The Tail:
Here’s a quick primer on the most common tail positions and what communication clues they offer:
Upright
A confident, contented cat will hold her tail high in the air. A tail that is erect like a flagpole signals a happy mood or a friendly greeting. Cats often send this message as they approach a welcoming person. If the top third of the tail twitches as the cat nears you, this means he totally adores you.
Question Mark
A tail looking bent in a question mark often conveys a playful mood. This would be a good time to engage in a five- or ten-minute play session.
Tucked Away
A tail curved beneath the body signals fear or submission. Something is making kitty nervous.
Puffed Up
A pipe cleaner of a tail reflects a severely agitated or frightened cat who is trying to look bigger to ward off danger.
Whipping
A tail that whips rapidly back and forth indicates both fear and aggression. It is a warning sign meaning “stay away.”
Flying Low
A tail positioned straight down, parallel to the legs, may represent an aggressive mood. Be wary. That said, there are exceptions to this rule with certain breeds such as Persians, Exotics, and Scottish Folds. They normally tend to carry their tails lower than their backs.
Swishing
A tail that swishes slowly from side to side usually means the cat is focused on an object. Cats often swish their tails right before they pounce on a toy mouse. It is part of their predatory nature.
Twitching
A tail that twitches just at the tip is a sign of curiosity and excitement.
Below is a pictorial guide to interpreting tail positions.
And finally, the Eyes…
There really is a lot more to cats than meets the eye. Listen to what they say and learn.
My cats have taught me a lot about life and what’s truly important. They are wise creatures.
If I’ve learned a lesson from my cat (Chester) – it’s that the present moment is all we have. Cats aren’t scrambling to meet a deadline or race the clock. Sometimes it’s wise to stop and smell the roses.
My cat always believes in the principle of ‘why do today what can wait until tomorrow’ 🙂
Something I learned from my cat – she will always seek out the sunniest, warmest spot in the house to sleep the day away.
My cat Simon has at least 5 different types of meows. I can understand each and ever one of them now.
I have regular conversations with my Persian (Samantha)
Been watching my cats tail after reading this – mostly upright…means she adores me I assume. 🙂
Thank you for sharing this. I adore my sweet cat. Now I can understand her vocalizing.
Love cats..have 3 in my home.
My sweet Lola would talk to me. I would meow and she always answered. She would come into the bathroom while I was either in the shower or tub. Walk around meowing so loud and actually stand or sit on the edge and talk to me while I bathed. It was the best part of my day.
I listen to what they say, and love all 3 of them for the wonderful friends they are,
and thank them for the lessons they have taught me.
My old man Sox who is 16 years old has recently started getting in my lap. Love it.
We talk all the time he meows and I meows back. I always know what he talking about, my boyfriend says I crazy lol.
Cats are wonderful and adoring creatures. My grandcat Fiona Glenn Anne is a loveable and quirky girl. She will let you know what and when she wants it! Every time I see her she rubs her face gently all over mine. Cats have scent glands in their face she makes sure everyone knows I belong to her!
Hi there,
I have a cat name Mickey Jr. Mickey is my brid and
Joel to me. He always tells me went he wants his wet food. There a time when he wanted to go out side. I tell him no and he meow back to me.
My eldest cat has a large vocabulary compared to other cats I know. He makes dozens of different sounds all with their own unique meaning.
Fell out of bed feeling down. This has brehitgned my day!
Very true! Makes a change to see soneome spell it out like that. 🙂
We loved our amazing, giant Tabby cat and Since he was the quintessential absolutely perfect everything a Tabby Cat could or should look like and be like, we called him TABBY! The largest and Most beautiful cat I have ever seen! We loved him and he loved us back in his natural, regal and always dignified manner. He amazed everyone who met him. He acquired feline leukemia as a young adult and though we did have a vet who followed him and prescribed meds, Tabby passed away before he reached middle age. We lost him but we will never forget him🐾💕
Love cats..have 5 in my home.