Knowing what your cat is feeling can help you in more ways than one. Are they gearing up to pounce on a toy, or are they getting ready to swat at another feline? Do they seem bothered or playful? Take note of what your pet does before and after their tail starts twitching. Is their face relaxed or tense? Are the whiskers pulled close against their face? Are the kids being loud and rambunctious? Is another pet on Fifi's turf? For example, tail "wagging" can be a sign of playfulness or aggression.īesides looking at tail positions, pet parents should also consider other indicators when trying to decipher their pet's tail language. Answering these questions will give you more insight into what your cat is trying to tell you. Even some scent-marking behaviors (like a cat rubbing their head on your leg) are more easily interpreted. Some tail positions have multiple meanings, which makes tail language even more challenging to decipher. Unfortunately, cat tail language isn't as easily understood as vocalizations like purring, hissing, and growling. Tail language even serves as a warning, telling others to back off or face the consequences. Unlike vocalizations, which could alert a predator and potentially put them in danger, tail language is silent. Cats use tail language to communicate with people and animals about how they feel - good, bad, or indifferent. It's believed cat tail language is an evolutionary communication method cats learned to stay under the radar. Other means of feline communication include vocalization, scent-marking, facial expressions, and spraying. Cat tail language is one of a few ways cats can communicate.
Cat tail quiver full#
To read most recent questions Click here!Ĭlick here to see the full list of Ask Dr.Cat tail language is just what it sounds like - cats using tail positions and movement patterns to express their feelings. If he is sensing any “stress” – this may help.Īn article that might be helpful to you is Why Do Cats Spray? Read Selecting the Right Environmental Enrichment for Your Cat.Īnother thing that you can try is a commercial pheromone product such as Feliway® that releases happy cat scents into the environment. Next, make sure he has a stimulating environment. To help, read Cat Toys – Selecting the Right Toys for Your Cats Play Preference. Know his play type and ensure he has toys. Next, make sure he has plenty of stimulation and play. I’d recommend a few things – first, make sure he is neutered. Inappropriate urination and spraying is one of the most common behavioral reasons cats are given to shelters, turned out of homes or euthanized. It can also be a precursor to spraying in a small percentage of cats. Some cats will go through the motions without actually spraying.ĭave, this is not a big worry. Some cats do that same behavior and “spray” which releases a scent that marks their territory. My opinion of this behavior is that it is more than a “greeting” but also dominance and marking behavior. Many cats will greet you, sometime rub against you with their tail up then wiggle their rear and sort of “twitch” their tails. I know exactly what you are talking about. That was a very good question and description of Cheddar’s behavior. He is very sweet but just a little different. He is very at home with us now so we can only assume it is some kind of a greeting he is doing. We don’t know if this is a greeting or a sign of nervousness. Almost like a short tailed dog wagging his tail. He will come in, stop, tail up and wiggle his bum or shake his bum area. We started noticing it and then really paid attention to it. It is something he virtually always does when he comes to say hello. But almost without fail the first thing he does is stop and wiggle the top of his bum with his tail straight up in the air. When I am on my computer working away he will come in to say hello to me doing figure 8’s around my legs as cats do. He does a rather peculiar kind of behavior. In all aspects one of the sweetest little kitties I have ever had.
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