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What it means when your cat goes belly up.

When you feline begins to expose it's tummy, this is a compliment to you as a pet owner.

By Cheryl E PrestonPublished 3 years ago 3 min read
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Boots belly up

In the song When Doves Cry by Prince, there is a line where he sings” Animals strike curious poses.” I had a lot of cats when I was a teenager but they were all outdoor kitties except for one. For this reason, I did not pay attention to certain signals that my felines were giving me. I observed them sleeping in off positions at times but did not give it much thought. Basically what I remember is that when they saw me they came running and meowing because they knew I was the one who would feed them.

These animals never went a vet but thrived in the county atmosphere.I would rub them and pat them as frequently as I could and even talk to them. Because they remained outdoors I did not have real intimacy with them and I am learning a lot now with my indoor kitty. I have a cat that came from a local shelter that lives in the house, I am noticing a lot. My cat Boots has different meows for various things he is trying to tell us. He was also waiting near the door for me when I returned from the store yesterday.

I'm not sure if he smelled my scent or heard the vehicle pulling up. There is one more thing that my cat has just begun doing and that is sleeping on his back with his stomach exposed. I had seen a few of my kitties doing this but did not know until now that there is a special significance to this action. If you are a cat owner you may have noticed changes in your feline over the years. These differences have probably evolved so subtly that you may not have even paid attention to them.

Your cat may have been evolving right before your eyes and you may not have been aware of the significance of the changes. There is on thing your cat might be doing that speaks volumes about your relationship and it is related to the position he or she is in while asleep. If you now see that your kitty is sleeping belly up, this indicates that he is happy, comfortable, and satisfied.

Boots stroking a curious pose.

This is quite a compliment to you as the pet parent so I salute you for a job well done. A cat exposing his or her belly is a sign of vulnerability. A cat's stomach is its most vulnerable area, and they will not expose it while they are sleeping unless they feel secure. If you find your feline napping on its back with its belly up and its legs pointed at weird angles, this means that the kitty believes he has arrived. If you see the cat's tummy and its legs are going in strange directions or positions, congratulations.

This indicated that your cat feels safe, secure, and relaxed in your presence. This will mean even more to pet parents whose cat had been nervous or skittish. When I first rescued my tabby Boots from the animal shelter, he was anxious and did not trust us. Over time he began warming up and expressing himself with meows, trills, brrr's, and Brup’s. He had a special mew when he wants water or food and a different noise when he needs to use the litter box. Boots began sleeping next to me at night and sleeping beside my son on the couch during the day. He even began laying on top of us which we knew meant he felt at home.

If your kitty is showing you his belly take this as a sign you are doing something right. For the past few days, Boots has been sleeping on his back with his tummy exposed. He also has his paws in strange poses such as straight up or one cross over the other. I thought this was simply what cats do until I read that cats only sleep belly up when they are happy. This sleep position indicates the comfort level Boots feels with us. Think of it I’m human terms with a husband and wife are comfortable enough to sleep naked with each other but not with others. Boots is also doing something else that lets me know he trusts me. He is coming a little closer to my face than he used to. He’s a cat and it’s on his terms but we are making progress and that’s what is important.

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About the Creator

Cheryl E Preston

Cheryl is a widow who enjoys writing about current events, soap spoilers and baby boomer nostalgia. Tips are greatly appreciated.

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