call their names, they like to play games. When food is involved, there’s typically no question - all they have to hear is the pop-top of a can and they race into the kitchen like a baseball player sliding into home base. Unlike dogs, who are more than happy to come when called, cats like to mull over the situation and decide if we’re worth their time at that exact moment. Return the greeting, even if you can’t quite do the tail-shaking thing. Unlike the snake’s warning signal, a quivering kitty tail is a welcome sight and is typically accompanied by purring, face rubbing and sometimes even happy vocalizations. When your cat is excited to see you, she may approach you with her tail in a vertical position, with just the tip of it making quick, little quivering motions, similar to a rattlesnake’s tail. What “The Quiver” MeansĪ “quiver” is a quick, tiny cat tail wagging action. As with the thumping, the twitch also carries the message, “leave me alone.” 3. Her ears, eyes and vocalizations will indicate if she’s upset or simply maintaining laser-sharp focus on a squirrel. It’s not the exactly the same movement as the previously mentioned “thrashing,” but it may look similar. We’ve all seen this type of cat tail wagging: A cat is sitting on a windowsill concentrating on nearby birds or rodents, when her tail begins twitching. What “The Twitch” Means in Cat Tail Language Sometimes, cats who are playing will swish their tails from side to side before pouncing.” This means we should pay attention to the way our cats swish their tails and not make assumptions. Tails that move slowly from left to right often indicate that cats are mildly annoyed. When felines thrash their tails quickly back and forth, it indicates that they are unhappy and want to be left alone. Marilyn Krieger advises, “The direction and speed which cats move and swish their tails conveys their feelings. A cat thrashing his tail means he wants to be left alone.
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