It’s distinctive to cats; that follow-the-sun nap across the floor.

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

When we know cats run hotter than we do, at a footwarming 102°, this behavior seems more puzzling, not less.

That’s only because we aren’t looking at it from the proper perspective.

When we put together the cat’s origins in the deserts of the Middle East, their high metabolism, and their particular style of hunting, the picture becomes clearer.

As a desert creature, cats would have developed a high heat tolerance. The original model (as seen at left) was short-coated and long-bodied, all the better to throw off excessive heat.

Cats who cope better in cold climates are different; stocky bodies and longer fur work to keep the heat in. That’s why we can have a Siamese soaking up sun on the windowsill while their Persian companion is belly down on a tile floor, all on the same summer day.

Cats are mammals, which means a certain amount of their fuel intake goes to keeping them at that toasty temperature. Almost a third is used just to keep their skin and coat in top shape. Cats are so dependent on protein, even synthesizing their body’s glucose needs from it, that their liver keeps producing metabolic protein enzymes 24/7, unlike other mammals who have an on/off switch.

Then there’s the cat’s predatory style. They are very fast for short periods. Since they can’t outpace their prey; they must outwit it. That bright brain uses up energy too.

It all adds up to a metabolism with a high overhead. So…

If a cat can run on solar, they will.

With the heat of the sun helping them stay warm, they are actually conserving energy. They like to seek out sunlight for naps because this offsets the drop in basal metabolism that comes with sleep’s shutdown of certain body processes.

It doesn’t have to be sun. We can be puzzled by cats seeking out stifling spaces in the un-airconditioned garage or curling up under a lamp even in summer, but that metabolic heat advantage is why they will seek out what seems like an uncomfortable temperature to us.

But for our cat, it means their body doesn’t have to work as hard, and they stay warm and comfortable during their naps.

That’s why they will wake up just enough to inch along with the square of sunlight as it moves across the rug.

And give us one more delightful reason to enjoy their wild side.

Got here from a Link or Search?
There’s more ways to understand our cat with The Way of Cats than the article you are reading now. See all of my posts on WHY CATS DO THAT.