Why does my cat wiggle its bottom before pouncing?
That little shimmy of the back end right before a pounce is the pre-pounce wiggle. It usually means your cat is completely focused on a target and having fun.
What it usually means
Pawfect's cat tables list the pre-pounce wiggle as a play signal, together with the sideways play hop and a twitching tail.
It sits close to the hunting crouch, body low and still, ears forward, eyes locked on, which the tables use for focused hunting. Both are normal, healthy behaviours, and a wand toy is the easiest way to give them an outlet.
Easy to mix up
- A defensive crouch. A crouched cat with a tucked tail and ears turned sideways is worried, not about to play.
- A stare at another cat. Intense focus aimed at a housemate, with a stiff body and ears flattening, is tension, not a game.
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
- Sideways play hop
- Tail twitch
- Hard stare
- Ears forward
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 is my cat's tail twitching or lashing?
A twitching tip and a lashing tail say very different things. How to read cat tail movement, and when to give your cat space.Why does my cat arch its back?
An arched back can mean play or fear. How the sideways play hop differs from a defensive arch, and what to look at.Why does my cat flatten its ears?
Ears turned sideways or pinned flat are a sign of a worried or upset cat. How to read cat ear positions and when to back off.
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)