Ktiten tail betraying emotions?

From all the information I've managed to gather on the web, a cat or kitten wagging their tail means they're irriated. However, my kitten's tail begins to wag while playing with my hand (by playing I mean nibbling and softly scratching it) I know he isn't attacking because I know he's able to inflict real pain when tempted. My question is, how is he really feeling when "playing" with me?

Generally when my cats are playing, they will thrash their tails quickly when they get really into the game. I take it to mean that they are feeling especially playful. They do this especially when they play with each other and they are definitely playing, not attacking. I think there are a wide variety of different tail twitches. My old cat would twitch her tail very pointedly when you sat in the chair she was sitting on the top part of. My cat now twitches his tail to entice the kitten to grab it so that he can start wrestling with her. I notice when he is sitting on the windowsill looking out he will also twitch his tail. I think all of these tail wags mean different things.

On a hilarious side note, my mom had a friend who was completely uneducated about cats. She was petting my old cat (who was a much moodier cat who didn't like to be petted not on her own terms) and my cat was getting annoyed. The cat was twitching her tail and had her ears back (clearly annoyed cat signs). My mom's friend thought that she was happy since she was wagging her tail. She thought that a twitching cat tail was good like it usually is with a wagging dog.

I think the key to cat language is that it is more complicated than you would think. A combination of signs show what a cat is thinking (ie the back ears and thrashing tail for annoyance).

Hi @Kurdis,

As he grows older his temperament and "signals" will change. My baby cats used to wag their tails and the others would 'attack" them, though it's just plain play, now the sillies even "attack" their own tail   

He is learning limits and boundaries so no worries... yet. Just make sure he doesn't think biting your hand and fingers is OK.  He is a tiny baby with tiny teeth so it doesn't hurt now, but when he grows a little more and his adult teeth come in, it will hurt, so it's best to redirect that biting to something else, maybe a plushie or toys now that he's still young

I read your other threads, so I wanted to say keep strong and thank you for trying to take such care of this kitty after the burden your sister put on you at such a young age. You are doing a great job! If you ever get discouraged know that you are doing more for that kitty that many people would have, so keep up the great work! 

Has your sister told you if she will leave the kittens with you guys or if she will pick him up?

Thank you, I feel as your kindness is genuine, it's people like you who've managed to keep me going. She's planning to come in an few  hours staying with us for a few days then take the kitten with her to her dorm so that's great. During the time I was with this kitten I would often give her updates some relating to how aggressive he becomes at times and another time when he was even constipated. She simply shrugged it off and thought I was over reacting which was strange coming from someone who knows a lot about cats. Needless to say I would often become annoyed by her reactions but I knew she was currently stressed with her own situation. When she comes home, the first thing I look forward to is seeing her reaction when she comes to terms with how much of a struggle the kitten really is. Again, thank you I greatly appreciate you along with everyone on this forum. 

MagiksGirl said:

 
Hi @Kurdis,

As he grows older his temperament and "signals" will change. My baby cats used to wag their tails and the others would 'attack" them, though it's just plain play, now the sillies even "attack" their own tail 

 

He is learning limits and boundaries so no worries... yet. Just make sure he doesn't think biting your hand and fingers is OK.  He is a tiny baby with tiny teeth so it doesn't hurt now, but when he grows a little more and his adult teeth come in, it will hurt, so it's best to redirect that biting to something else, maybe a plushie or toys now that he's still young

I read your other threads, so I wanted to say keep strong and thank you for trying to take such care of this kitty after the burden your sister put on you at such a young age. You are doing a great job! If you ever get discouraged know that you are doing more for that kitty that many people would have, so keep up the great work! 

Has your sister told you if she will leave the kittens with you guys or if she will pick him up?

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You're right it would probably be wise to stop playing with him in such a fashion. Chew toys may be something I'll consider.

Ah.... I see. I'm glad you're doing great! Keep up the spirit! 

Please don't forget to come back if you have any more questions. We're all glad to help in any way we can