Owning a cat is a wonder and delight. The playful nature of the felines keeps us captivated and fill our life with a touch of fun. Cats communicate with their owners in a variety of ways and express themselves through enigmatic behaviors. From meowing in various ways to rolling on the floor, they let us know their feelings. Among a lot of ways, an intriguing one is when they puff up their tails.
Cats puff their tails primarily when they are startled, scared, or angry. But why does that happen and why do they puff up their tails? If you have been troubling yourself to understand this peculiar behavior of cats this article is for you. In this article, we will take you through the mysteries of this particular puffing up of tails. Let’s move on with it.
Why do cats puff up their tails when scared?
When cats are scared, the very first thing you will see them do is puff up their tails. They do this when they are scared as they are responding to danger or threat by making themselves look bigger. It totally doesn’t need to be a threatening danger, they can get their tails puffed up by a slight startle. As they instantly go into defensive mode when they sense danger.
Now the reason why their tails get puffed up is because of the hormones that come into play when they sense or are faced with danger. The muscles of the tail contract as they respond to the hormones from the flight or fight system. Therefore, it is pretty common to see a cat’s tail puff as it can happen even because of a slight noise that startles them.
Why do cats puff their tails when angry?
When a cat is angry, the first thing you will notice before all the hissing and clawing is its tail will get puffed up. Now it’s normal for it to occur when it’s angry as they are trying to showcase them as bigger and larger, trying to show who’s the boss. As they are trying to make themselves look big, it is also a form of defense mechanism. It is also them trying to scare away their enemy as sometimes it’s better to do that rather than fighting.
Why do cat’s tail puff up when playing?
Sometimes you can notice your cat showing a puffed tail when you are playing with it. This is not because it sees you as a threat or is angry with you, they are simply puffing their tail because they are in the mood to play. They puff their tail when they are about to pounce on something, it can be a toy or simply your hand.
