Question:
We have two 1-year-old cats. Their names are Ronnie and Nancy. They have been fixed and are inside cats. They are also very affectionate. My question is, why are their tails always wagging like a dog's? Can you tell me what that means?
K.G., King, NC Dec 04, 2005
Answer:
Cats wag their tails like dogs when they are excited. While tail wagging has evolved in dogs as a social greeting expressing friendly excitement, both dogs and cats lash their tails when agitated, and when displaying aggressive intentions. Cats display a vertical tail as a social greeting.Tails are an important means of communication, and I have a dubious opinion about deliberately breeding dogs and cats to be tail-less, which can have harmful neurological consequences. And dogs should not have their tails docked because it is a "breed standard." Cats have scent glands in the skin of their tails, and when they slowly wag, curl and stroke their tails around your legs and furniture, they are actually marking with their scent. Other scent glands are located on the face, on the temples and chin, and around the lips.
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