What are these weird tail motions my cat does?

Question

Sometimes, I notice that my female brown tabby who has been fixed last December, get her tail straight up, and starts quivering it as if she's spraying. What is it that she's doing? Or is there something wrong, like stress or illness that makes her do this infrequently?

Answer 1

I've had a cat who did that. That one was a "he" (fixed). It did look like he thought he was spraying, but he only did it when he was over-excited. There are other ways a cat uses his or her tail to "speak": people have mentioned whipping the tail back and forth (agitation/anger, or hunting) but there is also puffed-up bottle-brush tail (scared/very angry--stay away) and tail-straight-in-the-air (very happy to see you, recognising a friend). Hope this helps.

Answer 2

She is talking to you! Nothing is wrong cats show emotions like dogs with their tails. Now if she is backing up to something and doing this motion yes she is marking her territory. Even fixed cats do that to mark. They have sent gland and leave their mark.
As for the emotions cat tend to flick their tails when unhappy. If your cat sits and her tail is thumping the louder she does it the more annoying something is to her. Cat laying down right before they pounce will twitch only the very tip of their tails in excitement. If she is not marking the movement you've described could also mean that she is excited to see you. My male cat does it when I come home from a trip while curling his front paws to be picked up. It's like he is so happy to see me he's quivering

Answer 3

As far as I am aware female cats don't spray at all, they don't have the glands to do so, only males can. More then likely your cat is just stretching or something along the lines of it.

Answer 4

Could be nerves. My cat twitches her tail, too. She's been fixed since she was 1 month old - emergency surgery. She's never known spraying, so my vet said it's just like when we get twitches in our legs or arms. It's just nerves.

Answer 5

the tail in a cat is like an antena in a car ...they use the tail as a radar...is nothing wrong with that...usually when cats has the tail up is because they are aware of something that we can't see or hear...when the tail is down they relax and content...try this...when you about to feed your cat, she will put her tail up and wait till you put the dish down then she will put her tail down as well

Answer 6

I have two cats that do that, its nothing to worry about.
Your cat is expressing her excitement and happiness, it is a positive sign.

Mine tend to do it in the evenings when it cools off and they are ready to or have been playing or are in a very affectionate mood and want attention.

Answer 7

Cats express their emotions through their tail.

If they are waiving it excessivley at you then they are pissed. If they are wagging it and staring you down at the same time then I would step away from kitty...

Answer 8

completely typical. it quite is referred to as "chattering" and ALL my cats do it. think of of it as giddy exhilaration, like while somebody thinks they might win a prize so as that they clench their fists, carry them as much as their face, get huge eyed and pass "O-O-O!". Their are some human reactions that are an analogous everywhere... and a few behaviours that are an analogous for cats everywhere (it quite is kinda lovable, do no longer you think of?)

Answer 9

She loves you! As long as there is no urine being sprayed, this is a sign of complete adoration.

Answer 10

Only one of my four does it and she does it right before feeding time. She does it because she is so terribly excited.