Why is my cat wagging its tail?

Are you wondering why your cat is wagging its tail ? Is this a good sign or a bad sign? What is he trying to express?

We are specialists when it comes to cats and we will explain to you why your pet does this.

If your cat slaps its tail, it's because it's expressing a very specific feeling. This feline has the habit of expressing its emotions through body language: Its tail is the most expressive part of the body. This usually means your cat is happy, angry, or nervous.

In this article, you will discover the different reasons why your cat flicks its tail, so that you will be able to understand what your beloved pet is feeling.

There are mainly four and we will detail them for you:

• When your cat is happy .
• When your cat is angry .
• When he is nervous .
• When he feels threatened .

You are ready ? So let’s get started!

First reason: Your cat wags its tail because it is happy!

Cat tails may seem surprising. At certain times, she doesn't move a bit, at others, she is hyperactive and fidgets in all directions.

As we saw previously, the cat is an animal that expresses a lot of emotions through its body language . Mainly by the eyes, ears, fur and especially by the tail.

The first possible emotion is that he is happy and that he feels good .

In this situation, your cat tends to raise its tail in the air. Generally, it makes a few movements from right to left when your feline moves.

Is your cat's tail swinging while erect? That's excellent news ! This one is in a good mood , you can even imagine a big smile on his face!

If your cat's tail is raised like in the picture above, that's a great sign. So you have nothing to worry about, your pet is happy.

Second reason: Your cat is angry!

Does your cat slap its tail and shake it aggressively? In most cases, this will mean he is angry .

If he hits the ground with it, he's really angry and could attack something, or someone...

This is actually a defensive behavior, which he displays when he is emotionally aggressive .

On rare occasions, this can also be a feint: Your cat actually wants to play and behaves as if he were in a combat situation. This simulation is not necessarily easy to unseal, which is why we recommend that you analyze it carefully, in order to understand whether its behavior is serious or not.

If you feel that he is aggressive, it is better to leave him alone for a while . Most of the time, you will guess the cause of his emotional state. Often it may be jealousy or that he is bothered . For example, children sometimes tend to be intrusive towards the cat, they want to pet it for a long time and play with it. But as you know, cats have their moments! If he has decided to sleep or eat and is disturbed, he will quickly tend to get angry !

Attention ! If your cat slaps its tail imprecisely and with a certain aggressiveness, it is better to leave it alone!

Third reason: Your cat is nervous.

When your cat's tail moves quickly, or even very quickly, as if vibrating, it means that he is probably nervous or bothered by something .

If it's just the tip of the tail twitching, your cat is probably alert or very focused on something. Very often, by prey that is not far from him. Sometimes cats look at a specific place with interest, as if seeing invisible beings. In this type of situation, you will notice a slight movement of the tip of its tail.

When the cat shakes its tail from right to left repeatedly, it means it would like to be left alone . Maybe he doesn't want to play or be petted...

As in the previous situation, occasionally this may simply be play behavior. You may see him nibbling your hand, while moving his tail frantically.

Be careful though, you risk getting many scratches!

Reduce your cat's nervousness with a scratching post! Cats who exercise tend to be calmer afterwards.

Fourth reason: Your cat feels threatened.

The last common reason why cats tend to slap their tails is when they feel threatened .

In this situation, the cat's tail will swell, the hairs will stand up. It is then said that they form a big queue.

This is a defensive measure, the tail will give the impression that the cat is bulkier, bigger and therefore more threatening to its opponent.

This situation is very common when two cats fight each other.

The aim of this maneuver is to impress and frighten the enemy. The animal in front of him could therefore potentially be intimidated and run away. You will notice that in this case the back becomes rounded, as if the cat was trying to gain volume. We also hear very strange meows, which are intended to frighten the opponent.

In this case, it is better not to approach them. Even if you come with noble and benevolent intentions, he might attack you seriously. You will then have the misfortune to notice that when a cat is really angry, its claws can be very sharp.

So find the source of his anxiety and try to neutralize it . If it is another cat, put it on the run so that it leaves the territory. Cats always tend to want to protect their land. A little help from you will quickly put him in a good mood!

When it feels threatened and is about to fight, the cat always tends to make a big tail, a big back and to utter aggressive meows.

Learn to understand your cat's emotional state!

You now have all the keys in hand to decipher your chat! As we have seen, your cat will tend to slap its tail in four situations: When it is happy, angry, nervous or threatened .

Congratulations ! You now know all these causes.

We recommend that you analyze the reason for his behavior, in order to find the cause of his emotional state. Remember, when the cat's tail is inert, it means it is not expressing emotions , it is simply calm.

You will thus be able to have even more bond with your cat, because you will know him like the back of your hand. It's always good to keep an eye on your cat to understand what he means.

If you like cats, we invite you to discover all the collections we offer on Monde Chat. Our specialist store offers accessories very popular with cats such as scratching posts, hammocks and even cat trees.

We invite you to discover our duvet cover collection , which is particularly popular. To do this, simply click on the image below!