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Conference misery::feline

Title:Meower Power - Where Differing Opinions are Respected
Notice:purrrrr...
Moderator:JULIET::CORDES_JA
Created:Wed Nov 13 1991
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1079
Total number of notes:28858

733.0. "Characteristic Relaxation Postures" by LJSRV2::FEHSKENS (len - reformed architect) Thu Mar 31 1994 07:45

    
    Does your cat have a favorite "relaxation posture"?  Mine do.
    
    Merlin's is the classic "tucked in paws", folded back into his chest
    fur.  But if he's stretched out beside me, he insists on extending
    one arm out with the paw under my face.
    
    Rocky's is either on his back with his belly exposed and his paws
    randomly arrayed, or on his side stretched out full length.
    
    Blueberry likes to lie on her belly with her front paws extended fully
    out in front of her.  And if she can, she'll drape herself over some
    convenient object so she's more or less tilted upward.  Thus, one of
    her favorite places is the bathroom sink, with her hind quarters in the
    sink and her front paws stretched out on the countertop.
    
    Little Robin likes to find a place where she can let one of her lanky
    front legs hang out in space.  This makes the arms of the sofa and
    bookshelves her favorite resting places.
    
    Of course, they all sleep in the classic curled up, wrapped around tail
    position.
    
    These poses are as characteristic of these individual cats as any other
    behaviour.  How about yours?
    
    len.
     
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
733.1GOOEY::JUDYLove is an angel disguised as lustThu Mar 31 1994 08:3118
    
    
    	Let's see.  Chloe doesn't have an unusual position.  She
    	just curls up in either the kitty condo or on the bottom
    	shelf of my wicker etagere.  Audrey only has funny positions
    	during the spring and summer when I have the windows open.
    	She *loves* heat and sunshine.  During the winter she zones
    	out next to the radiators.  In the spring and summer she 
    	jumps up into the open window to stretch out in the sun.  
    	And I do mean stretch.  She has the typical svelte Siamese
    	body and is quite long when she stretches.  Sometimes her
    	back legs stretch upwards so her legs are against the screen.
    	She really cracks me up sometimes.  Sasha either sleeps with
    	her head upside down or with one of her front paws draped
    	over her face.
    
    	JJ
    
733.2POBOX::DIERCKSWe will have Peace! We must!!!!Thu Mar 31 1994 09:016
    
    
    On his back, legs spread wide open.  No modesty for this kitty -- just
    like his daddy.  8-)
    
             GJD
733.3NO dignity for him25472::WHITMOREThu Mar 31 1994 10:126
    Spunky, like Rocky, is splayed out on his side most of the time (when
    he's resting, that is, which ain't often).  He also loves to sleep on
    his back with his legs in the air, if he can find two people to wedge
    himself in between....
    
    Dana
733.4JULIET::RUSSELLPE_STThu Mar 31 1994 11:3012
    Misty, sits in the classic "muff" position, front feet curled under
    chest.  She occassionally sleeps on her back with feet wide apart. 
    Marnie, always sits with his front paws together in front of him.  We
    call it his "sphinx" position.  He sleeps curled up in a ball.  Devin
    sleeps on his back in some funny positions, (I have pictures).  He also
    will sleep between us all stetched out.  When he's sitting, he is
    usually in a reclining position.  Lizette sleeps curled in a ball (for
    hours at a time).  Sometimes she lies on her stomach with her chin on
    the surface in front of her, so she looks almost flat.
    
    Steffi
                    
733.5Little Cat PackageDSSDEV::DSSDEV::TAMIRThu Mar 31 1994 12:2210
    Beth also does her "entirely tucked in" relaxation posture.  Because of
    her eyes (or lack thereof) she looks asleep all the time.  I call it
    "The Perfect Cat Package"....she's like that 90% of the time.  Mikey
    and Robin just sleep on their sides.  Blue likes the "cat package" but
    never tucks in his front paws.  Honey and Chauncey sleep on their backs
    with their legs in the air...although Chauncey is known for curling up
    his paws and tucking them under his chin...so cute...  Julie stretches
    out and rests her head on one of her outstretched arms.
    
