Cats: This is How They Roll
I never knew just how many different ways a cat could roll until I began living in a multi-cat household. (We have 7 frisky felines here at our “cat estate.”) When we let them all out in the mornings, the first thing they do is “get their roll on.” It’s definitely a sight to behold.
According to researcher Hilary N. Feldman of Cambridge University’s Sub-Department of Animal Behavior, domestic cats roll for two reasons: females roll in front of males as a signal that they’re ready to mate, and males roll in front of other males to show their submission. This “phenomenon of passive submission” says Feldman, “may have relevance for a similar behavior between pet cats and their owners.”
I find it extremely gratifying knowing that there are scientists out there studying “cat rolling” behavior. I guess we now have scientific proof that cats have an ulterior motive, so to speak, for all this cat rolling.
Well, here at Fluffy Bottoms, we have our own research going on. In fact, the other day we made a “scientific observation” of our cat Big Fella displaying his “side-winder, snakey-cat roll.” He often uses this roll to look extremely cute because he thinks it will elicit “cat-treat dispensing” behavior in us. (P.S. It usually does.) It seems that cats do a bit of their own scientific research on humans, and have done so for thousands of years. But that’s another story.
Here are some hilarious examples of various styles of cat rolling. Please add your own at the end of this post! We would love to see your kitty rollin’ styles!
The “Tuck and Roll”
The “Side-to-Side”
The “Roll With Head Tilt”
The “Somersault”
The “Double-Twist-Slide”
The “Tail-Pounce-Double-Somersault”
The “Headstand”
The “I’m-Too-Fat-To-Roll”
Source:
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2011/feb/07/cat-mating-behaviour-improbable-research
