True or False? A wagging tail means a happy dog, while purring equals a happy cat.
Answer: False
While it’s true that sometimes a wagging tail and a purring cat equal a happy pet, sometimes these behaviors take on a different meaning. A purring cat may indicate it’s in pain or uncomfortable; hungry; or it may be expressing fear, nervousness or stress.
Dogs on the other hand communicate a lot of information with both their tail position and the speed that it’s wagging. A wagging tail can mean excitement (the faster the wag, the happier the dog), insecurity (a slight tail wag may show hesitant interest), friendliness (a full body wiggle) or aggression (a fast wag with a vertically held tail). Remember, a dog may bite, even when wagging its tail. So always ask other pet owners before giving a friendly pat!
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