Reasons Why Does It Raise Its Tail When I Pet My Cat?

The first thing we have to keep in mind is that a cat always communicates with us in one way or another and, in general, it is almost always with body language that goes unnoticed. Although it is also true that they meow to try to communicate with us, in most cases they will be trying to convey to us what they want or need with body positions and gestures. When cats wag their tails, they express an infinity of things and, together with the position of their back, they can transmit us anything from great joy and a desire for affection, to dominance, fear or anger, among many more emotions and behaviors. But, when we pet them on the back, what does it mean that they raise their backs and tails?

What many people think when a cat raises its back and tail when we rub its back and purrs is that it is sexual behavior. But, it is a mistake to think that they raise their backs and tails as a gesture of sexuality, since this behavior is done by cats of all kinds and in many different situations. We can see it in domestic felines of all ages, even those too young to yet have any drive or behavior related to reproduction, and we can also see males and females do it, regardless of whether or not they are neutered or spayed. Therefore, we can say that this gesture when we touch their back is not related to hormones and definitely has nothing to do with sexual behavior.

If when we pet a cat it raises its back and tail, along with a soft purr, it is telling us that we are welcome. It is a relaxed and approachable attitude who tries to make us understand that he wants to continue receiving caresses and pampering and that, in addition, we are scratching or caressing at a point where he feels like it at that moment, so he will surely return the gesture with affectionate headbutts and more purrs. He will make these headbutts to rub against us, thus exchanging scents, something very positive and important in the relationship with a domestic feline.

The fact that they raise their tails and expose their genitals, although it may be uncomfortable for us, for cats it is a gesture that shows that they are calm with you. In addition, raising the back at the same time as the tail is done to intensify the caress and tell us that they want more. In short, if when you pat a feline on the back it responds with this gesture, raising its back and tail, it means that there is a very good atmosphere in your relationship at that moment, there are signs of trust, affection and complicity, but watch out for other possible signs that may indicate other things.

What we have discussed so far is the most common, but it is really possible that when we touch a cat it can raise its back for other reasons and, for this reason, it is vital that pay attention to other possible signs or gestures with whom you are trying to communicate something else. For example, in the positive case that we have already mentioned before, soft purrs are also normally heard and the cat returns our caresses rubbing its head against us and even nibbles our fingers but, although it is somewhat less frequent, if instead of a purr we hear a whimper or a nervous meow as the cat arches its back and tries to leave, probably what will happen is that the area that we have touched is hurting. It can be a skin injury or a problem or condition in the spine or kidneys, among other possibilities. For this reason, it is important that we stop touching him immediately so that he calms down and then we try to find out what causes that discomfort or pain. You can try to observe the skin and hair in the area to detect any wounds, but if you do not see anything and the cat continues to complain, it is best that you approach your trusted veterinarian to check it out and if necessary do something. test for a good diagnosis.

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