Why Do Cats Quiver Their Tail? What does a quivering cat tail mean?

We know that cats quiver their tails when they want you to come over and pet them. But why? What’s behind the behavior?

We’ve all seen them. They’re the ones who can’t sit still. They jump up to greet you when you come home from work, or they run over to you when you pull into your driveway.

But did you know that they are actually helping you drive safely? Cats quiver their tail when they’re alert to the presence of a predator.

Cat Body Language

Cats have a wide range of methods at their disposal for conveying meaning to one another, including vocalizations like hissing and growling, olfactory signals like urine and pheromones, and non-verbal cues like body position and emotions.

Cats use a lot of body language to convey their emotions, and it’s essential for owners to be able to decipher their feline companions’ feelings just by observing their posture and other nonverbal signs.

A cat’s tail, together with its eyes, ears, hair, and stance, is a very effective means of communication. Cats’ meows and purrs can signal everything from friendliness to anxiety to hostility to pain to playfulness.

What follows are some typical instances of cat body language.

#1 Tail Position

When a cat raises its tail in an upright position, especially if the tip is hooked, it is showing that it is interested in human interaction and is friendly.

When it comes to reading your cat’s mind, the tail might be a major giveaway. Holding the tail up perpendicular to the ground is a gesture of pleasant interest, whether the object being approached is another cat or a human.

Their shoulders are often shrugged and their ears are perked up in this position.

Then contrasted with this, a tail that thrashes from side to side or a bushy tail in which the hair is all standing on end is exceedingly negative and might be a forerunner to violent behavior. The tail tucked between the legs is a sign of anxiety or submission.

#2 Facial Expressions

What your cat is feeling may also be gleaned from the way its eyes, ears, and mouth move. A calm cat will have its eyes and ears in their natural posture, with the eyes open and the ears looking forward.

An enraged cat’s ears may stand on end and point outward, and its eyes may narrow. A cat’s dilated pupils and pinched ears are both indicators of dread.

#3 Eye Contact

The intensity of a person’s eye contact is just as significant as where they look. Maintaining eye contact without blinking is a provocative and aggressive gesture. Friendly and indicating a high level of relaxation, a slow, blinking look conveys confidence and ease.

#4 Body Posture

When a cat is feeling protective, they assume a fairly traditional stance. arching its back and thumping its tail on the floor in a pathetic display of submission.

When cats lie with their bodies completely extended out, they feel at ease and content. It’s normal for cats to squat when hunting or playing, but if they’re stretched out and stiff, it might mean they’re ready to pounce.

What Does It Mean When A Cat Quivers Its Tail?

There are several cues in a cat’s body language that are universally understood. It would appear that these two buddies enjoy a calm and pleasant rapport.

As we’ve seen, a cat’s tail is a powerful indicator of its mental state and its intents. What, therefore, does it indicate when that tail trembles? Actually, its meaning shifts based on the surrounding variables. The most frequent ones are as follows:

#1 Toward A Human

Smile if, after you get home from a long day at the office, your cat comes bounding toward you, tail up and trembling. Your feline companion is happy to have you home and is welcoming you warmly.

Some of our feline companions also exhibit this behavior whenever a fresh bag of cat treats is introduced.

However, if your cat starts twitching the top of its tail as you pet it or play with it, you may want to stop.

An agitated or anxious state might be indicated by a tail that shakes and then fluffs up or thrashes. This shouts “leave me alone!” and is a caution to refrain from attacking.

#2 Toward Another Cat

The signals your cat gives to other cats with its tail are quite similar to those it gives to people. Curious and approachable, a wagging tail is a sign of a warm greeting.

A twitching tail tip signifies alertness or uneasiness, whereas a thrashing tail is ominous since it represents hostility.

#3 While Urinating

If you’ve ever seen your cat urinate with its tail up and twitching, you might be perplexed as to why it happens. Cats often kneel on a flat surface to pee, since this helps them to better control the flow of urine and avoid splashing.

Pee spraying, on the other hand, causes the animal to stand with its rear end against a vertical surface, its tail twitching while it sprays a tiny amount of urine in a backward direction.

Spraying urine is a common cat activity. Scent marking is a sort of verbal communication used to demarcate territory.

