As you will know from previous posts, I am a bit of a cat lover. I have noticed something here in Thailand, or should I say with our bunch of feline lovelies, that I have never noticed in cats before. When our cats are angry, their tails fluff up to nearly treble their normal size. I take it, it is a hormone of some kind, but is it perculiar to cats in this part of the World?

As you will know from previous posts, I am a bit of a cat lover. I have noticed something here in Thailand, or should I say with our bunch of feline lovelies, that I have never noticed in cats before. When our cats are angry, their tails fluff up to nearly treble their normal size. I take it, it is a hormone of some kind, but is it perculiar to cats in this part of the World?

from another post of yours, I notice you focus on the rear end shady, is that a soapdodger thing?

As you will know from previous posts, I am a bit of a cat lover. I have noticed something here in Thailand, or should I say with our bunch of feline lovelies, that I have never noticed in cats before. When our cats are angry, their tails fluff up to nearly treble their normal size. I take it, it is a hormone of some kind, but is it perculiar to cats in this part of the World?

Normal to all domesticated cats, I believe.

In general, if your pet tries to be bigger, arching its back and bristling up, that means defense. Cats are usually turn their sides to the "enemies" to look bigger. The cat is afraid, she tries to look more threatening and will fight if one forces to.

from Cats Language

I don't think it is peculiar to Thai cats, we had one in England (RIP Julie) and she would double in size when threatened. I think it is some sort of reflex to make them appear more intimidating and tough.

Sorry to hijack this topic. But, what's with the normal stray cats we see on the Bkk roads with very short and roundish stubs where there should have been a normal tail ?

I was once told by a Chinese coworker in Malaysia where I first saw this practice that this was to prevent cats from taking a place in heaven.

The Chinese I was told consider a cat to be a perfect animal; Heaven has a limited number of available places and a perfect animal can take one of these places when it dies.

By breaking, knotting or lopping off a cat’s tail makes it imperfect and unable to take a place in heaven.

And some farang told me he heard that its because Buddha said there could be nothing perfect in this world and since the Thais believe the cat is a perfect animal they break their tails so they won't be perfect anymore.

And the truth is its genetic. One of the first cats that came to SE Asia obviously had this gene for a deformed tail. Because cats territories are very small and they interbreed quite frequently, it has become a dominant trait.

all cats fluff up their tails.

so do ferrets when they are angry.

And some farang told me he heard that its because Buddha said there could be nothing perfect in this world and since the Thais believe the cat is a perfect animal they break their tails so they won't be perfect anymore.

And the truth is its genetic. One of the first cats that came to SE Asia obviously had this gene for a deformed tail. Because cats territories are very small and they interbreed quite frequently, it has become a dominant trait.

SBK..you're spot on the mark ..it is fact genetic..If a breeding line in pedegree cats gets too close you get the Kinked Tail as its called in the cat world..A friend used to breed Siamese and Burmese back home in OZ..

And some farang told me he heard that its because Buddha said there could be nothing perfect in this world and since the Thais believe the cat is a perfect animal they break their tails so they won't be perfect anymore.

And the truth is its genetic. One of the first cats that came to SE Asia obviously had this gene for a deformed tail. Because cats territories are very small and they interbreed quite frequently, it has become a dominant trait.

SBK..you're spot on the mark ..it is fact genetic..If a breeding line in pedegree cats gets too close you get the Kinked Tail as its called in the cat world..A friend used to breed Siamese and Burmese back home in OZ..

Phew........had me worried then. The size of my tail, I'd never make it to heaven.

And some farang told me he heard that its because Buddha said there could be nothing perfect in this world and since the Thais believe the cat is a perfect animal they break their tails so they won't be perfect anymore.

And the truth is its genetic. One of the first cats that came to SE Asia obviously had this gene for a deformed tail. Because cats territories are very small and they interbreed quite frequently, it has become a dominant trait.

SBK..you're spot on the mark ..it is fact genetic..If a breeding line in pedegree cats gets too close you get the Kinked Tail as its called in the cat world..A friend used to breed Siamese and Burmese back home in OZ..

Phew........had me worried then. The size of my tail, I'd never make it to heaven.

what's with the normal stray cats we see on the Bkk roads with very short and roundish stubs where there should have been a normal tail ?

lampy, are you saying that your tail is a short and roundish stub then?

And some farang told me he heard that its because Buddha said there could be nothing perfect in this world and since the Thais believe the cat is a perfect animal they break their tails so they won't be perfect anymore.

And the truth is its genetic. One of the first cats that came to SE Asia obviously had this gene for a deformed tail. Because cats territories are very small and they interbreed quite frequently, it has become a dominant trait.

definitly genetic, I also got that story that the chinese brake/cut the tail. But I was in a muslim area and there were very very young cats with strange tail and I asked them and they told they didn't do anything (and as well they were not chinese or thai).--> genetic

lampy, are you saying that your tail is a short and roundish stub then?

ish

Yes, genetic. I've seen newborn kittens with it. It's so common that a cat with a full length tail is the object of special admiration. And even then, there is usually a small kink at the end of that long tail. In fact it is rare to find a Thai cat with a long, unkinked tail.

My lovely Scully (see avatar) has a long tail but it does have a small little kink at its last joint.

Not just Thailand..also true in Cambodia and in Guam. Probably other places as well.

My cats have long unkinked tails.

Two Siamese and one I do not know what breed but looks different then any cat I have ever seen.

Alex

Yes, genetic. I've seen newborn kittens with it. It's so common that a cat with a full length tail is the object of special admiration. And even then, there is usually a small kink at the end of that long tail. In fact it is rare to find a Thai cat with a long, unkinked tail.

My lovely Scully (see avatar) has a long tail but it does have a small little kink at its last joint.

Not just Thailand..also true in Cambodia and in Guam. Probably other places as well.

yeah...in Indonesia as well...kampung (village) cats are identified by their kinky tails...

when in Jakarta 10 years ago we took over a kampung cat named Cleopatra from sum friends returning to Austrailia...she would always greet me on return from work...I would say to her 'are you a kampung cat?...or are you de Queen ob de Nile?...' she would jump into my lap an' start kneading furiously for me to answer the question...

she had no fleas an' would sleep in de bed with me, the ex an' our infant son...a nice cat...

I like the fairytale: A beautiful Thai princess was having a bath and wanted to place her rings where she would not lose them. Her kitty offered his tail as a ring holder and then kinked it so the jewellery would not fall off. Since that day, all real Siamese kitties have had kinked tails.

Funny, I had two ginger toms and a calico and they had kinked tails...

And then there was the beautiful Tortoiseshell, who kissed a frog and it turned into a dashing, handsome ginger Tom.

And then there was the beautiful Tortoiseshell, who kissed a frog and it turned into a dashing, handsome ginger Tom.

Awww. Were you the frog Lampy?

And then there was the beautiful Tortoiseshell, who kissed a frog and it turned into a dashing, handsome ginger Tom.

Awww. Were you the frog Lampy?

Dashing,handsome..................NO

Ginger, Tom............................YES

one I do not know what breed but looks different then any cat I have ever seen.

That's because it's a dog Alex

Or maybe a crocodile.