Why Do Cats Wrap Their Tails Around Their Feet When They Sit?

Today’s blog post is about, “Why do cats wrap their tails around their feet when they sit?” To be honest, this is a question I’ve asked myself when I’ve seen my cat curled up on my couch. Researching the topic, I found out that this is a question a lot of cat people would like to know the answer to.

Why Do Cats Wrap Their Tails Around Their Feet When They Sit?

Cats will wrap their tails around their feet for a whole spectrum of reasons, and to display many types of emotions. Your cat could be anxious, stressed, scared, or wanting alone time. On the other hand, your cat may be content, comfortable, or happy. My cat will do this for all the reasons listed above, but most often to display positive emotions of contentment and happiness more than any other emotion. The key to understanding why your cat does this is to get to know your individual cat. Each cat is unique! Observing your cat’s context and other behaviour cues will help you to determine this. And sometimes, your cat is simply cold and trying to warm up!

Anxious, Stressed, Scared, Wanting Alone Time- Is This A Negative Behaviour?

Fearfreehappyhomes states that cats will do this while sitting or lying down when they are relaxed, but not necessarily wanting to be disturbed. Furthermore, they feel that this posture can denote anxiety, fear, stress, or the desire for alone time. To determine what your cat is feeling, they recommend scanning your cat’s whole body posture to look for other clues.

For example, if they are anxious or fearful, the tail will wrap tighter around them, and the tail can flick slightly.

While I do technically agree with them, and while I do understand what they are saying, I do not one hundred percent agree- particularly with their emphasis.

The emphasis is on the negative, with your cat being happy but wanting to be left alone at best.

While these things can and do happen, In my opinion and experience with my cat, his tail wrapped around his body, while sitting or sleeping, is often a very positive sign. Although, I have seen him do this while expressing things like anxiety and fear now and then.

The point is, that your cat is unique, and generally speaking, this posture can be positive or negative, and not necessarily typically express emotions like fear, anxiety, and wanting to be left alone. There is a whole spectrum of emotions that your cat could be expressing.

–> Learn More: Want to know why your cat thumps their tail when you pet them? See our article here!

–> Learn More: Want to know why your cat wraps their tail around their arm? See the article here!

Your Unique Furball

In addition, your cat is very quirky. There are as many different cat personalities out there as there are cats! Cats are one-of-a-kind and random. Getting to know your cat’s unique self will help you determine what this posture usually means for your cat.

But that will usually be usually. Every cat owner knows that cats are wonderfully unpredictable. 

There is a simple way to do this with your cat.

When your cat displays this behaviour, note all of your cat’s body and behaviours. What else are they doing? Are there other clues to how they are feeling? Are they just watching you happily as you work around your house?

Next, think about their context. Did they just experience something that made them happy? For example, maybe they were just fed and have a very full and contented tummy. In this case, they are most likely content and happy to watch you clean your house with some curiosity.

Repeating this pattern over time will show you a general pattern in your cat’s behaviour.

Most likely you will see that they do this for many reasons and to display many emotions, but for one reason, in general, more than the others.

—> Learn more about your cat’s tail expression and why it goes all puffy here! <—

Contentment, Comfort, and Happiness

Similarly, iheartcats.com discusses the matter but, like fearfreehappyhomes, emphasizes the negative. In their opinion, cats primary reasons for this behaviour are cold weather, avoidance behaviour, and nerves.

Again, in my opinion, this is right but incomplete.

My cat often wraps his tail around his body while sitting or lying down and he is usually happy as a clam when he does this, or, if he is sitting, he is watching what I’m doing in a contented way.

Now I totally understand where these articles are coming from, respect their points, and think they’re great, I just think their answer is incomplete. In my experience, cats will resort to this bavhiour for a whole spectrum of reasons, and more often than not, your cat is displaying happy emotions if anything.

Your Cat Could Be Cold

I know that we all want to understand our cats better, and in particular, we want to understand their ‘cat language.’

But, don’t miss the most obvious!

Your cat could literally just be cold, or wanting to warm up his paws.

I remember seeing my cat wrapped up like this one day, and wondering to myself, “I wonder why he does that?” Then, I realized that I was really cold. The heat needed to be turned up and I was freezing.

Then I looked at my cat all curled up and realized the answer to my own question- that he was probably cold, too!

So, remember not to overthink things. Consider the temperature!

Cool Cat Posture

I don’t know why no one writes about this. Honestly, I think when my cat does this sometimes, he is just being one cool cat.

Your cat is full of contentment.

Your cat is loving life and himself (or herself).

They are just enjoying being a cat!

And, honestly, they’re right. Cats are just really cool dudes (or dudettes).

Conclusion

Every cat mama or papa knows how unique and unpredictable their furball can be.

This principle doesn’t change when considering, “why do cats wrap their tails around them when they sit?” or any other body or tail posture your cat displays.

Looking for other body and behaviour cues and clues in your cat, as well as considering their context- what just happened; what is happening?- will help you to determine how they are feeling. Many observations over time will show you what emotion your cat displays with this body posture most often.

You will most likely see your cat do this to portray many emotions like anxiety, wanting to be alone, contentment and happiness!

One will stick out more often than the rest, and this is the emotion your cat defaults to most often with this behaviour!

As always, please leave your experiences below! What does this cat tail and body position mean for your cat?

Interested in the beautiful body language of your cat, specifically their tail? Check out our popular article on why cats raise their tails and curl them at the tip like a question mark!