There is no need for alarm if you have witnessed your cat spraying outside. If, however, your cat has taken to spraying his pee inside the house, you may be less than thrilled by this transformation.

There are a few frequent explanations for why your cat could be displaying traditional pee spraying behavior (standing, tail twitching, spilling a little volume of urine onto a vertical surface).

You should take your cat in for an examination if you notice they have started spraying pee abruptly.

Why do cats fluff out their tails?

If a cat feels threatened, it may raise the hair on its tail and over its back in an effort to seem larger.

They do this to appear as dangerous as possible to their opponents during fights. Though they are still our adorable kittens at heart, right?

It’s best to give your cat some space when they’re in this agitated condition. When they’re in a combative mood, they could scratch you.

Reason #1: Cat tails quiver when they spray…

To mark their territory, cats occasionally release short bursts of pee through a spraying action. When a cat sprays its pee onto a vertical surface, its tail may often tremble while it does so.

If your cat is extremely possessive of its territory or feels threatened by other cats, it may spray marking urine on shrubs, car tires, or even in your own home.

Most people avoid constant cat spraying by having their kittens neutered before they reach sexual maturity. But does having a cat neutered prevent it from spraying? It’s possible that the response will shock you, though.

Some information that many people would find startling was relayed to me by Dr. Kathryn Primm of Applebrook Animal Hospital.

In response to your question: “Yes, they can, and many of them do!” Cats spray for a variety of different reasons, not the least of which being sexual marking. Female cats, like their male counterparts, have the ability to spray.

Territorial marking is clearly something that your cat’s large cat relatives engage in as well. It should go without saying that territorial disputes are serious business for wild large cats.

Even though intact male cats are more likely to spray, it is predicted that about 10% of male cats and 5% of female cats will continue marking and spraying after being spayed.

Reason #2: A cat will quiver their tail when they’re super excited

Again, not all cats will have tail tremors, but it is easy to spot those that do. Tom, my little ginger cat, does this all the time. For a while, I just assumed he was acting in this manner because he was spraying.

Since it seems like a cat is spraying to the untrained eye. However, this tail twitch is in your presence, unlike spraying, and your feline companion isn’t pressed up against a hard surface.

This behavior has nothing to do with the spraying a cat would do to establish its territory, so you shouldn’t take it personally when it happens in your presence. It’s an unusual approach for them to express their love for you.

Your cat’s tail is an emotional barometer, much like its ears. This endearing tail-quivering behavior can be used to convey their joy.

According to Karen Reese, animal behavior manager at Operation Kindness, “cats who adore you will throw their tail straight up in the air with a hook on the end” (like a candy cane).

A wiggle of the tail is a possible sign of eagerness when they spot you.

The analogy to a cat spraying is utterly inappropriate. And sure, spayed or neutered cats may still spray. The truth is, there are a few potential causes for this. In case you’re interested, I’ve written an essay on them here.

How to Understand What Your Cat’s Tail Movements Mean

This article describes the typical causes of tail twitching in cats and the ways in which cats use this behavior as a form of communication.

While it’s true that every cat is unique, it’s still important to familiarize yourself with your pet and pay attention to its body language to decipher its emotions.

From studying our feline friends, we may pick up some useful tips. Cats are creatures of habit, so if you learn to read their tail motions, you’ll have a good idea of how they’re feeling.

Here’s a cute movie that briefly explains how cats communicate with one another:

Watch video here

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it normal for a cat’s tail to shake?

Yes, a cat’s tail is a component of its body language that includes other body parts and posture. The meaning of a swaying tail changes based on the situation.

Why does my cat’s tail quiver when I talk to him?

Cats enjoy human company and will show their happiness and friendliness by perking their tails up and trembling in reaction to your words.

What does a quivering cat tail mean?

A number of different interpretations are possible. A wagging tail is a sign of friendliness from your cat. But a swishing tail may indicate agitation.

Your cat is using pee spraying as a kind of scent communication if its tail twitches as it urinates.

Conclusion

Why do cats quiver their tail? Cats quiver their tail because they are warning their human companion that they are about to get attacked.

When a cat quivers his tail, he is telling you to leave the room. If you see this tail twitch, it means there is a problem somewhere close by.

This twitch is a sign that something bad is going to happen and you better get out of there.

source https://catshint.com/cats-quiver-tail/