“Why does my cat hit me with her tail?” you’re thinking to yourself as your mischievous munchkin’s making her way around your apartment trying to scout every nook and cranny. You never thought this would be the way you’d spend your Saturday nights, but here you are.
You’re observing your newest addition to the family as she attempts to get acquainted with the couch by meowing, purring, and ever-so-slightly hitting the bottom with her paws. She can’t get to the top (not that she hasn’t tried!) So, she’s pretty satisfied ruining the parts that nobody else can catch a glimpse of.
She’s happy on her own – running through every room of the apartment, knocking down glasses and other fragile valuables she can get her paws on, and scouring through the leftover dinner. But, every now and then she perks her ears up, throws a glance at you, and hits you with her tail.
Listen, nobody ever claimed that being a pet parent was an easy task. There are many things you need to learn, discover, and understand. But, the most important seems to always be that you keep on trying. And that’s what you’re doing now searching online for “Why does my cat hit me with her tail?”
1. She loves you
Let’s start off with an obvious one (or maybe not!?) When your furry friend hits you with her tail, she’s more than likely showing you her love and affection.
“Wait, what!? You’re meaning to tell me she’s not trying to make me feel like the worst pet parent EVER?”
That’s right, and based on your reaction, you’ve probably been personally victimized by your cat on more than one occasion. And that’s completely normal – cats have a weird way of showing their emotions, granted that they’re showing them at all.
They meow and purr at you to give them cuddles and kisses. But, when you do, they look at you like you’ve single-handedly murdered their entire family. They rub their cute little faces against your chest and purr their little hearts out, but when you try to do the same, they threaten to claw your eyes out.
So, you shouldn’t be surprised when your cat starts hitting you with her tail as a sign that she loves you. Sure, she’s a little weird – but, she’s got the spirit.
2. She’s curious
“Hmm, why does my cat hit me with her tail whenever we come back from the store? Or whenever we’re AT the store? Come to think, or whenever we’re doing pretty much anything related to the store?”
Cats are curious creatures, aren’t they? They love to investigate everything that’s around them – pushing things around with their paws, sniffing and licking things that are within their reach, and (apparently) hitting things with their tails.
When your little helper’s hitting you with her tail whenever the two of you finish doing something fun (like going to the store), chances are she’s simply exhibiting her curiosity. She’s showing you that she wants to check what’s in the bags, help you unpack the groceries, or even give some of them a little lick of love.
She doesn’t want you to shoo her away, so she’s resorting to hitting you with her tail as her way of saying “Hey, I’m right here and I would LOVE to help!”
She’s more than likely going to be pretty gutted when you tell her she can’t stay and munch on the groceries. So, make sure to give her a little kiss before you send her off.
3. She’s scared
That’s right, we’re going in a completely different direction. “How’s that possible, how can one gesture have such opposite meanings!?” Depending on the circumstances, your cat’s demeanor, and everything else that might affect the way your cat reacts – hitting you with her tail might mean that she’s scared.
The two of you might have walked into a dark room and she’s feeling threatened because she doesn’t know what’s behind the darkness. Or you might have witnessed an argument between other cats chasing each other around your backyard. Or you may have even accidentally run into each other and scared each other to death.
Depending on the scenario, your cat might be hitting you with her tail or wrapping her tail around your legs because she’s looking for a sense of safety.
Word of advice: When you have a good reason to believe your cat’s scared, don’t pick her up or try to comfort her the way you would a child. Let her be, or she’ll backfire.
4. She’s angry
Sounds pretty reasonable to assume that your cat is hitting you with her tail because she’s upset with you. Newsflash, you’re not going crazy and she actually might have a bone to pick with you (maybe because you haven’t given her that chicken bone!?)
Cats don’t really have much going for them with regard to expressing emotions (especially anger) towards their humans.
They can’t scream and shout, and they certainly can’t throw a plate at you. But, they can push things off of your shelves, wake you up in the middle of the night, and yes, hit you with their tail.
So, whenever your cat hits you with her tail again (and she will hit you again), you might want to apologize with a Fancy Feast or Meow Mix.
5. She wants your attention
And, there’s nothing more adorable than a pet that’s looking for your attention. Whether she’s reminding you of the time of the day when you typically go outside and chase each other around the garden or whether she’s jogging your memory that you promised to take her to the pet store.
There’s a pawsibility she’s hitting you with her tail because she wants to meow “All eyes on me, mister!” As a matter of fact, she’s pretty likely to do the same thing when she wants to show you something she’s discovered (typically a mouse she hunted down or your neighbor’s kittens!)
6. She’s claiming her territory
Umm, how do we put this…? Your cat may be hitting you with her tail because she’s trying to leave her scent on your clothes – to mark her territory so other cats know they shouldn’t come anywhere near you?
That’s right, your cat’s pretty much like that one crazy ex you’ve been avoiding for years. And contrary to popular belief, male cats aren’t the only ones marking their territory.
Sure, male cats love to pee on pretty much everything within their reach. But, every single cat loves to leave her scent on the thing that she doesn’t want anyone else touching. And this time, she doesn’t want anyone touching you. Cute!
7. She’s trying to get you out of her way
Yeah, this one might not be your cup of tea! Nobody wants to hear that their precious pet’s getting fed up with them. But, we can’t forget that these things happen more often than we’d like to admit.
Sure, you would love for Ms. McFluffer to spend every second of every waking hour with you. Chasing each other around the apartment, cuddling, watching your favorite movie (Aristocats, of course), and munching on snacks. But… there are times when she needs to take care of her own business.
And, it’s in these times that she needs you to get out of her way. She might swiftly move past you, give you a little flick of the tail as to say “Don’t you dare put anything in my path!” and leave.
8. She’s overwhelmed
Whether you’re having some friends over for a Sunday barbecue or babysitting your neighbor’s kittens, your cat might be hitting you with her tail because she’s overwhelmed. She’s trying to get your attention and meow at you hoping you’d understand “Get them out of my face!”
With that out of the way, we can’t forget to underline that you shouldn’t force your precious pet to socialize when she doesn’t want to.
Don’t get me wrong, some cats are very patient and loving, and they don’t have a problem with entertaining crowds. But, some cats do – and you don’t want them leaving a gash on your (or your guest’s) arm because you didn’t take the hint.
9. She’s playing with you
“Why does my cat hit me with her tail? Does that mean that she doesn’t want to hang out with me?” No, silly! That means the opposite of that – she’s using her secret tail language to tell you that she’s ready for that playdate with you!
Take a look at her. She should look like she’s super happy, energetic, and ready to take on the world as soon as you hand her the toy (you know exactly which toy she’s looking for, don’t you?) She’s hitting you with her tail and thinking “Come on, what’s stopping us from playing RIGHT NOW!?”
10. She’s signaling that she wants to eat
Last but not least, your cat’s hitting you with her tail because she’s hungry. We’ve already learned that cats use their tails to get your attention – now you have to figure out which gesture means what. How do you know she’s hungry? How do you know she’s looking for a snack?
Worry not, cats are pretty easy to read when they’re hungry. They start roaming around the kitchen hoping to stumble across a crumb or two (“Why does she clean everything!?”) They sniff every nook and cranny, and meow at you like they haven’t eaten anything all day.
And, they start hitting you with their tail to get your attention. They’re thinking “Oh god, she must’ve forgotten to feed me! Let me refresh her memory!” That’s right, Mrs. McFluffer has her way of telling you exactly what she needs you to hear. And, we’re hoping we helped you figure out what that means.