The other day I was perusing a message boards in one of the cat communities to which I belong. I ran across a very strange question posed by an owner who was quite upset and concerned about his cat’s usual tail position.
He asked:
“My cat’s tail is always pointing straight up at the ceiling. All the cats I have ever owned always had their tails relaxed and pointed downwards. It’s annoying to me that my cat always has his tail up in the air because then I am forced to see his not-so-“butt”. Is there anything I can do to keep his tail pointing downwards?”
It simply amazes me that folks who have cats don’t understand tail “language”, thereby missing what their cats are communicating. If this person had been fluent in “tail” language” he would have been overjoyed to know that his kitty is happy, content, and telling him that “all is right with the world.”
Since using their tails is one of major ways that cats communicate with us (and other cats) I am positive that kitties would appreciate it greatly if their humans took the time and made an effort to understand them. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if all kitty guardians became fluent in the amazing language of the tail? If their guardians were fluent, they would be absolutely fascinated by all the interesting and even sometimes very important messages that their cats are conveying.
Understanding tail language is an essential part of kitty keeping. Being able to translate all the subtle and not so subtle nuances in the slightest motion of the tail is crucial in understanding cats. While a tail pointed up in the air is a very positive message, just a small droop on the tip of the tail can be translated as “I am happy, but something has me wondering”.
Tails carried downward generally means that cats are calm and relaxed, while a bristled tail tucked between the legs and held close to the body conveys anxiety, fear and/or submission. But watch out if a cat’s tail is humped and resembles a bottle- brush. This tail communication means the cat is extremely frightened and/or defensive and if the cat is feeling threatened he is getting into attack mode. And when the tail is bristled and is standing straight up or out behind, with the ears laid flat against the head; this is a cat who is ready to attack. Definitely give this frightened, angry kitty plenty of space.
This said, our two Oriental kitties present an interesting exception to the usual meaning of a bristled tail. Apparently Sir Hubble Pinkerton and Dr. Hush Puppy‘s tail behavior is a genetic trait, because the breeder told me that it’s a common characteristic in her line.
When their tails starts bristling from the tip, rather than the base, with the bristle spreading downwards; this means our cats are ecstatically happy. So when we see this type of bushy tail, it makes us happy too!
What piques my interest is if the “rumpy” Manx and the Japanese Bobtail feel frustrated without the ability of using their tails to communicate.
What do you think? Tell us in a comment.
Jo
P.S. from Michael: The classic tail up greeting comes to mind. Perhaps this gentleman’s cat is just pleased to see him and demonstrates that with the tail up position.
You’re sure to like this one. I don;t think her tail is saying anything much but her eyes say a lot about her mood.
A lady wearing a stupendous coat! Gorgeous eye catching coat.
wow shes beautiful is she a calico? love that tail
While I can’t say I am “fluent” in tail talk, I am reasonably confident that I mostly know what my kitties are saying. I certainly know when I am being “flipped off”! 🙂 My kitties generally do this to me after nail clippings and medications.
I always think I should have kept her along with lots of other exceptional cats, but that would be a mess. I now don’t have any solid red or red/white long-haired females.. I do have 2 close relatives of Malaika. They are Neda and Nadir but they are short-haired carriers of the LH’d gene. . I would need a solid red LH male but I have only Mayis who is red/white. I should wait to see if a solid red LH’d male shows up.
Malaika is capable of carrying her tail in the more usual positions (see photo), but this this exaggerated position seems to indicate a more flexible spine to tail joint and could be a genetic modification. Several other cats from the same area also show this tendency, but less so.
She was taken by a breeder in Holland.
I tend to think it is due a genetic modification (mutation) as you say but not the full ring-tail version. New breed: Cyprus Flexi-tailed Cat!
wow harvey you have some absolutely beautiful cats 🙂
WOW! Now that’s a gorgeous kitty!!
My Malaika has some extra tail language that no-one has ever seen before. Does anyone know what this could mean?
aww pretty kitty
OMG another beautiful cat. How many beauties do you look after? His tail position reminds me of the tail position of the American Ringtail cat. Malaika’s tail is not curled over but it is right over the torso. My first thought is that this is a genetically inherited trait but not an example of body language.
This is the link to the American Ringtail page:
https://pictures-of-cats.org/american-ringtail-cat.html
My ginger male Champagne used to do that ALL the time! He was always happy and purring, but we never could figure out what it meant. We used to joke that he got a “Spitz tail”. Your kitty is beautiful! 🙂
Thanking you for another very informative and interesting article, Jo — and I hope the person posting about wanting their cats’ tails to be down has gained insight from your writings! In our family, I am glad to report, there are usually happy tails; our youngest, a feral lapcat of 9+, bristles her tail at the base when she’s getting overstimulated, and I know to go slow at that point with the handling, or I’ll be giving her something she loves — a “knuckle sandiwich” (she loves to gnaw on my fingers, and I actually like this as well!)
When I first met my late lady cat on the streets of London 20 odd years ago she peered out from under a car and saw me and her tail juddered which I took mean she was pleased to see me and hoped I would feed her. I did and much more.
Yeah, you were extremely privileged to receive the “tail shiver” so quickly from her 😉 Cats, of course, are extremely intelligent and perceptive beings. I always let THEM be the judge of guests — if there’s any dislike shown by my feline family members toward company, I take it very seriously. 😉