What it means when your cat goes 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 odd positions at times, but did not give it much thought. Basically, what I recall 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 to 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 house cat that came from a local shelter. My tabby, 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 one 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.

This is quite a compliment to you as the pet parent, so I salute you for a job well done. A cat exposing its 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 indicates that your cat feels safe, secure, and relaxed in your presence. This will mean even more to pet parents whose cat has been nervous or skittish. When I first rescued my tabby Boots from the animal shelter, he was anxious and did not trust us.

He hissed and ran away. Over time, he began warming up and expressing himself with meows, trills, brrr's, and Brup’s. He had a special meow when he wants water or food and a different noise when he needed 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 lying 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 crossed 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 in human terms, with a husband and wife who 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 and sitting in my lap. He’s a cat, and it’s on his terms, but we are making progress, and that’s what is important.