Cats are very intelligent creatures. Besides meowing, they can communicate in multiple ways. One of those ways is hitting its owner with its tail, something which is usually shrugged off as being an attention-seeking move. But it is much more than that! So let’s find out, why exactly does your cat hit you with her tail?
In this article, we will look at the different reasons your cat hits you with her tail, and what you can do to stop this if you don’t like it. Let’s get right in.
Why does your cat hit you with her tail
Cats hitting you with their tail is quite a normal behavior, especially if you have a great bond with them. But if this behavior starts occurring too frequently you can’t help but wonder if your cat is trying to send you a message.
This can be true but the message is usually nothing serious, or something to be worried about.
It may be trying to convey certain feelings through its tail, and many times It is feelings of affection for you, it’s owner.
But that is not all. Cats are able to change the shape of their tail while hitting their owner depending on what emotion they are feeling at the moment.
Sometimes if it is feeling lonely, anxious or even irritated by something it may hit you with its tail which is somewhat similar to a swipe. Depending on whether it is a hard flick of the tail or a gentle side across your legs, you can easily figure out how your cat is feeling at the moment and what it is trying to communicate to you.
Before we get into the details of what different movements of the tail mean, let’s look into the various reasons why your cat hits you with its tail.
Reasons your cat hits you with her tail
if you have a good bond with your feline friend you really do not need to be worried if it hits you with its tail often.
However, if you feel that it is constantly in a bad mood and hits you with the intention of being hurt, then you may have to seek professional help as soon as you can.
Showing affection
Cats have an unusual way of showing affection to their owner.
they are usually indirect in their actions, meaning they may gently come and lick your hand, ear, and even feet sometimes.
Sometimes they also follow you around your house to stay in your company and hit you with their tail to show how much you mean to them. Weird right?
But because this is a common pattern of behavior in many cats, you can say that if it hits you with its tail lovingly, you should consider that a compliment!
Many people find this annoying, but if you are too sudden to restrict your cat from hitting it’s tail, it may get the hint that you do not love it and it will hesitate to trust you again.
It is scared
If your cat gets easily scared, It can swiftly wrap its tail around your legs to feel safer.
This is also a signal to let you know about any danger that the cat feels, and it is urging you to start investigating.
Just like humans hold hands with their loved ones when they are nervous or scared, cats do the same with their tails.
It may continue to do so until you are done investigating and assure it that there is nothing to worry about.
Of course, there may not be actual danger, sometimes cats are scared of little things and face paranoia, in which case they just need company and reassurance.
Again, cats don’t do this with everyone, so if it indicates that it feels safe with you, you should be happy!
It may be angry
Just like your cat indirectly shows it’s affection for you, It can also indirectly take out its anger on you in different ways.
Every cat is different, some scratch The walls of your home and your precious furniture, while others will wipe things off your shelves when angry.
But some cats will hit you with their tail when they are angry.
They will wait until you are deep asleep and then flick their tail on your face and even scratch you if they are very angry.
If you have a good relationship with your cat then it will try not to hurt you as much, but it is important that you fix things as soon as you realize.
This can be done simply by analyzing what made your cat angry and then reassuring it about it.
It wants some attention
Your cat may ask for attention at the most random times, and if it does not get any it will keep bothering you until it does.
One of God’s favorite methods of seeking attention of their owners is to circle around their legs and follow them around the house.
If the owner is not ready to pay attention to the cat at all, it will hit you with its tail until you listen.
It sounds cute, but it can be distressing if this behavior becomes a habit especially if you are busy and your cat constantly demands attention.
Therefore, you may have to set some boundaries with your cat in this case.
Cat is curious
Cats are some of the most curious creatures, and you are probably well aware of this.
This is not a very big problem but sometimes when they get into the way of doing things.
For example, if you just got back from shopping and want to unpack, your cat may try to get into your bags and take a look first.
And if you try to move it away so you can take out your stuff, it may hit you with its tail so you move out of it’s way.
Also, you know that if you stop your cat doing something, it is likely to be even more curious about it, right?!
Cat may be excited
Just like as humans, cats have certain times in the day where they are super energized and ready for any type of activity.
When this happens, It will definitely let you know by running around the house in full speed and pushing against your legs with its tail constantly hitting you.
Cats being excited and energized is a good sign because obesity can slowly kill a cat if it gets lazy.
But it can be tough as well when your cat only wants to play when it’s time for you to go to bed.
In this case it is important to fix its routines and train it to not bother you every time.
How to stop your cat from hitting you with her tail
As happy as it may make you feel, if your cat hits you with your tail quite often you will get annoyed at some point.
Luckily, cats are adaptable creatures and if you train them the right way they will learn to behave how you want them to.
There are a couple of things you can do so your cat can reduce its habit of hitting you with its tail.
The first thing you can do is train your cat to not do it. It is easier said than done though.
But you can try taking out a disapproving sound whenever your cat tries to hit you with its tail. After a couple of tries it will get discouraged.
You should encourage your cat to pick up another habit which will be keep it busy.
However, there are slight chances that your cat may be trying to convey you any illness. If you believe this is the case and see the symptoms as well, then make sure you contact the vet for help.
Conclusion
In conclusion, why does your cat hit you with her tail?
There are many reasons why it exhibits this behavior, it may be feeling affectionate, angry, excited, curious, or looking for attention.
It may be cute to see your cat try to have a good bond with you, but if this behavior is constant it can get irritating fairly quickly.
There are a number of things that you can do to stop your cat from hitting you with it’s tail.
You can train it to not use it’s tail on you, or you could hook it up to another habit so it stays away from you.
Nevertheless, be careful with how you treat your cat when teaching it to keep it’s tail away from you.
Cats look into the smallest of things and take them to heart, and they can use them to not trust you again.
To protect your healthy bond with your cat, you must be gentle with it and slowly show it you do not approve of this action.
Lastly, if you suspect that your cat is trying to convey a disease through its tail-hitting, make sure to go to the vet for a check up soon.
Cats show strange behaviour such as sleeping between legs, moving its kittens, scratching mirrors, tail hitting, bedroom door waiting, eye sniffing, chin biting, black boogers, foot standing, back jumping, sighing, peeing in the bathtub and toe licking may actually have solid reasons behind. Its important we educate ourselves about possible reasons and then act timely for any fix.
