Wrapping their tail around their owners—or even another cat—is something that some cats enjoy doing. When they’re at your feet, their tail is usually looped in lovingly around your leg…hopefully not trying to trip you at the same time.
Despite popular belief, cats are not vengeful creatures, so don’t take it personally if you fall.
Wrapping a cat’s tail around another cat or another person (you) is just the same as wrapping your arm around someone else because it conveys a sense of friendship. He or she enjoys your company and expresses friendliness toward you.
It appears that the cat has grown to enjoy your company and is more confident when you are around.
Your cat is expressing affection, relaxation, and love when she wraps her tail around you or others. This normally indicates that she is willing to be petted and have human contact.
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Why Do Cats Wrap Their Tails Around Their Owners?
Understanding that your cat’s tail is a significant means of communication is one of the first steps in learning to speak their language.
All you have to do is pay attention to notice whether they’re annoyed, playful, or terrified.
Wrapping a cat’s tail around its paws is one of their favorite activities. It occurs when they are sitting upright and curled up on the sofa, looking cozy.
The placement of their tail cautiously over their paws isn’t an accident, despite the fact that it appears to be an innocent gesture.
1. The Weather Is Freezing
Cats use their tails to help preserve body heat, similar to how we tuck our toes under a blanket or curl them under our bodies to stay warm.
Cats are most comfortable when the temperature is at least 50 degrees Fahrenheit, despite their thick fur.
They’re in danger of hypothermia and even frostbite if the temperature drops below zero.
By observing other body signals, you’ll be able to tell if your cat is wrapping its tail to stay warm. Cold kittens, according to Veterinary News, crouch low and close to the ground.
They tuck their ears into their heads, cover their noses, and do all they can to appear as tiny as possible.
Because they’re sitting upright, their ears, nose, and belly are exposed, and they’re unlikely to be chilly.
2. Avoidance of Situations
A cat with its tail draped over its paws might be putting on a passive show of evasion if you can rule out winter weather. It’s their way of expressing their need to be alone.
They’re already relaxed and content, and they’d prefer that their humans stay out of their way. They’re not in the mood for a swat or a hiss if you get too close, but they’re still not looking for publicity.
Before you take it personally, this passive-aggressive behavior does not imply that the cat disapproves of the people or animals in the vicinity.
Some cats enjoy their alone time and tend to observe their surroundings without being touched. Respect their space if this is the case. They’ll let you know when they’re going to join in by changing their body language.
3. Nerves
The tail over the paws is often a combination of passive evasion and nerves. There’s a decent possibility that an alert cat sitting upright with its tail wrapped around its body is seeing something they don’t like.
It could be the dog getting into mischief on the other side of the door, or it could be their owner slapping them across the face with a brush.
The cat’s tail is strategically positioned around their body to create a physical barrier between them and whatever is bothering them.
Consider the tail crossing over the paws as a person crossing their arms. Crossed arms are a classic defensive gesture in human body language. When people are intimidated, anxious, or otherwise uneasy, they cross their arms.
When someone says something they don’t want to hear, a shy person would cross their arms in the middle of a crowded room.
Cats react similarly to humans, and wrapping their tail around their body indicates that they are not aggressive, but also that they are not entirely content.
4. Wrapping The Tail
Your cat is expressing affection, relaxation, and love when she wraps her tail around you or others. This normally indicates that she is willing to be petted and have human contact.
There are moments, however, when your feline wraps her tail but is uninterested in communicating with others.
When your cat is alone, sleeping, or sitting, she may wrap her tail. Although relaxed in this position, your cat’s tail language may suggest that he or she prefers to be left alone or is not interested in interaction.
As a result, before making assumptions about their kitty’s emotional state, pet parents should consider the environment and overall cat body language.
Building a good relationship with your feline companion can be difficult because we are different species with different socialization, contact, and communication preferences.
While many cats will tolerate being picked up, petted, cuddled, and even kissed, others will become confused and irritated.
As a result, it’s best not to pet your cat too much and to let her come to you first so she gets used to your presence and touch.
Cat tail signs and other nonverbal cues will help you figure out how your cat is feeling. When communicating with your cat, it is recommended that you still look for these cues.
5. Tail Wrapped Around Another Cat
Cats, while not pack animals like dogs, may surely benefit from the company of a feline companion.
When this happens, a cat’s tail may be wrapped around the tail of another cat. It’s most likely when cats live together and form a strong bond.
This tail stance essentially symbolizes love and friendship, similar to how a human would wrap an arm around a friend for a warm hug.
The tail wrap is like a cat hug. To show how much he loves you, your cat may even wrap his tail around your arm or leg! In the animal world, this is referred to as Affiliative Interactions.
Fear and anxiety are expressed when a cat drapes his tail and tucks it under himself. The cat is uneasy and unaware of his surroundings.
Cats wrap their tails around their bodies to help them feel better and more at ease. If your cat is sitting like this, try to figure out what’s bothering them.
You should try calling him, but it’s probably better if you just wait for him to come to you on his own. This may also be interpreted as a sign of submission and deference.
Cats also do this when they’re chilly, so just use context clues to figure out what’s going on with their tails!
You might also like to read reasons for cat wagging tail while purring
What the Tail Of Your Cat Can Tell You
Cats use a number of methods to communicate. Their purrs can express a variety of emotions, but they also have a species-specific cat tail language that they use to communicate anxiety, enthusiasm, contentment, curiosity, and aggression.
