Why do cats sit in a "loaf"?

[Argent Towers]

Some cats sit in what I call a "loaf" position. If you have a cat, you may know what I mean; if not, here is an image (of my own cat) which illustrates the concept.

Some people I talk to, their cat never sits in a loaf. Mine does it all the time. I'll be playing with George, then go do something else for a second, and then turn around and seemingly out of nowhere, he will be sitting in a "loaf". Paws, and tail, completely tucked in, so that his body is an almost perfect rectangle.

While he often sits in a loaf in his favorite spots - on top of a certain recliner, on the corner of the bed, under one of the dining room chairs, etc - there are times when there seems to be no rhyme or reason at all to the area in which he decides to sit in a loaf. Sometimes I'll be doing something in the living room or hallway, and turn around, and right there will be a "loaf" of cat, facing a completely random direction and staring off into space.

Why do cats do this? Is there something particularly comfortable about that position? Does it help them conserve body heat or something? Does it help them regenerate their venom more quickly?

While we're at it - sometimes I'll walk into a room and he'll have his back fully arched (and often, his tail puffed up) and then, with his back still arched, he will take two little sideways "hops" in some direction and then run off. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to the times when he does this; it'll just be totally out of the blue.

[Maastricht]

I got nothing, but I wanted to say that in Dutch, if a cat in the loaf position shows a little more of both his curved front paws, we call it the "breihouding" which translates as the " knitting position".

I've got three cats and they al have different preferred positions to lie and sleep in. I guess it is just a matter of personal preference, much like why one person will usually sit with her legs crossed at the kneeand another with her legs crossed at the ankle.

[GuanoLad]

They are enigmas. Every single one of them.

[MichaelEmouse]

I'm thinking body heat. Cats have a high amount of area per unit of volume, especially on their limbs and tails.

Perhaps the front paws are tucked in to serve as a front cushion?



Or maybe cats are just animals that tend to pick up quirks and stick with them.

[Maggie the Ocelot]

"Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea."

-- Robert Heinlein

[dougie_monty]

Since I was a kid I have called this the "ridiculous position." The cat has the look on his face of "I'll do this no matter what you think." I even saw one in the ridiculous position in a street in a mobile-home park (not my own).

[sandra_nz]

I was pondering this myself just yesterday, when my cat came to sit on my computer desk and assumed the meatloaf position (that's what I call it, because I always imagine her sitting in an imaginary meatloaf tin).

Nothing unusual in itself, but she did it with her face up against the wall, to the extent that she kept flicking her ears because they were actually touching the wall!

[Eliahna]

The ex said one day "Aren't cats funny, the way they sit like chickens on a nest".

I said "In some languages, the word 'cat' directly translates as 'fur chicken' ".

He excitedly said "Really?"

"No" I answered.

But henceforth that position was known as the fur chicken.

[Tabby_Cat]

Apparently because he didn't get a memory foam mattress.



Anyway, I call it the meatloaf position too! Strangely enough, the small cat's meatloaf is a lot "flatter" than the big cat's meatloaf.


Cats is weird.

[galen ubal]

We call it the "catloaf" position.
Anyway, I'd guess it is the body heat issue - I know our cats don't adopt it when it's hot.

[Lynn Bodoni]

My own personal untestable hypothesis is that cats do this because of kittens. Ever seen a litter of kittens playing around the momcat? If her tail and paws are out, the kittens WILL play with those appendages. So momcat draws in her legs and tail.

The other explanation, of course, is just Cats Is Weird.

[monstro]

I call it the roosting turkey position.

I think it must be comfortable. I take it as a sign that they are content.

Only one of my two cats does this, though. The other cat has too big of a tummy.

[bardos]

My cats hardly use that position. I used to think it was a winter position to conserve heat by tucking in the paws.

[nofloyd]

The meatloaf position can also be an indication of a sick cat if it's a departure from normal behavior. Had a cat that suddenly meatloafed all over the place and it did turn out to be kidney failure. Pancreatitis can also also cause cats to lay that way to minimize pain.

http://www.felinecrf.org/symptoms.htm#crash
(scroll down to white cat for desc of meatloafing

[SmellMyWort]

My cat's favorite place to loaf is sitting with his nose about an inch from the wall. Just sitting there facing the wall. It's quite anti-social. On the other hand, the other behavior you mention, the "crab-walk" typically means he's ready to rough-house and be chased around a bit.

