tail wagging

[calian]

Now i'm really curious about this as everywhere I have read suggests that tail wagging in cats is a warning, but my cat Tuxy virtually wags his tail all the time and has never once shown an ounce of aggression, anxiety, or anything other that a happy cat. the loves to be played with and will instantly roll over when i get in showing his tummy, which I know to be a sign of trust, he loves his belly tickled, he loves cuddles, he loves to sit on my lap and purr.. in most cases wagging his tail at the same time.. so really my question is, can a cat wag their tail if happy, not just because they are mad?

 

[catrepublic]

I don't think so. My cats wag their tail, but no aggression at all. You need to look at the entire picture to make a conclusion, like using your instinct. However, puffed  up(bottle brush) tail is serious and need to be careful. 

 

[Draco]

Each cat has his own way of communication. One of my cats wag his tail whenever I call his name, almost as if he's acknowledging that I am calling to him. He'd "slap" his tail when he gets annoyed.

 

[bipsoucolline]

 However, puffed  up(bottle brush) tail is serious and need to be careful. 

This too can be a false warning, my kitten gets her tail all puffed up when she's excited and playing. But you can tell when she's frightened by looking at the rest of her body : she's more tense and her back fur is also puffed up.

 

[calian]

my instincts tell me he is perfectly happy.. though recently maybe not so much i'm introducing him to two boy kittens and when they see each other he's chirping at them and soon as they run he jumps on top and starts biting them, not overly aggressively but i'm also thinking he's treating them as prey, so keeping a very close eye on them when together.. but for very very short periods of time.

 

[catrepublic]

 
This too can be a false warning, my kitten gets her tail all puffed up when she's excited and playing. But you can tell when she's frightened by looking at the rest of her body : she's more tense and her back fur is also puffed up.

Yes. That why people need to see the whole picture, but I think puffed tail is bad in adult, especially when your cat does not do that often. It is better to be safe than sorry.