Mary Allen
With cats, the tail is crucial if you want to interpret the body language of your velvet paw. He can tell you exactly what your four-legged friend is in the mood for. With a few simple basic rules, you’ll quickly learn when you’re looking at a cuddly tiger and when it’s more of a scratching brush.
Cats communicate very little via sounds, but a lot via facial expressions and gestures. A very crucial part of feline body language is the tail. If you know the meaning of the different tail positions, you can understand your house cat much better and thus have an even more intimate bond with him. But what specific signals does the cat send out?
Body Language in Cats: Tail Position as a Signal When Playing
Paws, eyes, and especially the tail are good ways of reading a cat’s mood. This consists of 20 to 23 vertebrae, which ensure that the cat can move it easily up to the tip. Thanks to this mobility, the velvet paw can indicate different moods with its tail.
When the cat is playful and adventurous, the tail stands up straight. If it curls easily, you should feel encouraged to play with your darling. A slight nudge with the paw and retracted claws encourage play, dilated pupils signal excitement.
A restless cat’s tail indicates tension: if your cat regularly slaps it back and forth, this indicates that he is in a tense conflict situation. Often this happens when cats are potential prey and have not yet decided whether or not to attack. As soon as a decision has been made, the tail flicking also stops.
It’s best to leave the animal alone for now, because if you try to pet your darling now, it will probably trigger reflexes that will end up painful for you.
How to Spot a Scared Cat by Its Tail
A lowered, fluffed tail indicates fear. It’s particularly bad when your cat tucks its tail between its hind legs – it feels oppressed, frightened, and likely to withdraw. Even now you should leave your cuddly tiger in peace for the time being.
Cat Body Language: Detect Aggression by the Tail
A tail whipping back and forth shows aggressiveness, as already explained in the point “The cat’s tail as a signal transmitter when playing”. But there are other tail positions where you should rather keep your distance: If the tail is in an upward arc and is puffing heavily, the cat is currently still in a defensive position, but will attack if necessary if provoked further.
If the tail is pointing straight up while fluffed up, extreme caution is advised: this cat will attack at the slightest stimulus.
Cat’s Tail as a Relaxation Barometer
Not only excitement and aggression can be read from the cat’s tail. The kitties also use it to express curiosity, joy, and relaxation.
If the tail hangs down in a gentle curve but the tip is pointing up, then all is well. The cat feels safe and, moreover, is not in a special mood. If, on the other hand, the curve leads gently upwards, the cat is interested in something but is not particularly excited about it. If there is strong interest, the tail rises significantly.
A folded tail tip suggests a certain residual skepticism. Nevertheless, the animal likes to be welcomed in this mood. If the tip of the tail is also pointing upwards, masters and mistresses can say that as a happy “Hello!” understand their fur nose. If the tail trembles at the same time, it’s almost like saying ” I love you! “.