Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK
Cat General => General Cat Chat => Topic started by: Leighs Gang on January 01, 2012, 20:33:19 PM
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Hi All, and a happy new year....
i have a question about cats and their tail movements (i'll make it as short as possible!)
Now... I love to watch my cats moods via their tails and my feelings are as follows:
I come in from work, get up in the morning etc and the cats (especially Sparkle in this case) greet me with a tail upright and bent at the tip and she quivers it - I take this as: 'Hi Mum, so lovely to see you' (absolutely no spraying going on here!)
Cats are out in the garden - perusing their domain, I appear and call them and they 'bound' (especially Arnie in this case) down the garden tail bolt up but not fluffed up - I take this as ; YAY!!!! Hi Mum
Now this is the one I disagreed with with my friends as they said whenever their rehomed/part feral cat twitches her tail it means 'bog off... had enough!'
Any one of my kits, dozing or just sat staring out of the window etc ... not a care in the world and I say 'hello gorgeous, you ok?' and without any other response just the tip of their tails twitch... I respond with something like 'you're such a good girl/boy' and the tip twitches again usually followed by a roll onto their backs. Now I take this as 'love you too and i am listening and know you're there and love you too but cannot be bothered to do much more than a tail twitch to let you know'.
Am I reading this right?
To add - I do know when the tail twitch means 'leave it out' 'Not in the mood thank you - its by far more of a flick and a dirty look lol :sneaky:'
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I would tend to agree on the semi ferals tail but in ordinary domestics its just the start of naff off lol and extreme twitching and wagging is definately leave me alone .
Lupin does a good wagging tail and also tail thumping on the ground!
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The tail quivering thing is a pleased to see you/greeting sort of thing - Jaffa used to do that all the time when I got home from work.
Some pics here with tail positions and explanations of what they mean (scroll down for the tail pics)
http://www.messybeast.com/cat_talk2.htm
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From how you describe it I think you're reading it right and in your case the twitch is a contented one.
One of my cats, Riley, goes completely against the 'norm' for tail language - his tail is never still and even when he's asleep it goes from side to side boshing me on the head at night :evillaugh:
He has a permanent end twitch but is such a cuddly and affectionate cat 24/7 so in his case the tail twitch and side to side motion means he's happy and content :crazy:
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The Munchkin has a permanent tail twitch too- his tail is always on the go whether awake or asleep but it is particularly active when he's making his mind up/making a choice about something. You can often tell exactly what he's thinking just from his tail action.
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So come on you clever lot - how can I tell what Bonnie's saying with NO TAIL :naughty: :rofl: :rofl:
Mary