How to know what emotions cat is feeling? By swinging tail patterns? If so, how can I know which pattern means what?
Cats have three basic needs: food, petting, and playing. You can just casually try all three until you guess right.
ooohhhh good question! i hope this helps: cats have different body language to dogs! swinging tails can mean interest or irritation. a cat twining through your legs is a hug! cats with ears back, tails curled under, and hunched down are feeling threatened. a hiss means anger or is a big 'GO AWAY' sign. puffed fur is another threatened indicator, but it also happens when they're angry. big wide dilated pupils happen when they're focusing on something, like when they're hunting, playing, or even just really enjoying looking at something. hilariously, vice-versa is also true. purring is obviously a good sign and means they're happy, comfortable, and enjoy your presence. cats also sometimes purr when they're hurt, for self comfort (fun science fact, purring speeds up the healing process!). a cat will slow blink at you sometimes, and that, my friends, is a kitty smooch. when cats roll over and show you their stomachs, it's not a request for rubs like it is in dogs, but a sign that they trust you! rubbing their faces on you means possession, tails going up is friendly, tails low to the ground with big eyes means they're on the hunt. panting is a sign of stress rather than heat. ears straight up means they're attentive, ears back means irritated/scared/angry/hurt, ears flat to the sides is irritation, ears swivelling in different directions means caution. cats will sit as far away from you as they can with their backs to you if you offend them. a big, puffy tail curled up along the back with hissing and crouching means they're feeling scared/defensive. cats also jolt a Lot when they're wary about something, the smallest movements and noises can set them off. excessive sudden grooming is also a sign of anxiety and fear. relaxed cats go floppy and let their eyes close about halfway most of the time, usually lying down on their sides. a cat stretching down with it's bum in the air can be a sign they want to play, and so is standing on their back legs and pawing at you! the most important thing to remember about body language is that context matters. wide eyes can mean completely different things depending on what's happening around them. but really all cats are different, so most people learn as they go!