Cats Body Language: What Does the Cat Tail Tells

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How can you tell whether your cat is happy or furious when it twitches its tail? What does it means when it licks you? Cats have their special ways to communicate with each other and with their guardians. One of their ways includes signaling with their eyes, ears and tails.

The cats body language can indicate on their state of mind, health and intentions. By observing your cat body language you can tell whether it feels confident and willing to play or intense and ready to attack. Here you can find basic information about cats physical behaviors with interpretation.

Eyes

• If the cats eyes are open wide, it indicates that it is intense and ready to attack. The wider it opens its eyes, the more information he can absorb from its outer surrounding.


• Eyes half open can indicate that cat is relaxed but is still aware to what happens around and will be ready to attack if necessary.


• Shut eyes indicate that cat is completely calm and confident.


• If the cat widens its pupils in the light room, it is an indication of fear and distrust.


• If the cats pupils are widening while its eyes are half closed eyes and its ears are drawn backwards, he is ready to attack and it is recommended to stay away.

Ears

• If the cat ears are erect and tend forwards, it is a sign of happiness.


• If its ears are erect but tend backwards, the cat is stressed.


• If the cat ears are drawn backwards and attached to its head, it is a sign of fear.

Tail

• When the cats tail is lifted up, the cat is happy.


• If the tail is up and its tip bends to the side, the cat is playful.


• If the tail is up but its hair is stiffen; the cat is afraid and ready to attack.


• When the tail is down, the cat is threaten and afraid, therefore it may attack as self defense.


• When the cats tail is lifted up and twitches to the sides slowly, it either invites to play or prepares to hunt.


• If the tail twitches fast, the cat is tense and can behave in an aggressive manner.

Each cat has wide variety of emotions and behaviors. In addition, cats behavior and physical reaction can vary from one to the other. Therefore, the information published here is basic and reductive. However, if you combine the basic knowledge provided here with observing your cat, you would be able to expand your knowledge about the cats world of emotions, or at least avoid from being scratched and bitten.

To summarize the topic:

• A happy cat shuts its eyes slowly, erects its ears, sleeps on its back or slowly twitches its up lifted tail.


• An aggressive cat would open its eyes widely or half shuts them and draws back its ears and twitches its tails in fast movements.


• A frightened cat would widen up its pupils, draws back its ears and attaches them to its head, drops down its tail and stiffen its hair.