Science says: Why Do Cats Like Having the Base of Their Tail Scratched?
I’m sure you’ve been there many times before – you’re watching TV on the couch or sitting at your desk working when suddenly your cat appears and starts to rub against your leg.
Back and forth she goes, loving every minute of it. But what’s the deal? Why do cats like rubbing certain parts of their body against you?
Why in particular do cats like having the base of their tail scratched? Or do they? Many cat owners say yes, but science seems to disagree.
So let’s investigate.
Scent marking
One way cats communicate with each other is through scent marking. So when your cat rubs against anything (including your leg, the door frame, or your laptop) she secretes pheromones.
These are special chemicals that help her receive and relay information.
Our lovely domestic cats have pheromone glands in three places:
- On the chin and at the corners of the lips (the perioral gland)
- In the cheek area, between the eye and the ear (the temporal gland)
- At the base of the tail (the caudal gland)
Cats tend to rub against objects (and people and other pets) within their territory “in a motion which functions to release pheromones from all these glandular areas, beginning with the perioral, moving on to the temporal, then finishing at the caudal area,” explain researchers Soennichsen and Chamove (2002).
In other words, they start at the front with the chin and lips, progress to the cheek area, and end at the tail. Hence the back-and-forth motion so many of us have observed in our feline friends.
The substance cats secrete during this rubbing maneuver is fatty and has a strong scent, which contains vital information for other cats who happen to be passing by.
For example, in female cats, the chemical composition of the pheromones she deposits changes based on her current reproductive status, which can be essential knowledge for the local intact male cats.
(Ideally, of course, pet cats will be neutered to reduce overpopulation and the number of animals ending up in shelters. But that’s a separate issue.)
The anatomy of a cat’s tail
- A cat’s tail is an extension of her vertebral (or spinal) column, which extends all the way from the base of her skull to the tip of her tail.
- There are usually 18 to 23 bones that make up the tail (Washington State University 4-H Cat Project, 2008). These bones are officially known as caudal vertebrae.
- Tails are an essential part of feline communication and cats also use them for balance.
- The tail attaches to the cat’s body at an area called “the tail head.” The first caudal vertebra attaches to a special backbone called the sacrum which connects the tail and lower back (known as the lumbar) vertebrae (Mar Vista Animal Medical Center, 2022).
- The spinal cord normally ends at the fifth lumbar vertebra. This means that if the tail gets injured, it does not damage the spinal cord. The nerves, however, can still get damaged.
- This happens because, as the spinal cord “ends so high up, nerves exiting the cord to provide control and sensation to the tail, hind legs, urinary bladder, large intestine, and anus must extend long branches to reach their destinations.” (Mar Vista Animal Medical Center, 2022).
Why am I going into so much detail about this? Because you’ll find many articles on the internet that will tell you cats have a cluster of sensitive nerve endings at the base of their tails – but without explaining what, how, or why.
In any case, no wonder the base of the tail is such a sensitive area for our kitties.
Where do cats like to be petted?
This is an interesting question because the science says cats “clearly prefer to be stroked by humans most in the temporal region and least in the caudal region, with the perioral and non-gland sites intermediate.” (Soennichsen & Chamove, 2002).
In other words, cats like it best when people pet them on the cheek area and least when they pet them on the tail, with the chin and lip areas coming somewhere in between.
Ellis et al. (2015) also found that the caudal region “produced the highest negative scores” when handled, regardless of whether the cat knew their handler or not.
This led the researchers to advise people to avoid the base of the tail area when handling their cats.
Soennichsen & Chamove (2002) meanwhile, advise cat handlers to be aware of their cat’s individual preferences. This way you can avoid potentially aggressive responses such as petting-biting syndrome.
Don’t pet me now!
All cats are different and, regardless of what the research suggests, many cat owners report that their cat likes being scratched at the base of her tail. This includes my own experience with several of our cats over the years. It really depends on the individual cat.
Either way, it’s important for cat owners to know when to stop petting. Remember, you have all those nerves at the base of the tail and it’s a sensitive area.
Even if your cat absolutely loves butt scratches, it’s entirely possible at some stage she’ll have had enough. And some cats won’t tolerate them at all.
If you know your cat’s preferences you can avoid putting her in situations that are unpleasant for her. Not to mention the fact that if you go too far, you may find yourself on the wrong end of your kitty’s teeth and claws!
Understanding your cat’s body language
Despite the common belief that the cat “bit me out of nowhere,” there are usually plenty of signs of a cat’s increasing displeasure. All you have to do is pay attention!
