Why do cats roll over on their side when we approach? What does it mean when they position themselves beside us, and suddenly their legs seem to give out on one side?
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This is a cat signal of affection and trust. It’s as though they are saying, The mere sight of you gets me so relaxed and happy.
Quite a compliment.
Cats will tend to flop in any situation where they feel relaxed. From their point of view, there’s no point in not flopping. Their marvelously flexible bodies don’t need any leverage points to get from upright to down on the ground. So they don’t take any.
Mr. Bond is Master of the Flop. He’ll drop like a puppet with half its strings cut, with his body perfectly curved to fall into alignment along my leg or side. RJ is more of a melter, like an ice cube on a hot griddle, while Puffy, even uncertain, will cuddle, but in stages. So don’t feel offended if our cat doesn’t have the proper abandon.
But if the cat is hovering nearby, feel free to say hello and tell them they are welcome to cuddle. Whether they flop far or near, they have responded, and we can feel the bond of friendship.
Cats use The Flop to express their trust, and an invitation to admire their belly. Mr. Bond and RJ’s usual Monday morning routine is to collapse in front of me like fallen leaves as I head for the door. After all the attention of the weekend, it’s their way of saying, But we had plans!
Whatever the cat’s motivations for performing The Flop, it’s uniquely Cat to use the shortest distance between two points. If they are going to end up stretched out anyway, why not start there?
Getting the extra cute paws-curved-over-their-chest move; that’s a bonus.
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There’s more ways to get our cat to be affectionate in The Way of Cats than the article you are reading now. See all of my CAT AFFECTION posts.
Gosh I didn’t know that but it makes sense. I have one cat that does that and she is very attached to me. But I have always wondered why she did that. I figured she wanted attention although she isn’t crazy about attention unless it is on her terms.
Margaret Elmendorf’s last blog post..I just think ponies are the best ever.
Cute picture! Your cat flop explanation does make sense; basically it’s just like similar behaviors in dogs.
By the way, I love this blog in general and have used the rss feed on my Cat Breeds Zone. http://www.helium.com/zone/2006-cat-breeds
Not only is my cat a flopper, he must be psychic too, because as I was reading this post he flopped belly-up and gave me the love-stare. Hee hee.
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aww, love the picture, and this does explain that i have the most affectionate kitten i have ever come across, she belly flops next to me while im checking my emails
My cat is a flop cat too. He is black and white, and looks like he has a tuxedo on.
Now I know why my cat flops. She follows me from room to room and she will flop down in front of each doorway when I am trying to leave. She lays on her back and stares at me until I give her a tummy rub. She will lick my hand with her little scratchy tongue then give it a love bite and then go on about her business. God I love cats!!
This article makes me think of a cat that a relative owns. She flops but if I or someone not too familiar tries to pet her she bites and/or hisses. I have resorted to talking to her affectionately when she flops. She rolls a little gazing up at me and then gets up and walks away. My feeling is that she likes the attention but not the touch.