Cats purring and tail wagging

So I found this little kitten last year and Ive never owned a cat bafore although Ive owned 12 dogs though the course of my life.My last dog died Feb. 08 and I am going to wait awhile to get another pet but found the cat,it was starving and to small to defend itself or hunt so I brought her home and decided to keep her.SO anyway I was wondering if a cats purring was a conscious or unconscious reaction.My cat also wags her tail alot,not quite like a dog but similar sort of.They certainly are strange little animals.

hey its very cool to help the little kitty out! I'm sure she really appreciates it!

Purring can be conscious or unconscious - they do it when they want to and theres times when it just happens. I've known a couple cats with very strong dog-like tendencies, maybe thats whats up with her tail wagging!

Cats can be strange but it sounds like shes letting you know she is diggin being your friend

We just adopted a cat and the tail wagging seems normal...purring is good. The rescue did tell us that if their ears are back and their tails are wagging, they are mad. Good to know just in case! Enjoy your new friend!

Tail wagging in a cat indicates irritation. In a dog it generally indicates pleasure. However, I've seen tail wagging displays in two large male dogs challenging one another, just before they jump to the attack.

For cats wild or domestic, deep purring is a reaction to something profound...it could be something good, or bad.
I had a kitty once that ran away after being bitten by a big dog, when I found her she was purring...was it because she was glad I found her? Possibly..I like to think so...
Don't know,
but saving a starving kitty's life could be cause for a lot of purrin'!

ZW

that question about purring is a hard one. cats have two set of vocial cords; when they viberate together, you have purring.
breathing alone can cause to purr and, cat do purr all the time. most of the time we can't hear them purr.
not even the experts sure about purring.

tail wagging in cats happen all the time, for a number or reasons.
they do express a lot of their emotional state with their tails.

good for you mate for taking kittie into your family!
earler this year, i took in a dog that one of the neighbors abandon, when their house was forclosed on.
i now have 4 cats and 2 dogs. they all consider themselves family.