The Importance of the Tail in Cat Body Language

Cats can tell us a lot about what they think and feel from their body language. Vocalizations are a key part of this, as are elements such as the ears and whiskers. One of the easiest body language signs to spot is the tail and there is plenty you can learn from the tail movements.

Tail tips

Cats are creatures of instinct and act accordingly. If something seems frightening, they will be frightened. If it threatens them, they will defend themselves. Their body language follows these instincts and by learning the language, you can understand what they are saying. A cat's tail (unless they are a tailless breed such as the Manx) can act like a signpost to tell what they are thinking and feeling in a quick glance.

For example, a sweeping tail can indicate irritation. It might be you have petted them too much or are taking too long to feed them. It might be that they are cross about the presence of another animal or a child that is aggravating them. This is the stage before anger and could be seen as being vexed.

Anger involves sharp movements, snapping whip-like from side to side. This is a clear sign something has made them very cross or alternatively, they are frightened and are trying to hide it by appearing big and impressive. They can erect the fur on their tail to a surprising degree to accompany this feeling, again making themselves look bigger and more threatening.

On the other hand, a tail that is snaking around the body and relaxed is a sign of a contented cat. A gentle movement or the flick of the tip can also show they are happy and content in their surroundings. It is often used in playfulness, flicking their tail then chasing it as it is were a toy independent of their body or to entice another cat into playing. A tail upright in the air when walking towards you is a bit like the cat saying "hello, good to see you!"

Other body language

The tail movements will also come associated with other body language signs. For example, ears flattened to the head is a classic anger/fear sign often accompanied by hissing and other vocalizations. Ears facing forward or following a sound is a sign of an attentive and engaged cat. Relaxed ears mean a relaxed cat. Their whiskers too follow a similar pattern to explain their behavior.

Sitting positions can also indicate when a cat is relaxed and happy. Sitting on their side with their belly on show is a relaxed positive, as is sitting with their paws underneath them. If they felt threatened, they would want their paws out in front, ready to move and wouldn't show their vulnerable belly.

Conclusion

There is no hard and fast rule for how a cat reactions to a situation as they learn in their own way. Something that scares them first time around may not scare them when repeated as they realize it is isn't a threat. Yet something familiar can suddenly be frightening if encountered in an unusual way or paired with a loud noise.

For all things cat from food to litter to toys, please see the articles at Petstreet Mall

Credit: Angela Tempest

The Basics of Cat Care

Whether you're considering buying or adopting a cat for the first time, already own a cat but just want to make sure you're doing everything right, or simply want to find out more about cats and their care requirements, it can be hard to know where to turn!

Everyone has their own unique ideas about the best way to care for our feline friends, so if you're having problems sorting the wheat from the chaff and want to make sure that the information you're reading is reliable and accurate, search no further; read on to learn more about the basics of good cat care, and where to go to improve your knowledge and understanding.

Responsible cat ownership

Before you make the commitment to take on a cat, you should be sure that you will be able to afford to care for it, and intend to own it and look after it appropriately for the duration of its hopefully long life.

You should review your home and surrounding area critically to ensure that it is a safe and suitable environment to bring a cat into, and also, ensure that if you rent or live in a leasehold apartment, you are permitted to keep cats within your home.

When you actually get your cat, you should take steps to make sure that your cat is not a nuisance or inconvenience to others, and also, that you spay or neuter them as soon as possible, if this has not already been done for you.

Veterinary care

All cats should be vaccinated against all of the core communicable feline diseases, and receive an annual booster and vet check every year. It is also important to be able to recognize other times when your cat may need to see a vet, such as if they become sick or injured. You will also need to budget for flea and worming treatments, and preventative care such as looking after your cat's teeth. Finally, you might want to consider insuring your cat, to help with the cost of any unexpected and potentially expensive veterinary treatments.

Feeding

Cats need to feed little and often, and so should be given free access to the appropriate food, and also clean, fresh water at all times. What you choose to feed your cat is up to you, and the like-for-like price of different cat foods can vary considerably across different ranges! When making your decision, you should take into account your cat's life stage and lifestyle when picking the right food, and you will also need to decide if you wish to feed wet food, dry food, or a combination of both. Wet and dry food each have their advantages and disadvantages, and no one can tell you what is best for your own cat! Make sure that the food that you feed to your cat is a complete food, rather than a supplementary one, as only a complete food will take care of all of your cat's nutritional requirements. Also, go easy on the treats; too many treats can soon cause your cat to pile on the pounds, which can lead to a whole range of potential health problems.

