Are we positive that a thrashing tail means an angry kitty?

Hello all.. I'm new to posting in this sight but I must admit when I got my first cat you all helped me out so much!

I have a query, from what I have learnt from both websites ans my olde cat George (when he had a tail) a thrashing tail means he is not a happy kitty. However, my 6month old kitten Geoffrey seems to thrash his tail while purring and does it while he sits next to me... he wags it while waiting for food and also if he wants cuddles aswell...

My older cat George, is a very antisocial cat... so for Geoff to be so 'needy' it kind of alarms me... in a good way I suppose. But the wagging tail thing.. i just don't understand. On most sites it says it is a sign of anger or distress... my kitty is definitely not either of these!!! Anyones cat the same?

Geoff is around 3 or 4 months in this photo.. couldn't find a photo of my beautiful George.

Body language signals do depend on context! If there aren't other signs of discomfort with the tail wagging, it could mean anything from slight agitation to excitement. If the other signs are happy (purring, rubbing against you, etc) then the tail wagging is probably due to a positive excitement rather than a negative one. There are general guidelines for what a cat means by an action, but every cat is different and will act a little differently.

My kitten is always twitching her tail at me, usually when we're playing but also for food and anything else she's excited about. I definitely agree it can mean they're excited... and kittens are always excited!

Thank you for the replies... I thought that maybe the case. I think he's just a 'waggy tailed' kitty .. i suppose all cats are different and respond to things in different ways.

Yeah, body language meanings are general, but individuals can vary. Two of my cats for example:

Sinbad hisses when he's playing and excited, and Belit flattens her ears when she's luxuriating in cuddles and affection. It bewildered the vet the other day, actually. She was purring like a little fiend and happily gumming the vet while being scritched and pet, but her ears were all the way flat back. We had to explain that she was just making more room on her head for scritches.