The Telltale Tail
Feline body language is universal and cats around the globe use it to express their every mood. Your cat’s tail is like a big old apostrophe at the end of her body that puts a fine point on affection, aggression, fear and happiness.
One of the most primal tail movements is the violent back-and-forth swish, sometimes called a Sword Tail. Whether it’s a wild cat stalking a zebra, or a housecat stalking a gopher, she’ll swish her tail to prompt the prey to move, which allows the cat to zero in for the attack. In the house, either leave her be until she relaxes, or toss her a toy to attack. It’s usually not a good idea to pick her up when she’s in “swish mode”, because the object of her attack will likely be you.
You also don’t want to mess with your cat when her tail is in a position of defensive aggression. In this orientation, the tail is lowered, but the tip is curved upward. This indicates that something has attracted her attention, and she is very nervous, defensive, and unsure of her surroundings. If you try to pick her up, she may attack.
A happy cat holds her tail high, and if she greets you at the door with her tail quivering, she’s happy to see you. That’s the time you want to shower her 
with affection.
If you’re introducing a new cat into your home, reading your cats’ “tail language” can be helpful in breaking up fights before they start. You don’t want to pick up the aggressor at this point, but a few squirts with a squirt gun can persuade him to beat a retreat.
A tail is a perfect extension of feline expression. There’s poetry in the way a contented cat will artfully wrap her tail around her, or in the way a Balinese will proudly strut her tail like a flame behind her.
Cats even use their tails when asleep. The flicking tail on your snoozing Snowshoe? She’s dreaming of her life as a mighty lion on the Serengeti, stalking a wildebeest.
Don’t forget! You can leave a comment on this post for an entry in The Cat’s Meow’s giveaway of a custom oil painting of your cat by Linden Alley.
[PHOTO CREDIT: The one and only Curly]
My tail is usually in one of two positions, straight up or quivering. I guess this means I am a pretty happy cat.
Eric is always quivering his tail, me not so much, but it is always straight up as well unless I am hunting.
Mum calls them our flagpoles.
Flynn
pee-ess
The angry tail made us laff. I do that if something scares me. Mum calls it a bottle brush tail. F
I guess I did know that I talk with my tail, although I talk with my meow more. Mommie can usually figure out what I want by the noise I make. Most of the time, my tail seems to be in a pretty happy position!!
But but but I don’t have a tail!!! What about us Manx kitties?
Having had some damage to my tail before Momma adopted me, I don’t have all the tail expressions that normal cats have. Momma has to pay attention not only to my tail, but also my facial expressions. Generally though, I’m a pretty happy puss, the only time I’m not is when Punkin is aggravating me.
We do a lot of stuff at our house with tails. Sugar quivers hers. Newman plays with mine. Gleek likes his up in the air so he can get his backside patted. Tails rock!
My Momcat already has this chart and it is so helpful and true, by now she knows all the signs, The Tails say it all!!
Mommy’s pretty good at “reading” our tails!
I have always been friendly and hungry for attention, but my tail has always held a question-mark shape, even when sleeping or in the security of my mommy’s arms.
My brother’s tail is in the angry position every day, ’cause he’s a Maine Coon and fluffy everywhere. I don’t like helping him clean!!
I am the first kitty mama’s ever seen that did the “quiver tail.” I only do it to the people I am most comfortable with: mama, the man and grandma. It’s one of my most endearing features mama says. Since I’m not a big meower, it’s all about my “stem” and what I’m saying with it!
I’m always whipping my tail when I see my brother Crosby. He looks like a bloated orange, and I hate him so much!!!
Read about us! http://www.thedailytail.com/?p=803
Gaijin
=^..^=
But but but. I have only a little nub of a tail. It’s only an inch long. How can my humom know my mood when I can’t show her with my tail???
Mum is pretty good at reading my tail too. Plus she loves to touch my tail when I walk by her. She gently puts her had around it and I pull it back out, we do that over and over.
I was born without a tail, alas. But I’m so laid back, I’m never angry, always snuggly.
The tail can tell you a lot, but it’s best if you combine its characteristics with other body language: ear position, pupil dilation, amount of piloerection (hair standing on end), which way the cat is facing, how it’s walking or moving, any vocalizations, whisker position, etc. Observing the whole picture really clues you in to what the cat is feeling.
