Amazing tails

[Allergictoironing]

I'm wondering just how common my cats are in the use of their tails, as I've not noticed this in others much.

They both have decent length tails, Boycat's especially (would trail along the floor if he let it dangle completely & he's quite tall), and they seem particularly expressive (prehensile is a word that comes to mind). We aren't just talking about swishing or twitching, or moving to help balance, but they actually seem to use them to caress each other.

My cuties may not be the cuddliest around, but when they are begging for food or treats they wind round each other doing the head rubbing thing, then they will use their tails to stroke down each other's bodies and sometimes entwine their tails then go back to stroking each other with them - something I've never seem before.

I've also noticed that despite being shy and nervous in general, neither has much of a problem with me stroking and playing with their tails; I had been under the impression that cats tend to be more uncertain about their tails being played with than other bits in general, but not mine.

They use their tails to express how they're feeling, high in the air - feeling confident. The lower their tail's held, the less sure they are about a situation. Cats greeting each other with tails held straight up in the air are saying "Hello! I'm not a threat."

My little Devon Rex has a short, curly coat, but this hooooge, long bushy tail, that looks like he stole it off a Persian. If he's behind something, doing his patrols, all you can see id a big floofy tail waving about. It's easily the same length as his body, and I love the way he sits down then carefully wraps his tail around himself.

Yay pics of Little M - he's sooo cute!

Mine are both smooth coated, but they do the wrapping round their feet bit too. When they wander past me they tend to have their tails up &they don't worry about me reaching out so the tails slide through my hand even though Boycat gets funny about me stroking him when he walks past. They wave them gently often as well, and they remind me of octopus tentacles the way they move them sometimes.

It was them caressing and stroking each other with the tails that I find a bit unusual; it's definitely intentional & not just one happening to be where the other is waving the tail about either.

Seniorboy can't wrap his tail anymore - I often have to guess where it is from his pale body. (Dark carpets etc.) It seems to do as it wants these days.

Mr C wraps his tail round my neck in bed. Most acceptable.

I check Mr C's tail to gauge his mood. His tail is voice-activated.

I can tell he's pleased to see me when I say hello because I get the Flicky Tail of Happiness. I can tell he's heard me when I make feeding noises because it flails madly just before he wakes up. If he's ever frightened, it goes low and long and I have to coo it up back to normal positioning.

One funny thing - sometimes, just sometimes, his tail seems like a different person to him - family, but definitely a separate entity with its own feelings.

Aw. My old girl Esme was a bit floofy but had the most AMAZING massive fluffy tail. She would get twigs, leaves and allsorts caught in it. She was a plain old B&W, I loved her and she loved me .

Anyway . My friend and I have boycats from the same litter. We were gushing over how handsome they are just this week. Different colours, both rescues although at different times (for complicated reasons). They are both very sleek, gangly, with very long back legs and very, very long tails. Their tails are held high and twitch, curl and wriggle like it doesn't belong to them!

Little M is delicious Mantra. All curly wurly with the most FABULOUS head tilt .

You didn't happen to get them from Rolvenden Cat Rescue did you Heman ? They sound very similar to my pair (though mine are about 2 and a half now, got them 6 months ago).

Awww. I'm just imaging loads of cute kittens walking around with their itty bitty tails sticking up.

LittleM's head tilt is fabulous. Although you do wonder just a little what devilment he's planning.

I do love kitten tails, all tiny and sticky uppy...

He did do a rather impressive head tilt for that photo didn't he. He's probably figuring out how to do a tinkly little laugh, in place of pointing and larfing whilst shouting "Har Har", like the bully kid from the Simpsons. After giving one a wedgie. (I now want to give someone a wedgie and respond with a head tilt and tinkly laugh)

Nelson. Ha Ha!

Little M is just too cute. See what you mean about him having stolen it off a Persian! I also get a tail around my neck as a scarf. And I love it when I get the question mark shape.

I have two from Rolvenden Cat Rescue AllergictoIroning. They are also very fluffy boys with magnificent tails!

Mine are very sleek with short silky coats Icequeen, the last 2 of the colony of 19 ferals they rescued about 18 months ago. They did seem to end up with a lot of fluffy cats there though...

It's taken 6 months of patience and not being pushy to get them to this stage, but I was sitting there twirling Girlcat's tail between my fingers earlier this evening & she was lying there with that contented look with her eyes mostly closed, then gave me a dirty look when I stopped.

Was it you that took two sleek black pussies? I think one was called Lasso. They had been at the rescue for a little while I remember as I often saw their photos on the website? I've often wondered how they were getting on and I know their new mummy was on MN.

Yes that was me - Linton & Lassa. They had been there almost a year poor things. They aren't exactly cuddly now but Lassa does enjoy a fair bit of stroking and they rule my life. They are definitely content, very glossy & possibly a tiny bit over-weight!

Of course, Linton and Lassa! So pleased to hear they have settled well. The fact they are a little over weight shows they are obviously very content. I would love to see some recent photos if you have any?

They are bastards to take pictures of - their favourite places to lie are directly on the dark brown sofa, on the even darker brown throw, or a navy blue cushion. Otherwise you just get black vaguely cat-shaped blobs and if you are lucky demonic looking eyes - blacks are the hardest to photo!

I have absolutely nothing of Linton that looks like him, but here's one of Lassa - obviously terrified and unhappy in this pic!

I can't tell you how lovely it is to see that photo! Lassa looks so at home and has obviously taken to home life really well, especially considering she was feral not so long ago! What a credit to you that they obviously have coped so well with this huge change in their life. I'm sure Ruth and Allan would be delighted and makes their work so worthwhile.

Funnily enough my two boys aren't really cuddly cats. One of them will lie on our bed but at the bottom near my feet or sit on the arm of the sofa and lean against me but never on my knee. The other is like a teddy bear when it is suits him but he will usually only grant us about an hour in the evening. Wouldn't change them for the world though.

If you do ever manage to get a photo of Linton do let us see it! Everyone here loves to see up-dates about other people's cats.

Managed to. Get a better picture of madams tail. Her sisters is identical.

She has a really floofy tail, I wasn't expecting that. I thought she was more short haired. Gorgeous tail, I wouldn't be able to stop playing with it!

Love cat comms. One of my idiots chases his tail on a regular basis.

Bogbastard has a huge floofy ginger tail along with his huge floofy Siberian coat.

Unfortunately he also likes to sit on the edge of the bath, and when his tail gets wet some part of him has an instinctive snake reaction. Hence we have had a couple of incidents of BB hissing and growling in a primeval manner while standing guard over his own tail We had to take our life in our hands, grab him and hairdry it before he recognised it as his again

The write up of Siberians will tell you they are highly intelligent ...