Understanding your cat

Cat communication is complex, and very different from that of humans! You will need to make sure that you understand the basics of cat communication, how to interpret your cat's moods and needs, and how to tell if something is wrong with your cat, such as if they are stressed or unhappy. You should also learn how to provide a safe, comfortable environment for your cat, which includes considerations such as where to locate their beds, food bowls and litter trays, how to make your cat feel secure, and how to recognize when they want to be left alone!

Enabling a natural lifestyle

Most cats are indoor/outdoor cats, meaning that they have a warm home to stay in when they want to, but also have free or regular access to the outside world. This will help your cat to live a natural lifestyle and manifest their natural behaviors, as well as helping to keep them both fit and entertained. In some cases, certain breeds of cats may do better with an indoor-only lifestyle, such as the very un-streetwise Ragdoll, or hairless cat breeds that are apt to get too cold in the winter, or get burnt in the summer. If this is the case with your cat, you will have to go a lot further when it comes to enabling a natural lifestyle for them, and keeping them entertained.

Life stages

The natural behavior of cats will change as they age, starting with a boisterous, fun-loving kitten who is into everything, through your calmer, adult cat, to the specific traits and care requirements of the feline old-timer. Learning to recognize what is normal and appropriate for your cat at every stage of their lives, and knowing how to provide this, is also essential information.

Troubleshooting

If your cat suddenly starts urinating in the house, clawing the furniture, acting aggressively or otherwise doing something out of the ordinary that indicates unhappiness or an underlying problem, you should learn how to recognize this, and develop a good understanding of the potential causes of problem behaviors and how they can be resolved.

Learning more

If you want to make sure that you're all ready to be the perfect cat parent, find out more about what makes your cat tick, or attain a formal certification in cat care, you might want to consider taking a specialist animal care course, to learn about all of these things and much more.

Holly and Hugo is an e-learning company which features courses for animal lovers and those planning to work with animals in the future.

Our courses have been created just for you, and since all study is completed online you can learn anywhere and at your own pace.

Credit: Deborah Shores

Cat Psychology - Is My Cat Happy?

As cat owners, we do worry that our cats are happy and want to do whatever we can to make them so. One of the best ways to make sure your cat is happy is to understand their body language and the signs of happiness to give you reassurance and to help spot potential problems.

Signs of happiness

Cats are quite good at body language because that's how they communicate with other cats. Cats have a range of vocalizations that they use to tell the world what they fell and think and when it comes to happiness and contentment, the purr is one of the most obvious. Cats purr when they are happy, feel loved and are comfortable and even if you can't hear them, you can always feel a purr as it rattles through their whole body. Other little noises can be signs of happiness, depending on the cat, little trills and chortles that show they are relaxed.

The physical signs of happiness in their body language is also quite obvious, more for their lack of signs. An angry cat is visibly angry with erect fur, wide eyes, ears forward and a tail slashing the air. Likewise a frightened cat may make themselves small, curl their tail around themselves and duck down to be submissive and less threatening. Yet a relaxed and cat happy cat will have their ears erect to listen to what's going on or swiveling around to follow the conversation. They will tuck their tail loosely around them or leave it lying across the floor. Their fur is smooth and their whiskers sit comfortably.

Happy behaviors

A sleeping cat is often a happy cat as this means they feel comfortable enough in their surroundings to have a nap. If they felt threatened or in danger, they would remain awake and on guard. Similarly, grooming is a sign of being happy. Cats groom themselves to keep their coats in order and do derive pleasure from the act. By concentrating on their grooming and not their wider environment, they are vulnerable to attack therefore will only focus wholly on their grooming when they are happy in their home.

Eating properly is a sign of happiness and healthiness. While cats might try to 'greed' from people for treats or other morsels, this isn't because they are hungry but more a type of game. They may really fancy a little of the fish you are eating but not because they are desperately hungry. A happy cat is one that eats normally, though different cats have a different sense of normal. Some eat their meals in a single sitting while others are grazers who come and go to the food bowl.

Happy kittens

Sometimes with kittens, they may seem angry or vexed at something but this may merely be a part of their play. Kittens learn about the world around them through play and most everything around the house will be a part of this. So while they might hiss or spit at something, whip their tail around or even bite and scratch something, this doesn't mean they are angry and unhappy but simply that they are working their instincts.

For all things cat from food to litter to toys, please see my articles at http://www.petcarechoice.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/productcategory.cat

Credit: Angela Tempest