I love that kitty with the corkscrew tail.
Marina’s tail is shaped like a “u” unless mommy is scratching the right spot. Then it gets a little corkscrew-like.
this was sooo usefull and very interesting. i only wish i had seen it sooner. i have two cats an older male and younger felmale who are much like mates but now i know then i should seperate them. the male often “stalks” the female too so know i can know what it is that he and she are thinking.
OOOOO, the angry tail has been used a lot lately with the little furry rodent following us arownd evarywhare! This is a grate refurence tool. Wure going to mention this on owr twitter.
why some tail sign got two different meaning ?
like excited OR angry.
how to spot which one is it ?
Onyx gets the “bottle brush” tail when something completely freaks him out. He spends a lot of time with just the tip moving as he sits, or sometimes the whole tail is swishing, but somewhat slowly. When he sleeps with (on) me, his tail sometimes wraps around my arm.
my cat sam will wrap her tail around your arm as you stroke her, while all the time she is purring really loud
what a great post. my cat’s got a very active tail, and this helps a lot! Ginger vibrates her tail when we talk to her all the time, and it’s adorable.
When dad calls my name, I do what he calls the “rattlesnake tail” – only the tip of my tail flicks back and forth like a rattlesnake’s (kinda like the last picture in the chart). Uh, what is a rattlesnake anyway?
Hmm……there was no meaning for the curly q tail in that picture.
Sometimes we whip our tales excitedly when we spot birds, squirrels and other critters when looking through the windows. When our parents can’t see what we see, they say we have “VI” (vivid imaginations). Why do two-legged cats have such bad eyesight?
The illustrations are pretty funny. My cat Indy often quivers his tail when he’s curious about a new object or location. He also greets us with the straight up tail almost always.
Love this! We’ll show it to our da, who sometimes needs a kitty language primer.
I always whip my tail around wildly when I’m happy and excited to see my mom! I puff it, but only at the base, and then whip it around like the aliens from the Alien movies. My mom thinks I’m WAY talented because I wag my tail–she knows these rules don’t necessarily apply to me. Does anyone else do this when they’re happy?
Hi there:
I reallly enjoy this insight. My male cat always goes around with it straight up so this helped explain it and other motions. Great information and I enjoy these articles.
N Crozier
Visit us at http://www.heavenpeturns.com for a large variety of pet cremation urns because we care.
I mostly have the, what Mistress calls the “Question mark tail” either that or it’s standing straight up, Mistress thinks it’s funny how we can walk with our tails straight up. I keep it wrapped around me when I wanna be alone, but don’t thump it much
Hey, dat’s my buddy Curly! My tail’s always UP and curled ofur my back, so Nina says it’s hard to unnerstand me. Nina walks around wif her tail relaxed, then it hurries to straight up as she heads toward one of our beans, waving like a flag.
You didn’t mention “tail poof” – Chase and Nina an ofurs get poofy at the base of their tails when the skritches is REALLY good. Me too, when brushed.
Purrs!
Our family calls the “sword tail” a lashing tail. For sure, it indicates an irritated kitty. One of our dog friends came over to visit and thought Trouble was happy because she was “wagging” her tail! Au contraire!
Abbie’s tail always looks like the “angry” picture! I guess it’s harder to tell if fluffy cats are angry. Abbie is never angry, though, so really she falls into the “friendly and content” category. Sammie’s tail was always up like this, too.
Heidi, however, carries her tail like the “potentially aggressive” picture, but, like Abbie, she’s never angry or aggressive. Alaidh held her tail like that, too, unless she was bugging for attention, in which case it would be sticking straight up.
My sister’s cat Katy holds her tail up but hooked. She’s definitely not unsure, but she is friendly! Her borther Murphy carried his tail like Heidi unless he wanted attention, in which case it would be straight up and hooked like his sister. Come to think of it, when Heidi is seeking attention, her tail is up but hooked, too!
Yes, I know, this is just a guideline and is certainly accurate, for the most part.
It’s waaaaay to easy to understand a cat with a tail. It takes much more sensitivity to read us by our countenance. MOL
Tail? What’s that? Mom reads me by my HOWL!
Furrget those tails! It’s in the eyes … and maybe an arched back!
Does anyone else have a Pom Pom? We’re always cheery!
