When your cat swishes or flicks their tail pretty lazily, this means they are excited. If their tail is waving around smoothly, then they are definitely feeling playful. Sometimes they will swish their whole tail, but it can be focused at the tip as well. It’s important to note though that a playful cat can easily turn into an agitated cat, and both of these moods can be characterized by a flicking tail. So if you’re playing with a cat that suddenly starts stiffly flicking their tail, then they might be letting you know they’re done playing and now ready to attack soon. To help distinguish this though, there are other physical signs that a cat is trying to be playful, such as eye contact and forward-facing ears.