My cats tail spazes out..??

Question

My cat has an exceptionally long tail and it spazes out all the time. Does anyone know why cats wag their tail? Why would the cats tail twitch and spaz? (He was hit by a car, we think maybe he is not right)

HE'S A BOY AND FIXED

Answer 1

the tail of a cat shows the emotion of the cat. It is very normal for it to spazz (lol) when he is occupied by viewing something like a bird in the garden or something like that. My cat was never hit by anything and he does it all the time.

Answer 2

The twitching of the tail may mean anything, but most often the meanings range from irritation to fury, and, depending on the position of his body, fear and alarm too.

A cat can wag / shiver his/her tail when happy too, though, but that is a bit rarer. Usually, a calm cat's tail will be at rest.

Answer 3

Cats tails indicate their emotion. "Spazes" (I assumiong you mean it flickers quickly back and forth) means he is excited. It could be anger, or anticipation (ie - "look at that delectable bird!"). Just excitement in general.

As one other person mentioned, a calm cat's tail is rather down and still. But if your kitty comes running to you with his tail held almost straight up in the air, it means he's happy to see you! Or happy in general. You may see this when you pet him. :-)

Answer 4

Their tail usually twitches like crazy when they are hunting, playing, angry or in deep consentration.
He may not be clinically "right" but he sounds like a normal cat to me.

Answer 5

If it a boy cat it could be because he is marking his territory. They flick there tails and spray like a skunk, that's why cats smell so bad.

Answer 6

Hi Sammy...The tail is an important tool for communicating with other cats and with humans. It is highly mobile: side to side, up and down, graceful and slow, thrashing and whip-like. It can be a sleep coil folded around a sitting or sleeping cat, a fluffy scarf across a curled cat's nose or an erect bristling bottlebrush when the cat is frightened. A mother cat may also use it - deliberately or accidentally - as a toy for her kittens.

When a cat is relaxed, confident and alert, it walks with its tail horizontally behind it or even slightly drooping. This prevents the tail from becoming snagged in undergrowth. If it meets a friendly cat or friendly human, the tail goes up like a flag-pole to convey its friendliness. If it is friendly but cautious of the other cat or person, the upright tail is hooked over at the tip indicating a degree of uncertainty. A mother cat's upright tail is a signal for her kittens to follow and their upright tails may help littermates or their mother to spot their whereabouts.

A spraying cat also adopts the tail up posture, tail a-quiver and treading/dancing with the hind feet, trying to lift its rump higher. When a cat meets its owner and wants to extend a friendly greeting, the tail goes up and quivers, but there is no spray of urine. It is the cat's version of "I am SO happy to see you, I am overcome with emotion." Many owners refer to this as "feather-dancing" because the upright tail resembles a quivering feather. It may pull its upright tail slight forwards over the back, kinked down a little at the tip and give a little chirp at the same time. This invites the cat/person it is greeting to sniff the anal glands and confirm its identity as a group member.

When kittens greet their mother, they run to her with their tails upright like small flag-poles. They droop, twine or rub their tails around their mother's rump or tail to solicit food from her. Adult cats also tail-twine. They entwine tails with friendly cats as they rub against each other (the tail has scent from the anal glands on it from where the cat has washed it). They also wrap their tails around human legs or objects. This both marks the leg or object and, if they are tail-wrapping part of the owner, is an attempt to get attention, fuss and food!

When a cat is at rest, but readying itself for action, it sweeps its tail erratically from side to side. It seems to accompany the feline thought process of "do I or don't I?". As it becomes more alert or more emotionally charged, the tail swishes faster, wider and in a more regular manner. If the cat is lying on its side, the tail will be thumping on the floor, often loudly. Though this is most often associated with anger, it may also indicate another highly charged emotion - some cats thrash their tail in ecstasy when being groomed. Violent thrashing therefore indicates high excitement or imminent aggression. A swishing or thumping tail is sometimes an invitation for another cat to join in a bout of play. Very few cats wag their tails in happiness like dogs.

The other easily recognisable tail signal is the upright bottle-brush tail. This indicates that the cat feels seriously threatened and has become defensively aggressive i.e. it would rather get away, but if provoked it will defend itself. The tail doubles in size and the hair on the cat's spine also stands erect (pilo-erection). As well as indicating the cat's state of mind, it makes the cat look bigger than it really is in an attempt to make the aggressor leave it alone.

The "inverted L" is a sign of conflict. The first inch or so of the tail is horizontal and the remainder points straight downwards. The "Inverted U" or "Horseshoe" tail, often with the fur erect, is defensive aggression, but can also be seen during the "mad half hour" when the cat rushes around as though it has the wind under its tail. Kittens frequently use the inverted horseshoe during play and mock-battle. When the cat stretches its forelegs, its tail may come right forward over the head. When it stretches the back legs, the tail may end up upright and hooked over.

Sometimes the upright tail is jerked suddenly and briefly forwards. This seems to be the feline version of the human "two fingers" obscene gesture. It denotes mild irritation or derision. You might see this if you address your cat as it is walking around - the cat acknowledges you, but has its mind set on other things and is making a "So what!" exclamation.

Here's the website where this excerpt was taken (see paragraph "Tail"): http://www.messybeast.com/cat_talk2.htm