I. Is a cat's long tail for balance?

"Do you know why cats have long tails?"

"Aren't tails used to keep a cat's body balanced?"

"So ...... who exactly did you hear say that?"

"I forget, but I remember that when I was very young, I was told that a cat's tail can help kittens keep their body balance ...... I think it was my mother who said that."

However, a cat having a long tail doesn't seem to have much to do with keeping balance!

How long have you been fooled by this beautiful explanation?

If the tail is used to maintain balance, then what makes a tailless cat stand?
A cat without a tail? You've never heard of it, have you?

By the way, you always know about corgis, they are born with their tails artificially broken!

But ...... it seems that they walk ...... quite steadily.

Then let's go back to the tailless cat - the Isle of Man cat.

The Isle of Man cat, also known as the Manx cat, is a type of cat that lives on the Isle of Man in England.

The most important feature of the Manx cat is its short tail, how short is its tail? It is so short that people can use the length of the tail to classify it.

Depending on the length of the tail, the Isle of Man cats is divided into "Lumbee tailless", "Lumbee tail-tipped", "Stonby tail-truncated" and "Geelong Tailed".

As for how to get these names, it does not matter, anyway, foreigners would not know much about names.

All you need to know is that the Lumbee is a cat with no tail at all, and there is no trace of it. While several other breeds, more or less have a little tail.

Despite the varying lengths of the tails, there is little difference in their balance. The walk is smooth and the posture after jumping and landing is stretchy, so ...... tails aren't for balance!

Then why do cats have such long tails? What is it used for?

The cat has a long tail is just related to its genes. It's like when someone asks you why you look so short, or why you look so fat.

"What's the use of you being so short and fat?"

"I don't know what's the point! My parents gave it to me!"

Yes, the reason for the existence of long-tailed cats is also very simple, that is genetically determined.

And scientists have also found that short-tailed cats are mostly due to a gene that can cause cats to have short tails.

The length of a cat's tail is only related to pedigree.

Who has the longest tail?
Now you know where the length of a cat's tail comes from, right? And also know that a cat's tail doesn't have much to do with balance.

Next, let's talk about an interesting topic - who has the longest tail?

Zoologists have found through a lot of measurements and summaries that the average length of a male cat's tail is around 27 cm, while the average length of a female cat's tail is around 25 cm.

According to the Guinness World Records, the current record for the longest tail among domestic cats is held at around 44.6 cm, and it is a Maine cat.

Those cats with long tails
American Shorthair Cat
The American Shorthair's tail is thickest at the root and tapers as it grows to the tail.

As with most breeds of cats, the length of their tails is proportional to their body size.

Because American Shorthair cats are hair larger than many other breeds, they tend to have longer tails.

Balinese
The Balinese cat looks a lot like the Siamese cat, doesn't it? That's right! Because the Siamese cat is the ancestor of the Balinese cat, the Balinese cat is a mutation of the Siamese cat.

These cats usually have very long tails with a lot of hair on them.

Cornish Curly Cat
Originating from England, the Cornish Curly Cat is a cat with a very high IQ. So ...... what do you think of your cat's intelligence?

This cat is very playful and outgoing, so if it is too noisy, then it is better not to have it.

But since we mentioned it here, that means it has a long tail too!

Egyptian Cat
Egyptian cats are also known as small leopards, this is because they look similar to leopards in appearance.

The most distinctive feature of Egyptian cats is their spots, which they have almost from head to tail.

Egyptian cats also have long tails and they have black rings on their tails until the tips of their tails turn completely black.

Maine Cat
Finally, we come to the Maine cat, a breed that is also now the holder of the longest cat tail length.

Their tail length is quite unexplained because Maine cats are so big! They are unique in the cat world for their gigantic size.

Adult male cats can reach 100 to 120 cm in length, and female cats can reach 80 to 110 cm, so I want to ask, how much taller are you than it?

Tail
"Hey, is a cat's tail for balance?" If someone asks me again.

"Yes, the tail is for balance!" I think I would still answer that way.

Even though I know that's not the real answer, it's the answer Mom said!

II. The role of a cat's tail

Talking about cats probably everyone would say, cute, adorable, high-strung, and so on. So today we're not talking about cats themselves, let's talk about cat tails! Because humans and meowers don't speak the same language, kittens usually use body movements to express themselves. Fruit mom does not have a cat, but always sees meowing tails have a variety of movements: vertical, rotating, pinching, shaking ...... can see that the tail is very important to cats! What exactly is the use of their tails? Let's find out!

Expressing emotions

Cats are unable to use language to communicate with their non-siblings, so they use their tails to express their emotions.

Straight up tail

When a cat is relaxed, walking, or doing other things, a straight up tail means it is very comfortable and relaxed at the moment. Meaning that it does not have to worry about any danger, or other situations happening in this place.

Putting up all the fur

When you see cats and kittens put all their hair up, it means that they are extremely upset or ready to attack, and it is done to scare the enemy or prey, forcing them to be afraid, which is what we often say to have the momentum.

Bending the tail into the shape of a small mountain

Meowers bend their tails into the shape of a small mountain when they are nervous or ready to fight. Sometimes, meows will also bend their tails up while putting their fur all up, which means they are about to fight.

Tucking the tail between the legs

Meowers use their tails as a sign of fear and helplessness. When they are in a new place or in a place that makes them anxious, such as a veterinary hospital, they will put their tail between their legs to show their fear.

Big tail wagging

This means they have found something interesting, or are looking at something and are puzzled. Sometimes they will also wag their tails when they are relaxed or when they are in a blank state. This means that the cat will only do this when there is no threat.

Maintaining balance

When it comes to the importance of the cat's tail to the cat, apart from expressing their emotions through the tail. Another important thing about a cat's tail is that it maintains balance. We always see that a kitten who is poised for a fight will put its tail up high and then lightly jump, and walk on cabinets, sofas, doors, and walls as if they were on the ground, as if they were flying.

Nerve-rich

The tail has a well-developed nervous system, which makes the sense of touch sensitive. The spine of the cat includes: cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral and caudal vertebrae. Like humans, the spine is the backbone in the center of the animal's body. As the end of the spine, the cat has a rich nerve near the tail vertebrae, so the cat's tail should not be easily pulled, if pulling the cat's tail is too strong, it is likely to cause a fracture or dislocation of the tail, and in serious cases may hurt the cat's spine!
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Repel mosquitoes

The cat's tail also has a magical function, which is to repel mosquitoes! Its tail can be waved quickly, like a small fan to keep the pesky mosquitoes away, which is so useful in summer!

I have to say, the tail of the meow is really amazing, it is very useful for it, so the pooper scoopers must protect it. Not only yourself, but also tell the bear children at home not to grab the cat's tail, because the timid meow will have a stress reaction in the face of danger and may accidentally injure small children.