A very strange Lily-behavior

**Kirsten** · 04-09-2004, 01:16 PM

Wonder if anyone has ever noticed something like this in a GIRL!

Lily has developed a strange behavior lately: Whenever she's in a place where she's not supposed to be, and I'm about to take her away from there, she would lift her tail and turn her butt against the wall, and then her tail would kind of tremble as if she's about to spray!

I thought only the males do that? And Lily is definitely a girl, and she is spayed!

Kirsten

**Craftlady** · 04-09-2004, 01:28 PM

My only experience is with males quiverying tails because they were happy.

**jazzcat** · 04-09-2004, 01:48 PM

My parent's cat Miss Kitty will quiver her tail like that whenever we start to reach down and pet her. I also saw a female at the shelter I visited Wed. do that when I would reach in to pet her. Maybe it is just an excitement kind of thing. It does look like they are trying to spray.

I've never seen Jazz or Scout do it - they are both girls. Unfortunately the two times I've seen Ripley do it he was backed up to my newly painted wall and was spraying.

**Catsnclay** · 04-09-2004, 01:54 PM

Spraying is spraying.............

be careful!!

Is she upset with you? Have things changed around the house lately?

I know you were gone for a few days, and BTW welcome back, hope your feeling MUCH better, but maybe she was upset over that?

Watch her, they usually DO it in front of you, this is a sign of being upset........now its up to you to figure out why!!

Good luck..........

**aly** · 04-09-2004, 02:30 PM

Although its rare, I know females can spray too (even spayed ones). I'm not sure if that IS what she's doing but its a possibility

Hope the problem resolves itself quickly! You've got quite the little spitfire there, don't ya?

**Kirsten** · 04-09-2004, 02:35 PM

Boy, I had no idea that females also spray!!!

So far she hasn't really sprayed, she's only pretending to...

...but I guess she's doing that when she's upset with me, she would do it when I'm telling her something's a no-no. For example when she's in the kitchen shelf and I try to pick her up and get her out there. It is as if she's telling me "I WANT to be here, and I have THE RIGHT to be here!"

Uh oh....

Kirsten

**Kona & Oreo's mom** · 04-09-2004, 02:40 PM

Kona's tail quivers like that when she's very happy--mostly when I come home from being away. She's always done it, and she's 10 now. She's not spraying, she's just moving her tail. This could be the same with Lily.

**K & L** · 04-09-2004, 02:52 PM

Our cats do this but without spraying. You will know if it's spray!

**Uniqueviking** · 04-09-2004, 11:19 PM

Kirsten, Boomer has done this since he was really young. Whenever it was time for his milk substitute, he'd do it (When he was an older kitten and got the baby milk as a treat) ...and he still does it if I say "baby food". He runs to the kitchen and waits for his treat with his tail quivering.

He's never sprayed, and it seems to me it's a sign of total excitement, "Ohhh, I can't wait",

**catmandu** · 04-10-2004, 09:23 AM

A Female can spray , a bit , and it doesnt smell. she is just telling you , who is BOSS!

**Randy_K** · 04-10-2004, 02:17 PM

I've noticed this tail shake in all Abys I know - male and female. I haven't noticed it in other breeds or DSHs. Usually the Abys do it when they are just happy or interacting with people, usually playing. Don't worry about it

**Kirsten** · 04-10-2004, 02:25 PM

Interesting replies, I never knew about these things.

Well, good to hear it won't smell when a female sprays, but so far I haven't noticed she did... But it seems to me it's more a telling-me-who-the-boss-is-thing than an expression of being happy or excited - or maybe just a combination of all of this!

Being my girls' meowmie really is some kind of challenge!

Luna has started peeing on the rugs again, so I guess it's time for another urine check up at the vet's...

Kirsten

Kirsten

**Davena** · 04-11-2004, 09:29 AM

My spayed female cat does the tail quivering thing also. I think that she is trying to spray but nothing comes out. Thank goodness. My vet has four females and two of them spray. According to her it DOES smell.