I’m so honored that you posted my photograph! (Thank you, Tosca Biscotti, for saying you love me! {{{blush}}}) I definitely do the quivering and “very happy to see you” expressions, and a modified “angry” tail (just once in awhile). Here’s a link to a video of me doing “alert, interested”:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8NakDEO0So
But it’s physically impossible for me to do the other ones.
Junior & Orion, there really IS no particular meaning to the corkscrew tail position, MOL!
You have “defensive aggression” which looks like a similar cat sign. I thought the “upside down U” — not shown — was for “chase me!”
I shiver my tail everytime I see Mommy! I am always very happy to be with her!
When I’m really, really happy my tail gets all puffed up. The humans say that’s supposed to happen when I’m angry or frightened, but what do they know?
my tail quivers always make mama and papa laugh! i do it all the time… they should be used to it by now! i guess it does look kind of funny.
mom posted a video of it on catster:
http://www.catster.com/video/book?i=991680
My Bella Bleu, when happy and excited, has her fluffy tail parallel to her back.
My cats Oscar, Binx and Ted E. Bear all have the most talkative tails. Ted E. has just a stub and it twitches, jumps and makes circles. Too funny. Binx sits there and it sweeps from side to side
and then goes straight up. This is usually followed by a loud pathetic MEOW. Ocsar, the most regal, walks tall and carries his tail up in the air. However, he spooks easily and from sleek and straight to poufed and twitching. Each has their own purrsonality and they are fluent in Tail Talk.
Uno has a very expressive tail. He is part siamese on his mother’s side.
His tail is thick and strong. He not only swishes it, he bangs it!
You can hear it bonk on things, and feel it too.
He seems to be thinking with it, as it will be going to town while he is laying down, even on Mom.
Mom likes to pet down his head, across his back and grasp his tail with a flourish.
Hail to the tail!!
I see a tail that’s missing and that’s the half up swishing from side to side while the cat is walking away. They did that after they’ve been scolded for doing something they know they shouldnt be doing in the first place
My dad had a pom pom, Jillian! My tail looks like a rabbit tail. K.C.’s tail is about two inches long and it is curled under–it is underdeveloped. Hers just goes up and down! Dad says it has the shape of a little armadillo. Charlie’s tail is always up and Tabi mostly does the swishy tail. Kahlan and Isis do the quivering tail. I puffed out my tail a couple of times–it looked like a pincushion! MOL What I am missing in a tail, I make up for in my facial expressions and my meows. I definitely have a different meow when I am searching for my mom or dragging her clothes around. One judge finaled me because of my coat and my facial expressions.
My cat Yanni does something weird that I’ve never seen another cat do. He has what we call a “tappy tail.” Quite often his tail will curve over his back and tap his back successively. It freaked him out when he was a kitten, as if he thought something was touching him (we adopted him and his sister at the same time), then he would tear around the house. Now, he still does it when he goes crazy, and he might also do it when we’re petting him. It’s the funniest thing and I wish I knew why it did that! Oh, and he’s VERY Siamese (and very vocal). Tappy tail!
We have 4 Balinese and their tails are for the most part are straight up. Daisy-Mae’s tail twitters and her mouth does when she sees the birds outside our window. She is so funny.
Romeo’s tail is always moving—-even when he is sleeping. His ears also twitch when he is sleeping.
My cat Ghost will swish his tail wildly whenever he is plotting something, which seems to fit the stalking-its-prey mindset most cats have when they do it. Pretty much, if we see Ghost’s tail whipping about, we know it’s safe to assume the wheels in his head are turning, and with a cat like Ghost, there’s no telling what he’ll do!
1 am a large cat, 1/2 Maine Coon and i know how to use my tail. When mom makes me angry , I can get vindictive and I wham! my tail on the floor, the bed, the table or what ever I am sitting on. I am not beyond biting and since my teeth are huge (think dog teeth) They go right through her arm with a lot of bleeding. i know she won’t give me away because she won’t let me around kids. Beside, she loves me but that is the only way I can keep her in check. Of course, it helps that I am also spoiled and almost always get my way which upset my other housemates. (3 other cats)
Buddy
I have a question about the back-and-forth swish (sword tail)…one of my cats does this back-and-forth swish when she is very playful. It says not to pick them up or you will probably be attacked. Would it be okay to pick them up if it’s a friendly sword tail?
