Are cats conscious of what their tails are doing?

Speaking of the unconscious of cats goes far beyond any available data.

Cats behave. We observe and make many inferences, many of them unsupported by any empirical data.

Do cats even know they exist. There is no reliable way to tell.

The movement of a cat’s tail is a reliable indicator of mood and temperament and my cats will move their tails when I touch them. I’d have to say a cat knows what it is doing with it’s tail.

What a graceful complex language if you’re right @tinyfaery

@tinyfaery is quite right, @Ltryptophan. My Spoony THE Cat tells us volumes about her mood with the motion of her tail. Annoy her, and you really get an eyeful. Any other cat would understand that means, “Back off, buster.”

Let me ask my cat and I’ll get back to you.

I’d imagine it’s the same as when you use your hand to grab a mug of coffee: You know you’re doing it, but not in the forefront of your mind. It’s just something you do.

Cats have a very complex communication system. Their ears, eyes, tails, even their fur can tell you a lot about what a cat is experiencing. Knowing how to read these cues are the key to understanding and training cats.

Good question. Most of my cats are Manx so they have no tails – I think they still believe they have tails but who knows? I think Mordecai wags his when he’s pissed but honestly I sound nuts even guessing what my cat is thinking based on tail movement. ;)

I would say yes and no… I’ve seen cats flick their tails deliberately when annoyed, and curl them gently around a leg as if in a hug… but I’ve also seen them chase their own tails, or be startled by their own tails’ movement. I think if they put the effort in, they’re conscious of what the tail is doing, but at other times, they simply forget they are there.

Yeah. My new kitten often bites her own tail too hard. Silly kitty.

My cat uses her tail to swip the computer screen as a windshild wipper in a car. Yes, I know I still have a old type monitor. She love to sit up there and sleep.

@dappled_leaves Perhaps it depends on how smart a particular cat is. If they had a feline version of Mensa, Spoony THE Cat would be qualified but far too aloof to join any sort of social organization that involved other cats. She has never chases or been frightened by her tail. I know her about as well as a human can know an animal, and I know she is always aware of what she’s doing with her very bushy tail.