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The meaning behind your cat’s tail wagging.
Cats are mysterious creatures whose curious behaviors often leave their owners wondering: Why do cats knead you during snuggle time? What causes cats to rub against you? What is the purpose of cats wagging their tails?
When your cat’s tail starts moving, there’s a reason for it. It may be necessary to seek some assistance when decoding cat behavior. Our animal behaviorist explains how to decode cat body language to help you out.
Do cats wag their tails just like dogs?
Mikel Maria Delgado, a certified applied animal behaviorist and certified cat behavior consultant with pet site Rover, says dogs wag their tails differently than cats do. The movement of a cat’s tail is not quite the same as a dog’s tail wagging,” she explains. In cats, tail movements can mean quite different things.
Knowing your cat well is the key to understanding what it means when it wags its tail.
As a general rule, a cat swishing its tail indicates some level of excitement, which can be good or bad, depending on the circumstances, says Delgado. Observe your cat carefully when they are swishing their tail, so you can determine how they might be feeling. Some cats are also just more ‘swishy’ in general.”
The first step to understanding why cats wag their tails is to learn more about their body language. Check out the signs your cat is secretly mad at you and how to tell if your cat is depressed.
Why do cats wag their tails while lying down?
You’ve probably seen this before: Your cat is swishing its tail while lying down – whether on your lap or on the back of the sofa. As with most cat behaviors, this one is hard to understand. According to Delgado, the meaning of your cat’s tail wagging really depends on the situation.
According to her, since it generally indicates some level of excitement or arousal, the cat may not be completely relaxed. “They might be conflicted: Perhaps there is an irritating sound, or perhaps they want attention, but only in a specific way.”
Why do cats wag their tails while being pet?
Delgado says your cat may be overstimulated if it moves its tail while you’re petting it.
She explains that he might be getting irritated from petting. There is also a possibility that it is the place where you are petting them, or that they have just had enough petting in general. If your cat is tail-swishing when you pet it, I recommend taking a break from petting.
Is a cat wagging its tail good or bad?
When you ask a pet behaviorist, “Why do cats wag their tails?” “Why do cats purr?” and you’ll get the same answer: to communicate.
“That information can help you understand how your cat feels,” Delgado says. If they are swishing their tail and staring out the window at another cat, they may be frustrated or excited. Petting them and they swish or wag their tail means they are irritated.”
A cat’s behavior can be observed and picked up on by observing it.
“Don’t go by the tail alone,” she warns. Observe your cat’s body language as well as what’s going on in the environment. Are they relaxed? Do they blink their eyes, lay stretched out, purr, or knead? Is their body hunched up and tense? Do they have puffed fur and vocalize? You can better understand your cat’s tail swish if you look for those clues.”
Like humans, cats are complex creatures, so treat them as such. “Cats can have mixed feelings or change opinions quickly, just like humans,” Delgado says. Pay attention to your furry friend to understand him. Discover why cats sleep so much and what it means when they eat grass to boost your feline knowledge.