Soft and enveloping, sometimes sizzling and capable of hypnotic, rhythmic movements, the tail is an essential element in the beauty, mobility, and expression of the cat. Far from being purely ornamental, the tail helps the cat to stay balanced when it jumps. It also serves to communicate your moods and intentions.
Of course, humans do not possess by nature the instinctive equipment of a cat to decipher the messages sent by the tail of a cat. That is why we have thought it might be useful to delve a little deeper into the meaning of the most common movements of this part of the macro’s body. And it is what we have done below, with the help of Dr. Maria Grazia Calore, veterinary surgeon, an expert in the behavior of domestic animals. Cat tail Meaning, besides being an indispensable organ for balance, is used by the pussycat as an element of communication.
“Question mark” queue
We should not worry when we see our cat with its tail raised, either vertically or with a curve at the end like a question mark. This position indicates that our cats are offering us a warm welcome and they express their joy to see us again.
The high tail that “vibrates”
Again, green light: the cat is friendly and happy to see us. Be careful, anyway, because a cat that marks its territory with urine can adopt this same pose.
Cola rolled around the body
Have you seen the statues that show placid cats sitting with their tails attached to their bodies? When a real cat adopts this position, it shows the world that it feels calm.
Tail crouched and hidden under the body
Before this position of the tail, we must be alert: the cat is afraid or feels uncomfortable. Often accompanying this signal, the cat bends down, pulls its ears back and its pupils dilate.
Big tail:
If you see your cat with its tail fully bristled, like a toilet brush, then it is very scary. The act of making its tail appear larger than it really is constitutes a mechanism of self-defense adopted by the animal to appear more powerful and threatening. It also bristles the hairs on the back of the neck with the same purpose. The position of “brushtail” may vary, but always transmit the same message. Although the tail is hidden under the body, it is arched with the tip-tilted down (in this case, called “Halloween Cat”) or raised.
Arched tail with the tip down:
Expect some trick of the feline if you see a curved tail with the tip pointing down: the cat is probably preparing for an attack. However, this position of the tail can also indicate fear, as described above.
Shaking the tail from one side to the other (it could be the whole tailor only the tip)
Perhaps the best-known movement of all: when the tail waves from one side to the other expressing restlessness, an internal conflict or insecurity about a situation. It can happen when the cat has some pain, or some reason of physical character makes it feel uncomfortable. It usually happens, for example, when you spot a prey through the windowpane.
In addition to the universe of possible meanings that express movements, we must also be attentive to other ways of communicating the cat. For example, the meows, the posture, the movements of the ears and the eyes. in this way, we will be able to capture in its totality the meaning of what it expresses at a specific moment. This is especially the case for some cat breeds without a tail, as in the Isle of Man (New Zealand), the Bobtail or Japanese “rabbit trail”, or the Canadian cat of the Cymric breed. Fortunately for these species, survival is not an important issue; unlike a wildcat like a leopard, for example, that he would be lost without his tail. Leopards use their tail as brakes to execute sudden turns during a race in hunting, and without the help of this essential tool, it would be difficult for them to live in nature.
