

This tail movement means they’re ready to pounce. A tail hung low with a slow flicking is usually partnered by large, watching eyes or even a crouching stance. This may be the tail twitch most are familiar with. Typically, the best way to determine a cat’s current emotion is to pay attention to the height and speed of their tail. Usually, other non-verbal cues or environmental factors can help you hone in on their message. It can be difficult to understand what a cat is communicating if you pay attention to only their tail. However, while a loose, wagging tail in dogs shows they’re happy or excited, it can mean quite the opposite in cats. Much like dogs, cats use their tails to interact with their environment and send communicative messages to others. When a cat’s tail is twitching uncontrollably….Why would a cat’s tail be twitching when sleeping or lying down?.

To better evaluate if the movement in your cat’s tail is normal, it’s best to understand the role the tail plays in cat body language. Since it’s not part of a conversation they’re having with you or another pet, typically movement in the tail while at rest is an unconscious or uncontrollable movement that doctors and veterinarians refer to as fasciculations or muscle tremors.Īnd while these are completely harmless, they tell a complicated story, as the origin of the muscle quivering could be nothing or could be the result of something as serious as a nervous system disorder. An uncontrollable quivering tail while a cat is resting, however, is more difficult to dissect. The height in which a tail is held as well as the shapes it creates tell others a variety of messages: “I’m friendly,” “I want to play,” “I feel unsure about you,” and “Stay away from me”. He or she could also be suffering from muscle tremors if the switching is involuntary. Your cat could be communicating happiness, anger or distress. Usually, when a cat’s tail twitches, quivers or flickers, it means quite a number of different things depending on the situation. Cats use their tails to communicate to each other, too. Other times, it means they’re irritated and ready to give you a swift pawing or nibble if you choose to continue to pet them. Why is my cat’s tail twitching? Often an animated tail tells us our cat is feeling playful and ready to pounce.
