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Much like snowflakes, cats' tails possess endless individuality. They can be long and slender, long and thick, short and stocky, or somewhere in between. A cat owes the size and appearance of her tail to genetics--the anatomical traits she has inherited from the feline gene pool, which also determines her coat pattern, eye color and overall body type. The tail provides a cat with balance, and its movement can help us to understand what is going through our cat's mind--sort of a feline version of sign language.
Tail movement is an integral part of a cat's body language, offering clues to her mood. Of course, tail movement is just one aspect of cat's mode of expression--like hand gestures are with humans--and deciphering what Kitty is communicating involves integrating tail movement with all other displays, including vocalization.
WHAT IT ALL MEANS
If your cat walks with her tail erect--not puffed up and gently waving back and forth occasionally--she is expressing a willingness to interact. "It's a way that cats talk to other cats," says Karen Overall, VMD, PhD, diplomate, American College of Veterinary Behaviorists and Animal Behavior Society Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist. "It's classic behavior when you put food down for strays and they come with tails up, anticipating action that is not hostile."
When one cat passes another, she will raise up her tail. "They acknowledge each other and the rights of way," says Dr. Overall. "It's a feline version of tipping your hat." If your cat's tail is up and bouncing around when you talk to her, she is signaling appreciation. "It's an affiliation gesture," says Dr. Overall.
A droopy tail may indicate that your cat is just checking out her environment and not seeking any action. "She's sort of copasetic," says Dr. Overall. If she flicks her tail, she may be changing her mind about what she is doing. "She's definitely getting more aroused."
Some cats seem to always flick their tails. "Rapidly flicking tails indicate agitation. These cats are much more reactive, maybe like people who interact with their environment by always talking," says Dr. Overall. "Cats who flick their tails are always commenting on something. It may be an indication of anxiety."
If your cat seems angry, don't wait until she strikes to find out. Look at her tail. "Is the tail puffy? Is it moving? How does it fit with the position of the body and correlated with facial expressions? says Dr. Overall.
A COMPLEX STRUCTURE
A tail is the extension of a cat's vertebral column, and its bones--called caudal vertebrae--are numbered as they are in other areas of the spine. "Caudal vertebrae are abbreviated Cd1, Cd2 and so on," says Braam Bezuidenhout, DVSC, anatomist and senior lecturer in bio-medical sciences at Cornell University. The number of caudal vertebrae varies, but generally 19-21 are present. Continued on Page 4
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