The complex language of cats: what your feline friend communicates through the position of its tail.

People and Cats have coexisted for thousands of years, and during this time, we have managed to establish communication with our pets. However, it can sometimes be challenging to interpret what certain feline behaviors mean and whether the tail serves as an active communication tool for our companions, writes Live Science.

It is well-known that animals use their tails to maintain balance and control their movements, but researchers also believe that tail behaviors, such as twitching or swaying from side to side, are forms of communication.

Cat behavior experts agree that cats utilize their tails as part of a broader body language system to convey a wide range of emotions. According to a study published in the Irish Veterinary Journal, cats rely on their eyes, ears, body, and tail to express fear, anger, joy, satisfaction, and curiosity.

It is known that animal tails are incredibly flexible due to their unique anatomy. They consist of 18-23 small bones, also known as caudal vertebrae, which are linked like a chain, allowing the tail to move in various directions. According to Reda Mohamed, an animal anatomy instructor at Washington State University's College of Veterinary Medicine, when cats experience an emotion, the brain sends signals to the tail muscles through the pudendal nerve, which connects the tail muscles to the central nervous system. This communication is believed to occur almost instantaneously, enabling animals to move their tails with lightning speed and precision.

As a result, scientists decided to investigate what tail movements signify. According to animal behavior specialist Mikel Delgado from Purdue University in Indiana (USA), for example, a tail held upright indicates a friendly and social approach. However, researchers also found that this tail position is not universal: wild cats, for instance, do not use the "tail up" signal. They believe that the "tail up" signal likely evolved during the domestication process.

Delgado notes that a twitching tail may indicate a cat's excitement. At the same time, a puffed-up tail is often a reaction to a threat—for example, in response to a cat outdoors—and is considered a defensive attempt to appear larger. Delgado also points out that a lowered tail is typically associated with fear, as the cat tries to make itself smaller or protect itself. If a cat is thumping its tail on the ground or moving it quickly side to side or up and down, it may be a sign that it is angry.

Moreover, cats may communicate with their tails differently depending on whether they are interacting with humans or other cats. Previous research from 2021 indicated that when cats interact with one another, they usually keep their tails down and rely more on their ears to express their feelings. In contrast, when communicating with humans, cats tend to use their tails more actively.