Their furry rear appendages typically correspond to the position of their ears: upward-turned when alert or pleased, back and flat when angry or scared.
These body language cues, taken together, are a good indicator of a feline’s mood.
An erect tail with a curve at the tip resembling a shepherd’s crook or a question mark usually indicates friendliness or playfulness, but it can also indicate inquisitiveness (appropriate for this punctuation mark) or uncertainty.
The defining crook at the end could be an expression of caution or a signal that the cat wants to spend time with you; determining which is which depends on whether the cat appears to be interactive or standoffish.
When a cat’s tail is straight up, it’s almost always glad. An unbending, upright tail may convey trust, enthusiasm, or contentment.
When you walk in the door after work or when a kitten welcomes its mum, you’ll notice this.
According to one study, when cats who are unfamiliar with each other exhibit this tail position, it indicates that they want to interact amicably.
The way a cat’s hair stands on end will indicate whether it is scared or feels threatened. The classic Halloween black cat silhouette, with its spine arched and hair erect along its back and down its tail, is one distance-increasing posture.
Because they “lack the confidence to stare down and charge others,” cats do this to fend off potential threats.
If your cat wraps its tail around you or another pet in your home, it’s akin to wrapping an arm around a loved one — it’s a sign of companionship.
This is a distance-reduction behaviour, according to the ASPCA, intended to “encourage approach and social interaction” and “telegraph to others that the cat means no harm.” When this happens, you should expect to hear purring, particularly if you decide to get a pet.
When a cat is relaxed or asleep, it holds its tail against its body to indicate contentment, while when it is crouching in defense, it holds it tightly to its body.
This may be accompanied by a hiss or other threatening noise, as well as flattened and pinned-back ears.
According to Cats International, pupils may dilate in a standoff situation, allowing for a greater peripheral vision in anticipation of an impending attack.
If it’s cold outside, a cat may adopt this position because the fur on its tail keeps its toes warm.
When A Cat’s Tail Stands Straight Up, What Exactly Does That Mean?
When a cat’s tail is up, it indicates that they are social and confident, and they are approaching in a friendly way.
This cat tail language is how kittens greet their mothers, and it suggests a friendly greeting between cats.
Cameron-Beaumont discovered in 1997 that cats were more willing to approach a cat-shaped silhouette with a raised tail than with a lowered tail.
What Causes Cats To Wag Their Tails?
Cats, like dogs, communicate their feelings by moving their tails.
So, when a cat wags its tail, what does that mean? Let’s examine the various “wagging” tail movements and what they mean.
1. Tail Movements Thrashing
Your cat is frustrated, insulted, or enraged whether they thrash its tail or thump it on the ground.
This indicates that your cat is bothered by something.
This is a trait that increases the distance between two points.
To put it another way, if you’re petting your cat and it starts thrashing its tail, it’s a way of telling you to stop.
If you don’t, the thrashing tail might be a sign that hissing, growling, swatting, or biting is on the way.
2. End Of The Tail Twitching
When cats are hunting or playing, as well as when they are slightly angry or angry, they twitch the tips of their tails.
Read the scene and look for additional hints to their mood in this case. The twitching tail movement indicates that they are irritated if they are not playing or stalking anything.
3. Tails swishing
Your cat may be intently focused on something like a toy, another animal in the house, or something outside when they gently swish their tail from side to side. They could be about to strike!
Allowing your cat to engage in predatory behavior such as stalking and pouncing is excellent enrichment for them, so let them do whatever catches their attention.
Your cat’s tail may quiver when they are particularly excited to see you or another cat. Urine marking will occur when a cat quivers its tail while holding it straight up and backing up against a vertical surface.
Cats’ Tails Curl Around Their Bodies For What Reason?
Your cat is scared, defensive, in pain, or unwell whether its tail is wrapped around its body while sitting or lying down. When you notice this, stop interacting with your cat and make sure his environment is stress-free.
If your cat has been crouched with their tail tightly wrapped around its body for more than a few days, you can consult your veterinarian to rule out pain or sickness.
The tail may be the most expressive component of a cat’s body language, but you should look at more than just its movements to fully understand your cat’s emotional state.
Understanding your cat’s body language will undoubtedly strengthen your bond with him.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do cats wrap their tails around you?
Your cat is expressing affection, relaxation, and love when she wraps her tail around you or others. This normally indicates that she is willing to be petted and have human contact.
Why does my cat curl his tail around my arm?
A cat with a straight-up tail indicates happiness and a desire to be friendly. Wrapping a cat’s tail around another cat or another person (you) is the same as wrapping your arm around someone else. It conveys a sense of friendship. She or he enjoys your company and expresses friendliness toward you.
Do cats feel love when you kiss them?
While cats don’t kiss their owners in the traditional sense, they do have a variety of ways to express their affection. When your cat purrs while you pet it in its favorite spot, it’s expressing its love and gratitude for you. When your cat spreads its body across your face, it may not appear to be love, but it is.
Why do cats lift their back up when you pet them?
When you pet a cat, it raises its back to express confidence and gratitude. Scratching, petting, and brushing cause cats to raise their hindquarters as a natural reflex. To help transfer their scent through anal glands and to check yours, cats may raise their backs to increase pressure.
Final Words
Cats, like many other species, use body language to interact with one another and with humans.
Cats are one of the most expressive domestic animals, which is fortunate for cat lovers.
All you have to do now is pay attention!
Let us know in the comments section below whether your pet wraps its tail around you or not!