[Rhythmdvl]

Several years ago there was an artist/cartoonist that was known for (by "known for" I mean it's what I knew him/her for) his cat books. Or maybe cat book. Nice and vague, huh? But when he passed years ago I read about him in the Times so I figure he must have had some notoriety. Do any cat people out there have any idea what I'm talking about?

Oh, yeah, the topic. He just came to mind because I believe one of his books (or maybe just one illustration in one of his books) was dedicated to helping the reader distinguish between a cat and a meatloaf.

[silenus]

The loaf position also prevents appendages from being stepped on or played with. But I think it is primarily a heat-conservation technique.

[Gagundathar]

Originally Posted by galen ubal

We call it the "catloaf" position.
Anyway, I'd guess it is the body heat issue - I know our cats don't adopt it when it's hot.

Catloaf is what we call it here.
And yes, it is much more common during colder times.

In fact, 'Bama', my late tabby, used to do this and sit by the woodstove pointing at the stove with his paws down and with a pleased look on his face.

[Dung Beetle]

Originally Posted by Cazzle

The ex said one day "Aren't cats funny, the way they sit like chickens on a nest".

My son was laughing just last night about our cat Lloyd "sitting like a chicken". However, I do prefer the term "loaf"...Lloyd has so much more in common with loaves. For instance, his IQ. And his squishiness. And how he stays right where you leave him.

[Olentzero]

Originally Posted by Rhythmdvl

Several years ago there was an artist/cartoonist that was known for (by "known for" I mean it's what I knew him/her for) his cat books. Or maybe cat book. Nice and vague, huh? But when he passed years ago I read about him in the Times so I figure he must have had some notoriety. Do any cat people out there have any idea what I'm talking about?

B Kliban, perhaps?

[Lukeinva]

Maybe you should take George out to a bar once in a while.

[Rhythmdvl]

Originally Posted by Rhythmdvl

Several years ago there was an artist/cartoonist that was known for (by "known for" I mean it's what I knew him/her for) his cat books. Or maybe cat book. Nice and vague, huh? But when he passed years ago I read about him in the Times so I figure he must have had some notoriety. Do any cat people out there have any idea what I'm talking about?

I love you Internet!

The second link of Googling how to tell the difference between a cat and a meatloaf brought up the illustration I was thinking of.

The artist is B. Kliban. Apparently, he was well-known. I like the (uncited) trivia bit: "According to Art Spiegelman, Kliban invented the form of cartoon, popularized by Gary Larson and others, of a single panel with a third-person caption describing the action."

[ugly ripe tomato]

Mine catloafs all the time in cool weather, and in fact one of his favorite ways to sleep is to just drop his chin down and doze off with his legs and tail still tucked in. I call that one the "cat wedge" because with his pointed nose expanding to big fuzzy butt he reminds me of a big cheese wedge.

I agree it's probably to conserve heat, because in warm weather he usually sprawls out on his side to rest or sleep.

[Springtime for Spacers]

One of my family cats used to do this when she was sulking, we called it the stuffed turkey (not chicken, she was too plump to be a chicken).

[Colophon]

I've never heard this position compared to a loaf, but from now on that's what it is.

The reason, naturally, is that cats are born loafers.

[Terraplane]

I think it's for heat too, to keep their legs and tail warm. When it's hot outside they seem to choose the 'dead bug' position over the catloaf.

[Olentzero]

Originally Posted by Rhythmdvl

I love you Internet!

You're welcome!

[Earl Snake-Hips Tucker]

Lion Couchant? But to answer the OP, who knows. Cats just do it.

[MikeS]

Originally Posted by Argent Towers

While we're at it - sometimes I'll walk into a room and he'll have his back fully arched (and often, his tail puffed up) and then, with his back still arched, he will take two little sideways "hops" in some direction and then run off. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to the times when he does this; it'll just be totally out of the blue.

I've not seen a cat do it in person, but apparently it's not uncommon. See here, for example. It's basically a fighting posture: he appears larger by turning side-on to you, wants to keep facing you, but still wants to be able to move around. Either you genuinely startled him and it's a defensive mechanism or (more likely) he's being playful; in either event, I would assume that whether he does it depends on his state of mind when you walk into the room.

