POOFY TAILS
Cats puff up their tails when they are frightened or feel threatened. It’s an instinctive reaction to make themselves look bigger to whoever or whatever is threatening them. They can poof out their tails to twice the normal size. Fortunately, humans can’t do this, or else we would be replacing our pants far too often.
When you look, you see.
So, where can you see this strange tail-poofing behavior? Well, if you have a cat, have seen a cat at a friend’s house, or watched a cat video, you’ve probably seen the poofy tail on more than one occasion.
The scientific term for the poofing is piloerection, which is a fancy way of saying “hairs standing up.” If that sounds familiar, it’s because the same thing happens to humans sometimes when we get cold or frightened, only we typically call it “goosebumps” since we aren’t quite as furry as our feline friends.
Want to learn more about how cats communicate?
There are lots of great books and videos available for you to learn everything there is to know about cats. Below are just a few that you might enjoy!
Kids, remember to ask a parent, teacher, or librarian for help whenever you are looking for books or using the Internet. I always try to make sure to share kid-friendly books and resources, but websites are changing all the time, so always check with an adult first.
- How to Speak Cat: A Guide to Decoding Cat Language (National Geographic) by Aline Alexander Newman and Gary Weitzman
- Science Comics: Cats: Nature and Nurture by Andy Hirsch
- Why do cats act so weird? (A TED-Ed video): https://ed.ted.com/lessons/why-do-cats-act-so-weird-tony-buffington