    Mary
733.6STRANGE WAY OF KEEPING COOLCSLALL::MHOLMESFri Apr 01 1994 06:527
    I had an angora cat named Fleaby who had a very odd way of sleeping. 
    On a hot summer day you could usually find her under a shade tree flat
    on her back with her front legs in the air with the paws bent over. 
    Her back legs (this is very difficult to explain) were bent so that
    from the paws up to her "elbows" were flat on the ground.  The first
    time my sister saw her like this she thought she was dead.  Fleaby was
    my first baby and I had her for 18 years.  I still miss her.
733.7ANGLIN::SHARROWIf the man wants to box, I'll out box the man...Fri Apr 01 1994 07:1810
    Our Abby likes to sit in the classic "paws under" position. The unusual 
    thing is she likes to sit everywhere, middle of the carpet, stairs, 
    bathroom floor, etc...  This causes problems once in a while (tan
    carpet, and a tan cat) because she will be "sitting" where you 
    plan to be "walking". Luckly we have avoided disaster so far.
    
    Every once and a while my wife and I will see her and say "Hi Abby what
    are you doing", and she gives us a look that says "just sitting".
    
    Greg
733.8Mine take the prize for *wierdest!*LEDS::TRIPPFri Apr 01 1994 08:1321
    Barney is the character in our home.  He has two "classic favorites" 
    His favorite  is he has to be laying on his side, slightly curled up,
    but his back *Must* be up against something.  Most times it's the arm
    of the couch, and if something is in "his" corner, he will stand in the
    middle of the couch and stare at you until you remove whatever is there
    i.e. pillow or newspaper, when he's on the bed, and someone is in the
    bed he insists on sleeping with his back up against a leg or foot.  His
    other favorite is on his back, back paws straight up, front paws over
    his eyes!  Looks a little like "aw not now, I've got a headache"  Now
    remember we're talking 17 pounds of muscular Siamese here.  You should
    see this position in the summer, on the hammock!  The last couple
    nights it has been warm enough to leave our bedroom window open
    slightly, Barney has been on the window kitty shelf, just sprawled out
    as long as he can stretch, at full stretch he is longer than the shelf,
    oh and his back has to be against the open window!
    
    Now Bandit it the dainty one, and he sleeps in the classic side, partly
    curled up position, but his big thing is he MUST be UNDER a blanket, or
    quilt.  We have a thing at home, to check all the "lumps" in the bed
    covers BEFORE sitting down, just to see if one of them coo's back!
                                                      
733.9Shilo likes under the covers bestPNEUMA::AIKEYFri Apr 01 1994 08:5124
    
    
    	Shilo sleeps where he wants to.  Some times he sleeps on a table
    	that we have Pee Wee (our parakeet) on.  It is in the middle of 
    	a large picture window.  In the morning it gets a lot of sun..
    	
    	There are times he sleeps on a very large home made pillow that 
    	my daughter made for her dog.  He stretches out, but his front 
    	half is on his side with his arms crossed and from the waist down
    	he is on his back with his back legs open to the world.
    
    	Most of all he loves sleeping under a blanket if someone is
    	covered.  Lots of times my daughter (his mommie) will lay on the 
    	floor in the livingroom to watch t.v. and cover with a blanket and
    	Shilo will come over and look at her as if to say," Can I get
    	Under"?  
    
    	One other place we have found him sleeping is if the cabinet over
    	the washing machine (where I keep my towels)is left open he will
    	jump up there.  I guess that it is becuz the towels are soft.
    
