Cats angry tail

[Coffeeisnecessary]

Hi, wonder if anyone else has any experience of this? We got a new cat last year, a rescue. When we got her she was in season so we took her to be neutered straight away. She has always been feisty but she is so friendly too, however she swings her tail violently all the time! I've had many cats over the years and I've never known any of them do this. She will be happy and purring on your lap almost asleep but her tail is going crazy! She looks like a little wild cat. All the stuff I've read says she must be in pain or stressed but she doesn't seem to be! Anyone have any ideas? Thank you!

My cat does this, she is incredibly docile and has never bitten or scratched me except gently during play but the tail swishes all the time. None of my other 8 cats did this.
She can be nervous and in her last house was apparently scared of everything. She was rehomed with me as an only cat and she is getting better.

One of my cats is the same, he'll totally chilled, dozing, but his tail is swishing everywhere - I honestly think it's just a habit for some of them, like swaying your knee

Our new rescue constantly flicks the tip of her tail.

It's a don't touch me signal. Our teenage good cat did it. It was a warning to back off when the tail stated going.

Teenagehood.

Toddlerteaplease but she does it all the time! And she seems perfectly happy to be stroked, pick up etc. She will literally be rolling round on my lap with her tail swishing back and forth!

Glad that others seem to do it too!

@Coffeeisnecessary LittleCat does this too! She swishes continuously when she is being cuddled and purring. She likes to curl it round you as well and smack you with it as she swishes

Her sister on the other hand is a normal cat and swishes only when she's angry

@Fluffycloudland77

Our new rescue constantly flicks the tip of her tail.

Yes - same here!

She’s 10/11 so I put it down to middle age irritation. I’m the same.

It's also a sign of internal conflict, like when they're stood at the door trying to decide whether to go out or not.

It sounds like she loves the fuss but is a bit confused about why or how!

One of mine does this when slightly irritated, for example when he wants to be played with!

One of mine has a very expressive tail. The movement looks similar at first glance, but there is a difference between her angry, happy, hunting etc tail swishes.

My latest rescue cat is a permanent tail lasher. She has the most muscular tail I’ve ever seen, presumably from all the exercise!
It certainly isn’t due to distress or indecision - she lashes while purring, eating, being groomed, resting, just continually.
She is very contented, sleeps on my bed, is a good mouser, has a large outdoor territory with free access via her cat flap. I think it’s just her habit, like thumb twiddling.

I had a tail-swishing Madam Cat. If only the tip of her tail was swishing, she was contented and alert.

If she was actively engaged with you, her swishing tail clearly indicated that she was alert and enjoying the interaction. I loved being walloped by her tail

But if Madam Cat was cushion-curled, lying down or sitting upright and her whole tail was swishing - leave her alone. She'd often come to you, but until she chose to engage with you we could not tell whether her swishing tail alone meant danger or fun.

Hirlcat has taken to flicking her tail so it strokes my arm in time to me stroking her belly. If I slow down, so does she & same if I speed up. It's her absolutely most favorite thing in the world to lie on the back of the sofa in the evenings while I stroke her belly (apart from Dreamies ofc).

@Fluffycloudland77

Our new rescue constantly flicks the tip of her tail.

We call this the 'fuck you flick'.

I discovered once when (gently) throwing my cat out the door that she can do the fuck you flick mid-air!

Ours was raised in a dog-household. She appears to have learnt to wag.