Reading Your Kitty: Why Do Cats Wag Their Tails While Lying Down?

Cats are some of the most complex animals known to people, and understanding cats may take some time.

Cats wag their tails when they are happy or while hunting. The tail wagging in cats is quite different from dogs' and has a unique body language different from all other animals.

Cats wag their tails while lying down, flick their tails while walking, and hold their tail high up when you meet them. Cats are unique and have a different tail language altogether.

So, if you pay attention to your cat closely, you will steadily learn to understand your pet cat perfectly. You may know a few reasons why cats are known for wagging their tail.

It is evident in dogs that they wag their tails mostly when they are happy. But a cat's tail movement can tell you a lot of different things.

When two cats greet each other, you will notice cats getting excited and put their tails up in the air. This tail movement of the pet cats is their way of saying hello.

After the tail greeting, you might notice the cats rubbing their heads against each other. Cats with their human owners also use this tail straight in the air position to indicate that the cat is happy. The tail wagging for greeting is an easy back-and-forth wave of an upright tail.

A cat's tail might also wrap itself around your arm or leg or posts, and this means that the cat loves you. By looking at small things in the cat's behavior, you will know what the cat is feeling.

A slow side-to-side swish is a form of cat wagging its tail which means play. A cat may perform these tail movements while lying on the ground.

You may even see a cat twitching its tail when concentrating hard on something. A twitching tail means that the cat may be stalking someone near the window.

A cat may also wag its tail if in tremendous pain. Cats are incredibly good at hiding pain, and you may never know if your pet is injured or is in severe discomfort. But you might notice some subtle wagging or twitching in the tail, and if you see it, take the cat to the vet immediately.

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Why do cats thump their tails when lying down?

Any cat owner would have noticed their cats wagging their tail or thumping it while laying on the ground. There can be several reasons for this wagging tail behavior of a cat.

Here are a few reasons why your cats wag their tails lying down. Your cat might start wagging their tails once you enter the room.

The cat's body can be flat on the ground, and still, they can achieve this tail position. It could be a greeting or a way of saying 'Hi' to you.

The cat can sense that you might not be staying longer in the room, or the cat might be simply comfortable in that position and will wag its tail left to right. This sign is very common.

Cats wagging their tails lying down is expected. A cat tail can say many things, and this is just the cat's way of speaking.

However, tail thumping can also be a sign of aggression when the cat is annoyed. Tail swishing can also mean the cat is not content with the attention and is annoyed by the current situation. Remember, your feline friends are not always relaxed.

It would be best to find the balance first to know why the twitch in the tail is seen. Learning the tail language of the cat can do wonders to understand what the cat is feeling.

Suppose the cat's tail is swishing around widely while on the ground. It can be a sign of frustration. This swish movement indicates their agitation, and if you try to pet the cat in this situation, it may lead to scratches. A thrashing tail is often a sign to stop.

A cat thrashing its tail can lead to hissing, growling, and biting. Do not try petting in this situation. After all, everything in the world is dependent on the mood of the pet cat.

A wagging tail of a cat can also be seen when the pet wants some playing time. If the cat is on its stomach and wagging its tail, it might soon pounce on you.

Playing is an essential part of a cat's life, and the cat's tail shows us the time. You will notice the back and forth movement of the cat's tail on the ground when the cat's pupils enlarge and might leap soon. Try petting in this situation.

Tail language is something an owner needs to master to understand their pet better. A wagging cat's tail on the ground can also indicate that the cat is in pain.

Cat and dog both are very good at hiding their pain and illnesses so that the animals are not vulnerable to attack. This tail movement will be just a jerk or a sudden twitch, and you will notice it if you look closely at your dog or cat. Your cat might want to be left alone.

You may even see other signs in your cat or dog like aggression, change in appetite, and struggling to get comfortable. It would be best if you took your cat or dog to the veterinarian immediately before the animals get more scared.

Other movements of the tail in a cat are rapid movement when full of excitement, tail tucked between the legs when scared, hair in the tail standing up in excitement, and back and forth quickly, which means 'leave me alone.'

Do cats wag their tails while sleeping?

Yes, it sometimes happens that cats wag their tails when dreaming and getting excited by a dream.

Like us humans, cats too move a little while sleeping. This movement can be completely unconscious and is not many large movements. It will be just a flick of the cat tail and a part of the dream the cat is currently watching. Do not be scared of this as it is as normal as it can be.

Different Cat Tail Movements And When They're Used

There are various tail movements in any cat, and we will discuss some of them here.

Like a dog, the tail of a cat will be relaxed, and the tip of the tail will gently swish. The tail will be in an upright position where the tip of the tail will softly curl.

The body will be upright too in this position. When the cat is excited, it will lift its tail, and the whole tail will move left and right.

When hunting, the tail will be straight up or relaxed, and the tip will twitch quickly, and when scared, the tail will be downwards and tucked between the legs. The tail will be low to the ground and swish slowly from left to right when irritated. When sick, the cat will tap the tail intensely.

Reading Your Cats Emotions Through Their Tails

The tail of a cat speaks a lot, as we have already learned in the previous topics.

A cat's ears, eyes, tail, and body postures say a lot about what she's thinking or feeling. There are different positions of the tails, and each position has different meanings.

The pet owner needs to act according to the mood of the cat. For example, if you try petting your cat when agitated, which can be shown from its tail position, it might even attack you. While, if you pet the cat when it needs love, she will shower you with all the affection in the world.

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