Daily Cat Lesson: What Is Your Cats Tail Saying?

🐾 Daily Cat Lesson: What Is Your Cat's Tail Saying?

A cat's tail isn't just decoration. It's a balancing tool, communication system and mood indicator all in one.

🐾 Why do cats need such a long tail?

The tail helps with balance during climbing, jumping and quick turns. Cats can move it as a counterbalance when their body suddenly changes direction, during climbing, jumping and those spectacular high-speed turns.

A typical full-tailed house cat has a tail roughly 10-12 inches long, made up of about 18-23 small vertebrae.
And tails come in VERY different sizes.

The current Guinness record belongs to a Maine Coon named Mr. Pugsley Addams, whose tail measures an astonishing 18.5 inches (46.99 cm).
- Guinness record

At the other extreme are the bobtails.
An American Bobtail's tail averages only 1-4 inches, while some Manx cats are born with just a tiny stub - or essentially no external tail at all, like Top Tropiucals cats Matilda & Timo.

So a cat tail can range from practically zero to a foot and a half long!
And somehow, regardless of length, it will eventually end up directly in your coffee ☕️

🐾 A tail can talk:

• Straight up usually means a friendly, confident greeting.
• A relaxed curve often means contentment.
• A rapidly swishing or thumping tail can mean irritation or intense excitement.
• And the famous giant Halloween-cat tail happens when the hairs stand on end, making the cat look bigger when frightened or threatened. 🐈

🐾 Why does a cat wrap its tail around you - or another cat?

It's often friendly social contact, rather like putting an arm around someone.

🐾 Can cats control their tails?

Yes. The tail is an extension of the spine, made up of many small vertebrae surrounded by muscles, nerves and tendons.
Most cats have 18-23 tail vertebrae, although the number varies.

⛔️ Important: never pull a cat's tail.

Because the nerves at its base are closely associated with nerves serving the hindquarters, bladder and bowel, a serious tail injury can cause much bigger problems than an injured tail.

🐾 Plants have Cat Tails too!

Plant people apparently saw fuzzy flowers and immediately thought CAT.
• Acalypha hispida - Cat Tail, Chenille Plant grows spectacular long, dangling, fuzzy red flower spikes that really do resemble giant fluffy cat tails. Its smaller cousin -
• Acalypha pendula (reptans) - Kitten's Tail, Dwarf Cat's Tail, stays much more compact and produces adorable little fuzzy red "kitten tails." Great for hanging baskets and ground covers.

🛒 So if your household doesn't have enough cat tails already - you can grow a few more!

🐈📸 Top Tropicals rescued cats James Coconuts and Niki showing off their tails at PeopleCats.Garden.

🐈 Stay with us for your #DailyDoseOfCat!
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