If you see or hear any of the following warning signs, it’s best to stop the petting and move along. Your cat may also elect to move away, in which case allow her to do so.
Note that some of the signs of possible irritation might be very subtle and not immediately obvious:
- Meowing
- Growling
- Cessation of purring
- Looking at your hand or turning the head to look back
- Dilated pupils
- Ears flattened back against the head
- Airplane mode ears (flat out to the side, like wings)
- Slow or fast lashing/thumping/swishing/flicking tail
- Skin twitching along the back
- Changing position
- Stiffened muscles
- Freezing in place
It’s best to stop while the going’s good and well before you get to the point where your cat is starting to show any of these signs.
It can easily happen that, what was the previously pleasant experience of having the base of her tail scratched becomes uncomfortable or overwhelming, and your cat gets to the point where she’s had enough.
It’s best to avoid challenging her tolerance levels; any interaction should be pleasant for her and not one she simply has to put up with.
So if you know where’s the right spot and how your cat likes to be petted (e.g. vigorous vs. more gentle strokes), as well as for how long, you can keep her under threshold.
This means her emotional arousal does not escalate to the point where you risk being scratched or bitten.
It’s also a great way to show your cat she can trust you and help build up the bond between the two of you.
Kitten behavior
Some cats may like having the base of their tails scratched because it’s a happy reminder from kittenhood.
They may fondly remember the time when mom used to wash the area around the backside and tail base of her young kittens to keep them clean.
This, by the way, is also how mother cats stimulate peeing and pooping.
Mating behavior
When a female kitty is in estrus (ready to mate), she will often show an increase in tail-rubbing behavior. This extra sensitive area seems “most highly specialized for cat–cat sexual interactions,” according to Soennichsen and Chamove (2002).
A feline erogenous zone, so to speak.
Our sweet Loulou, even though she was spayed, used to get positively “aroused” when I rubbed the base of her tail. So much so that we ended up bestowing the nickname Fruity upon her.
She’d raise her rear end, start kneading with her front legs, “march” with her back legs, and arch her back in a position known as mammalian lordosis.
This is a completely normal response and a “naturally occurring body posture for sexual receptivity to copulation present in females of most mammals,” including our domestic cats. (Wikipedia, 2022).
Decoding your cat’s tail positions
A cat’s tail postures are a vital component in understanding cat language. Here’s a quick summary:
The vertical tail
When your cat holds her tail upright in a vertical position, often with the tip slightly curled, it’s a sign she’s feeling friendly and relaxed and is interested in interacting.
The lashing / thumping / swishing / flicking tail
These types of tail movements can be fast or slow and are usually a sign of irritation or frustration, although they may also mean the cat feels threatened (Atkinson, n.d.).
The twitching tail
When your cat twitches his tail it can mean a number of things, but usually indicates an increased level of emotional arousal or interest in something in the immediate environment (Atkinson, n.d.).
The puffed-up tail
Cats puff up their tails (the hair literally stands on end in a physiological process known as piloerection) to make themselves look bigger and more imposing.
This often happens when they’re startled, angry, or scared, but can also occur when they’re playing.
The arched tail
Sometimes a cat will arch her tail in addition to the puffed-up tail posture. This usually occurs when the cat feels directly threatened.
Although she may be prepared to fight, she’d generally rather not and would prefer it if her opponent would retreat and leave her alone.
Final thoughts
When it comes to cats, there’s certainly a lot more to their tails than initially meets the eye.
In addition to being used for balance and movement, cats’ tails are also packed with scent glands at the base and they use these for communication purposes.
And as you’ve read, different tail positions can mean different things – from feeling friendly and relaxed to feeling scared or threatened.
Although the research suggests cats don’t really like being scratched at the base of the tail, many cat parents find the opposite to be true.
The key probably lies in how you pet your cat there, given that it’s such a sensitive part of their body, and for how long. Whatever you do, don’t overdo it!
Finally, always pay close attention to your kitty’s body language and vocalizations – if she starts showing signs of discomfort or irritation during your next bout of tail scratching, it’s time to stop.
READ NEXT
Resources
- Cat Anatomy and Physiology – Washington State University 4-H Cat Project
- Cat Communication – Trudi Atkinson
- Lordosis behavior – Wikipedia
- Responses of cats to petting by humans – Susan Soennichsen & Arnold S. Chamove
- Tails that are broken – Mar Vista Animal Medical Center
- The influence of body region, handler familiarity and order of region handled on the domestic cat’s response to being stroked – Sarah Ellis, Hannah Thompson, Cristina Guijarro, & Helen Zulch
