Tail Swishing?

Hi!
Time for my multitude of questions and posts! Hope you don't mind.

I read the link that "Nano" put up in the hissing post about what your cat's tail means. It was awesome! When I got home I noticed that Callie puts her tail straight up but quivers it when she walks around me or when i first come home, which means that she is feeling affectionate. yay!

But I notice she swishes her tail a lot, and I know that's supposed to be a sign that she's irritated (i mean, that's the case for most cats right?), but she does it when she seems totally comfortable and is purring. Like, she'll be lying there looking nice and comfortable and happy and i will speak to her and she will swish her tail.

Does anyone have a cat that swishes their tail that doesn't mean they are irritated? I read that when some breeds do that, that means they are happy.

Thanks!

A very slow, broadly sweeping swish is a sign of contentment in most cats. Faster swishing is usually an indication of frustration or that they are having a hard time deciding what to do.

Nano has different kinds of tail swishing...

If she is laying on her side or lounging, then it is a sign of contentment/relaxation but sometimes fatigue. Crazy as it sounds, in my mind this "lazy" tail swishing most closely matches the equivalent of a yawn in human terms.

If she's sitting down or "on guard" with the rest of her body language, then it is a strong sign of annoyance or even anger. She has attacked from this stance before.

If she's walking, she will slowly raise her tail from half-mast to all the way up during the course of five seconds. Nano swishes it from side to side as she does this -- I read it as a sign of curiosity or anticipation.

She also has tail thumping that seems akin to when a rabbit will thump one of their hind feet.

I wish I could make simple video tapes or computer files to illustrate all of this. The first picture in this thread ( http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=48640 ) shows Nano swishing her tail back and forth as it gradually goes up to being fully raised in affection.

And I agree with lotsocats, the very fast tail movement seems reserved for severe annoyance or consternation.

(These are my opinions and experiences, and while cat owners would generally be well-served by becoming familiar with body language, I don't want to pretend it is an exact science. Different cats might give off different signals, etc.)

Swishing as a sign of irritation is too broad a generalization. A better generalization is that tail movement means the cat's alertness level is aroused. It may be something positive. It may be something negative. Usually the faster the swish, the more the cat is aroused. And different cats have different swishes. So one just needs to get to learn to read one's cat's "tail language".

Originally Posted by lotsocats

A very slow, broadly sweeping swish is a sign of contentment in most cats. Faster swishing is usually an indication of frustration or that they are having a hard time deciding what to do.

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I guess Oscar is a grumpy kitty! His tail swishes fast all the time! In the middle of the night, you hear the THUMP of his tail! I don't think he even HAS a slow swish......ahhh well. That just shows he is properly named as Oscar the Grouch.

Sammy's tail is bushy and her tail is most often down with the tip curled to the left or right. She does swish her tail back and forth a lot even when she's accepting pets. I always have to be careful with her, though, because she will suddenly decide petting is over and end it with a swipe or a nip.

nano said:

[Nano] also has tail thumping that seems akin to when a rabbit will thump one of their hind feet.

Click to expand...

Friend does this as well! Usually when he's lying on his side, fully stretched out, obviously very relaxed. <3 Glad to hear he's not the only one! I've been wondering what it means, myself.

My cat seems to always have a slightly different meaning to her body language than other cats! With her, any tail swishing at all is a precursor to a bite or smack. Whether it be slow, fast, or thumping the second her tail starts moving at all she's done with people (or the dog) and prepared to inflict damage if not given space. There's maybe a 30 second grace period between tail movement and flying claws for me to distance myself or make her go away if I'm in bed. She's not satisfied with no physical contact; there must be a few feet of distance. I swear the older she gets the ruder she is!