Thanks for the chart – we will post this in our Adoption Center. Love “Language of the Tail”!
Our meowmy can tell what I want by my tail AND my voice. She has had 7 years to learn tailtalk. As far as my sister Kali, meowmy can read her just how she handles herself and its in the eyes. Pretty soon, meowmy will start reading our minds, WAIT!!!! She does do that already!!!
Al and Willow both do the tail thump, banging it on the bed or floor where they are lying. Sometimes it means “Leave me alone” and sometimes it means “More strokies”.. both signs of irritation.. but how are us mere humans supposed to work out the subtext!
Al has the most amazing bottle brush. His tail is usually slim and sleek like a Siamese, but when he “Gets a Foxtail”.. usually when he’s had a run-in with the neighbours’ cat, it goes to almost 3 times its size and looks so out of proportion to his skinny little body it makes me laugh!
I often wander about with what mum & dad call my ‘teapot tail’. I curl my tail over my back, and it looks like you could pick me up like a teapot. Mum knows that I’m up to no good when the teapot comes out!
Mommy says I act like peacock with my tail. Most of the time it trails along behind me and I want to be left alone. When I’m in the mood for attention, it stands straight up and mommy teases me about my ‘attention’ flag. Of course, being a Maine Coon kind of girl, I get attention promptly when I ask. If Mommy doesn’t respond right away, a friendly head butt and yowl usually does the trick. My adopted brother Snicky’s tail is ALWAYS up – attention hog! But he is just a common old black house panther and lacks a beautiful fluffy tail like me. Sometimes mommy refers to me as her feather duster. hmmmmmmm
My tail usually flicks when people talk to me, no matter what I’m doing. But it ONLY flicks when people are talking to me, not to each other, even when my eyes are closed.
My cat will loudly THUMP her tail on the ground when I am watching TV or on the computer. She will sit there thumping until I acknowledge her. It is so funny!
[...] These puppies surround a cat like a zombie movie. The puppies are obviously curious, and you can tell by the tail that the cat is annoyed. Can’t see the video in your reader? Watch it here. Share the Snuzz [...]
what about a tail that curls up over the back? just like a question mark.
[...] These puppies surround a cat like a zombie movie. The puppies are obviously curious, and you can tell by the tail that the cat is annoyed. Can’t see the video in your reader? Watch it [...]
We rescue, foster and work with a non profit group, and currently have 13 cats. I see all of the tails in my group, some are happy, some still traumatized from whatever, being trapped and in a home and fed for 10+ years.
Fun pictures.
One of my babies has a bobbed tail! Hard to tell his tail language.
When Fancy is on the bed with me, she strokes my arm or face with her tail. I love that. Most of my cats keep their tails to themselves.
I was definitely way off!! I think two were guessed correctly??!! With six cats I thought I was a shoe in. Thanks for the information!!
What about my Kittie!?!? He has no tail, hes a manx.
What does it mean when a cat “swishes” their tail across your leg or body when lying next to you?
I hope it doesnt mean they are mad at you!
Hello, I have a rather large kink in my tail which makes it look like the end is curled, how will my mommy know if it is actually curled as shown in the pictures?
Mom never knew what the quivvering tail meant. I quivver my tail like that after breakfast and I want to give Mom a special kitty hug in the bathroom. I jump up on the sink and put my paws around her neck, then she picks me up and puts me on her shoulders and we have our “lovie time”. Sometimes I give her a bath. She loves it.
There are 4 of us kitties. Boosie, Pat & I are pretty laid back, but sometimes Simba gets excited he makes the sword tail & wants to pounce on something, so we stay away. Usually he just wants to play, so Mom gets out Da Bird for him to play with and that makes all of us happy.
I do all the tails, but Mom calls my puffy tail my “foofy tail.” I also like to aggrevate Dad by laying near him and just barely flicking the tip of my tail on his leg. Drives him nuts when he has shorts on – hee hee.
I have two long haired males who like folding their tales backwards so that it rests along their backs (they can touch their heads with them like that lol). No idea why, never had a cat before that did this but they are are usually excited to see me or are generally in a good mood when doing so.
My Russian blue mix also holds his tail flat along his back when he is VERY HAPPY.