    
    	*joyce
     
733.10my twoMIMS::RIVERA_SWed Apr 06 1994 11:0019
    Max sleeps on his back with both front feet curled downward, and his 
    chin resting on his neck fur - it's very thick and I'm sure makes a
    good pillow.    He makes sure he's near humans when he's sleeping -
    then if someone walks by, he's already in the "scratch my tummy" 
    position.  He'll reach out and touch a leg or foot to remind you that
    he's there.   My husband and I refer to this position as his rug
    impression - he's so big that he spreads out all over.
    
    Dixie sleeps with all her little body draped over my over-stuffed
    chair arm.  All 4 feet and tail will hang off the sides and her head
    hangs off the front edge.  This makes her back look rounded and sort
    of hunch-back.  I've seen her so far forward on the edge of the arm 
    that I don't know how she keeps from sliding off - guess it's cause
    she's a light-weight.
    
    And they both like to sleep in my garden tub - usually on their backs,
    looking up at the skylight.
    
    Sharon (and Max and Dixie)
733.11my guruMKOTS1::CASEWed Apr 06 1994 12:258
    Lady Di's special position is to tuck into the muff position as well.
    But she only does this on the top of Rick's speaker....he used to go
    nuts each time she leaped up there, but now realizes she just goes
    there to nap....holds her head up high, with her eyes squeexed shut 
    and that permanent smile on her face - she looks like she's meditating.
    Sometimes she'll "splay" herself on her tummy - it looks like her hips
    are broken, her hind legs and "bunny feet" spread far apart.  She's
    adorable!
733.12MR4DEC::PGLADDINGNoters do it with a 8-)Thu Apr 07 1994 13:026
    Lily, my new Siamese baby, lies down in a very unusual position - 
    her front & back legs go straight out flat to the floor.  I've
    only seen some dogs lie like this - is this typical of Siamese
    contortions??
    
    Pam
733.13Frog CatBRAT::SCHULTZThu Apr 07 1994 13:3010
    My two year old Abigail does what we refer to as "froggies" by
    laying flat on her stomach with her knees out on each side (picture a
    frog or a chicken breast that has been flattened).  She is 15 pounds of
    "fighting flab" and spreads out wide to a fur rug shape. Her twin
    sister Angela (8 pounds of stripped down energy) will walk up to her and
    pretty much use her as a cushion to take a nap.  Everyone else in the
    house uses the conventional "meatloaf" position of paws tucked under
    chest. 
    
    Linda
733.14JULIET::CORDES_JAFour Tigers on my CouchThu Apr 07 1994 13:3312
    Re:  the meatloaf position
    
    When a kitten does it, it's their cornish game hen impression.
    When a cat does it, it's their chicken impression.
    When a fat cat does it, it's their turkey impression.
    
    I have 3 chickens and a turkey.
    
    :^)  :^)  :^)
    
    Jan
    
733.15HELIX::SKALTSISDebThu Apr 07 1994 13:3711
    RE: .12
    
    The late Lovely Pip used to do this, and my Nikoloas does it, too.
    Except for her petiteness, Pip could pass a a Maine Coon; Niky does
    pass  for a Maine Coon.
    
    I agree, it is neet to see them sitting like that. I especially like it
    when Niky spreads himeslf out but his tail is sort of up, lazily
    wagging away.
    
    Deb
733.16DSSDEV::RUSTFri Apr 08 1994 08:266
    Re .12: Sirocco, my little Manx (with no Siamese connections that I
    know of) does that, too - looks pretty funny, but she seems to like it.
    [When she's lying in the grass that way, she's so low to the ground
    that only her head shows above the sea of green...]
    
    -b
733.17Go with the Force, Luke!BICYCL::RYERThis note made from 100% recycled bits.Fri Apr 08 1994 08:547
My Chester has an unusual resting position.  If you've ever seen the movie,
The Empire Strikes Back, there's a scene where one of the Imperial Walkers
gets tripped and falls head first to the ground, front legs crumpled
underneath it, with its rear end slightly elevated.  That's the way Chester
sleeps sometimes.  Fortunately, he does not explode.

-Patrick and the Boys (Chester, Farley, and Jeremiah)