Why do cats tails puff up

Cat owners are keenly tuned in to their pets’ body language, but once in a while the felines will throw a curve. Sometimes it’s in their tails.

While watching our cat snooze, we noticed his tail was tapping away like he was enjoying a disco medley we couldn’t hear, sending quite a mixed signal.

So how do you decode a cat’s tail? (Read "Surprising Things You Never Knew About Your Cat.")

Tail Tips

You have to take the whole body into account when reading tail signals, says Carlo Siracusa, of the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine.

The napping cat with the tapping tail, for example, is “relaxed overall but paying attention to something happening around him, a sound or movement,” so he’s peaceful but hardly asleep on the job.

If he really is sleeping, Siracusa adds, a moving tail could mean he’s dreaming. (Related: "Do Animals Dream?")

A whipping tale on an alert cat can mean nervousness, potential aggression, and “Do not touch!” says Siracusa.

On a calm cat a straight-up tail with a hooked tip is a friendly greeting, while an aggressive cat may just have its tail straight up. A fearful “Halloween” cat will have an arched back and “its tail up and puffed.”

A downward curve can mean defensiveness, says Siracusa, while a relaxed cat will “carry his tail in a neutral or low position.”

House Hunting

Their tails might be confusing, but cats’ feet never lie.

Katy Prudic, an entomologist at the University of Arizona, has helped us out many a time but now she has a question of her own, proving cats are puzzling even to scientists. (See "Why Cats Poop on Your Bed and Other Odd Pet Behaviors.")

“Why do cats suddenly decide they are late for an appointment in another room?” she asks, about those times your cat suddenly bolts, leaving you wondering, “Was it something I said?”

The Science of Meow: Study to Look at How Cats Talk

These bursts of energy, sometimes called “the zoomies,” are “probably outlets for accumulated arousal,” frustration, fear, or pent-up energy, says Siracusa.

Cats “need a lot of stimulation and enrichment,” and would be climbing trees and chasing prey if they were outside. Our homes are safer but not very stimulating, or the stimulation may not be pleasant—like being chased by children.

Cats are hunters and “speed merchants,” says Nick Dodman, author of The Cat Who Cried for Help.

Both experts agree that these bursts of speed could be pent-up energy that might have been used for catching prey in the wild.

Cats are also crepuscular, meaning they are most active at dawn and dusk. The rest of the time they sleep or doze, storing up energy to confuse you with.

Klepto Cat?

Or he could be on the run from the law.

Reader Helen Farmer Kowalchuk is the owner of a literal cat burglar. Her tuxedo cat pinches socks, jewelry, business cards, “anything he can carry,” she says, from “purses, closets and dressers,” when the family is gone or “when he thinks we’re gone.” (Related: Why Cats Poop On Your Bed and Other Odd Behaviors)

Kowalchuk certainly isn’t alone in having a cat with sticky paws. The internet is full of stories of felonious felines from England to California to Australia.

Some cats have retriever instincts, like dogs, says Dodman, but like the sudden burst of energy, stealing may be an expression of instinct of a hunter with nothing to hunt. These cats may be “going through the motions,” and bringing back a “prey facsimile,” to their territory, often near their food bowls.

Females bring prey back to provision or teach kittens but males do this kind of thieving as well.

There is also a selectively bred cat called a Munchkin, which is nicknamed “magpie cat” because the breed is predisposed to swiping shiny objects and caching them for later, says Dodman.

We feel lucky. The only things we’ve ever had stolen by a cat are our hearts.

Have a question about the weird and wild world? Tweet me, leave me a note in the comments, or find me on Facebook. Weird Animal Question of the Week answers your questions every Saturday.

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Like humans, cats give away a lot with their body language. Along with other mannerisms, your kitty's tail and fur help him communicate with you. When his tail puffs up, watch the rest of his body to figure out his intentions and state of mind.

Your feline buddy's tail may puff up when something startles or outright scares him. He might hold that extra-bushy tail straight up or straight down. Other indications of fear Kitty might display include arching his back, flattening his ears back, yowling, growling, hissing or spitting. Think of the image of the classic Halloween cat.

Aggression and anger also will cause your kitty's tail to puff up. Again, he may hold his tail straight up or straight down. He may also lay his ears back. Another sign is very constricted pupils. Aggressive or angry cats puff up not only their tails, but the fur all over their bodies. This instinctive response to threats is an attempt to make himself look bigger. He may also stare, yowl or growl at an opponent until either he or the opponent backs down. Cats prefer dramatic bluffs to fighting, but they will fight if no one backs off.

A puffed-up tail can also be a sign of submission. When a submissive cat is trying to avoid a confrontation with a dominant one, his tail puffs up and is lowered or even tucked between his legs. These positions communicate submission to his opponent.

