Why does my cat arch its back?
It depends on the rest of the cat. A loose, bouncy arch is usually an invitation to play; a stiff arch with the fur standing up is a defensive display.
What it usually means
Pawfect's cat tables list both. The sideways hop is an arched back with a bouncy, loose sideways movement towards another cat or a person, read with high confidence as a friendly invitation to play.
The defensive arch is a back arched with the fur standing up, often side-on to look bigger. The tables list it as a critical signal: the cat feels very threatened and may defend itself if cornered. With a hiss or ears pinned flat, it is a clear request for distance.
Easy to mix up
- A stretch. Cats arch when they get up from a nap. A stretch is slow and relaxed, and the fur stays smooth.
- Fluffy coats. Long-haired cats can look fluffed even when relaxed, so the tables judge raised fur by a sudden change and by the other signals.
Look at the whole body
No single signal tells the whole story. Before settling on a reading, look at the tail, ears, eyes, mouth and posture together, and at what is happening around your pet.
Signals the tables often see alongside this one
- Pre-pounce wiggle
- Tail twitch
- Raised fur
- Hiss
- Ears pinned flat
See it on your own pet
Point Pawfect at your dog or cat and it picks out the tails, ears, eyes and postures from these guides, then plays them back as a playful caption you can keep.
Related guides
Why does my cat's tail puff up?
A bottle-brush tail means a cat is highly aroused, from fright, upset or sudden excitement. How to read it and what to do.Why does my cat wiggle its bottom before pouncing?
The pre-pounce wiggle is play and hunting at their most focused. What it usually means, and how to make the most of it.Why does my dog do a play bow?
Front legs down, rear up, tail going: what the play bow usually means, what it gets mixed up with, and which other signals to check.
Where this comes from
Built on the body-language tables behind Pawfect's analysis (dogs v2.1.0, cats v1.0.1), which draw on published work including:
- John Bradshaw, Cat Sense: How the New Feline Science Can Make You a Better Friend to Your Pet (2013)
- Dennis C. Turner and Patrick Bateson (eds.), The Domestic Cat: The Biology of its Behaviour (3rd edition) (2014)
- Karen L. Overall, Clinical Behavioral Medicine for Small Animals (1997)
- Sarah L. Ellis et al., Feline communication and body language (2013)
- International Cat Care, Online resources on feline behavior and body language (2023)