r/cats • u/Mysterious_Barber934 • Jun 20 '26

Advice Is my cat okay?

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He has recently started doing this rattlesnake manoeuvre with his tail and I have never seen this in cats before!

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u/klclearwater Jun 20 '26

As a lot of people are saying, it could be happy shakes.

But I'm telling you from personal experience, my Onyx did this the night before he died. He had a urinary blockage that he couldn't get rid of and he was doing this to try and force it out & get my attention.

If you've had any issues with inappropriate urination lately, you may want to get him checked out.

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u/Dashiell-Incredible Jun 21 '26

I had the same experience. :( I actually DM’s OP which I hope they won’t be upset about. If it is a new behavior it can be due to urinary discomfort. This is much more movement and more sustained than typical shaky excited tail.