A puffed-up tail can even indicate playful intentions. Kittens frequently puff up their tails while playing. Even adult cats sometimes puff up their tails in play. A playful kitten or cat holds his puffy tail up. Other indicators include erect ears, whiskers pointed forward and somewhat dilated pupils. These mannerisms are often followed by crouching, wiggling that puffy tail, and pouncing.

A cat has the capacity to fluff up his tail and the fur along his back to stand erect at a right angle to the skin, referred to as piloerection. This gives the cat a much larger silhouette and is used, together with an arched back and a sideways stance, to signal defensive aggression to other cats. Some cats that experience a sudden fright will instinctively puff up their tail before investigating the perceived danger a little further.

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The cat’s tail is an amazing part of the anatomy. It has several functions including helping the cat to balance as well as communicating his mood. Different positions can tell you a lot about your cat’s current mood, including a puffy tail.

Common causes

• An upright quivering tail means he is happy.
• Firmly tucked in between the legs means he’s submissive.
• Upright means he’s friendly.
• If the cat is sitting and his tail is flicking, he’s agitated.
• If the cat’s tail is horizontal he’s relaxed.

How does a cat’s tail puff up?

When your cat’s tail puffs up, it’s experiencing a phenomenon called piloerection, a common response in many animals including humans.

When your cat experiences stress or their fight or flight reaction is triggered, their nervous system releases specific hormone signals. These signals cause the muscles of your cat’s tail to contract, lifting the hair away from their skin. In some cases, this cascade of muscle contractions also reaches your cat’s back as well, lifting that hair as well.

A similar reaction happens in humans when we experience goosebumps. Our hormone signals cause our muscles to contract and lift the hairs on our limbs. Because we have much less hair than our feline friends, the reaction looks more like bumps along our arms and legs.

So, what does it mean when my cat puffs up his tail?

You may have seen your cat get a fright and his tail gets puffy so that it resembled a bottle brush? He is feeling:

• threatened,
• defensive or
• excited.

The purpose of the tail actually puffing out like that is to give the impression that he is bigger than he really is. You may notice the hair running along the spine may also stand up at the same time. He wants to show that he is as big and as scary as possible.

I don’t necessarily think that the puffy tail is always a sign of fear or defensiveness, however. I have also seen my own cats excitedly running around, stalking a killer piece of fluff or toy mouse, jumping, pouncing and the tail is all puffy.

There is no fear, they do appear to be enacting stalking/hunting behavior, which leads me to assume that the puffed-up tail may also occur when a cat is hunting. Kittens are especially likely to puff up their tail during hunting/stalking games. I will have to get back to you on that one! I personally think it is a sign of excitement.

Basically, any time your cat is feeling an extreme emotion, be it fear, anger, or excitement, he may puff up his tail.

What to do when your cat puffs its tail

What you should do for your cat will depend on why their tail is puffing in the first place.

If your cat has just been startled by a sudden noise or movement, you can give your cat some time and space to calm down, and their tail will naturally deflate.

If your cat is scared or stressed by something and you can identify the cause, look for ways that you can de-escalate the situation. This may mean closing the curtains if your cat has spotted a neighbor’s cat or removing your dog from the room if that’s causing their stress.

If this is recurring behavior for your cat, consider adding more cat furniture to the room. Having more space to hide or climb can help your cat relieve stress, and it’s a great way to mitigate disagreements between multiple pets in your household.

Frequently asked questions 

Do long-haired cats puff up their tail?

Just like short-haired cats, your long-haired cat can also experience piloerection, but it may be more difficult to tell. While the muscles in their tail may still contract because of their natural hormone response, long-haired cats have denser, often heavier fur.

The weight of their fur can keep their fur from being fully pushed straight up. 

Is there a way to determine why my cat’s tail puffed up?

Your cat’s tail can puff up for many reasons, and you can determine the reason by using context clues. Look at your cat’s other body language and what situation they’re in.

If your cat’s puffed tail is accompanied by pointed, alert ears, a flicking motion of their tail, and a crouched stance, your cat is probably feeling playful.

However, if their tail is puffed, but tall and rigid and their pupils are dilated, your cat may be feeling scared or defensive towards something near them.

From there, you can assess the situation to figure out what’s causing that specific emotion in your cat. 

Are there any signs I should look for?

In addition to a puffed tail, look to your cat’s tail for signs that they’re feeling threatened, aggressive, or scared. If your cat’s puffy tail is straight up and rigid, this can be a sign that they’re defensive and ready to attack.

In contrast, a low, tucked tail can mean your cat is afraid of something nearby.

Your cat’s ear direction can also give hints at your cat’s true feelings. If your cat’s ears are pushed back, that’s another sign that they’re feeling aggressive.