[purplehorseshoe]

One of our cats constantly loafifies, to the point that I've seen her lie down by going from a full standing posture to kneeling on her front legs, already tucking them in before the back half has even touched the floor. (Picture a camel kneeling down.)

I think the sideways dance is an invitation to play. Is your cat young, OP? Young cats get all cracked out sometimes, and tear-ass around for no apparent reason. They're just being playful and energetic.

[Snickers]

I love catloafs. We've two, and they catloaf often. Most of the cats I've had do it. No idea why, but I love how they tuck their front paws in like that.

[simster]

it also protects thier underbelly, and allows for a quick jump and run response.

[yabob]

Some non-feline animals also do that, for instance, sheep:

http://www.gilmertonfarm.com/images/onesheep.jpg

ETA:

and cows, although their legs are generally still visible underneath them.

[lieu]

Well, as long as they're kneading their paws...

[Dogzilla]

My kitteh tends to do this when he's demanded to go out on the porch, but it's really just a bit too chilly for him. I think it keeps his paws and tail warm. When he lays on the heater vents, he sprawls out belly up, with no regard whatsoever to the toothy pitbull who likes to nip at paws, tails, and whatever else she can get her teefs on.

[Duke]

Of the various feline creatures we have owned or fostered over the years, some have been near-constant loafers--even in warm weather--and others have never gone into loaf shape.

I think there's a bit of protectiveness to the position more than of mere conservation of heat. Our second-youngest adopted cat likes to fill up one of the levels of the scratching post or find an obliging human to curl up next to. And the kitten we kept from the foster mom's litter just doesn't stay still long enough to go into loaf...when she falls asleep, it's either in a tight ball or all stretched out ("pork tenderloin shape" as I've called it). Both cats grew up around humans--the kitten from literally Minute One of her life--and I suppose don't feel the need to defend themselves.

[Argent Towers]

Originally Posted by MikeS

I've not seen a cat do it in person, but apparently it's not uncommon. See here, for example. It's basically a fighting posture: he appears larger by turning side-on to you, wants to keep facing you, but still wants to be able to move around.

Yes! LOL! That's exactly what George does (though he is much bigger than the cat in that video and so it is ever the more intimidating.) Tail puffed up, double-sideways hop.

[Argent Towers]

Originally Posted by Lukeinva

Maybe you should take George out to a bar once in a while.

?!!?

[Jonathan Chance]

I always thought that was a moment (or more) of Zen for a cat. Just the state of BEING. Or what TS Eliot called the contemplation of his name.

Llama's too. Lady Chance and I refer to it as 'the llama has retracted his legs'.

http://comegetyousome.com/photo/1535...a-sitting.html

This place calls in Llamapillar.

[Jake]

Originally Posted by Lynn Bodoni

My own personal untestable hypothesis is that cats do this because of kittens. Ever seen a litter of kittens playing around the momcat? If her tail and paws are out, the kittens WILL play with those appendages. So momcat draws in her legs and tail.

The other explanation, of course, is just Cats Is Weird.

Lynn, your explanation is the best so far.

[blondebear]

Slightly OT, but one of the cats in our apartment complex has figured out where the hot water pipes run close to the surface--on cooler days, you can always see Minnow lounging in one of a couple of choice spots.

[Nars Glinley]

Much like pigeons, they do it because it feels good.

[OttoDaFe]

I tend to think of it in terms of how a nun (in the Good Old Days) would commonly sit with her arms folded under the front part of her habit.

As for "why," I think it's a tie between Jonathan Chance and Lynn Bodoni.

[Cat Whisperer]

Originally Posted by ugly ripe tomato

Mine catloafs all the time in cool weather, and in fact one of his favorite ways to sleep is to just drop his chin down and doze off with his legs and tail still tucked in. I call that one the "cat wedge" because with his pointed nose expanding to big fuzzy butt he reminds me of a big cheese wedge.<snip>

That's one of my cat's favourite sleeping positions - tail and back legs tucked in, front legs tucked in but head and neck stretched out in front. Cat wedge, indeed.

She also does this sometimes, because she's a cat and they're weird. (That's not my cat - just a picture similar to what she does.) She also sleeps with her face right in the corner of her loveseat, for a similar reasons.

[Francis Vaughan]

Sad to hear B Kliban passed away. I have most of his books.

I call the position the Sphinx position. Curiously, of my two cats - who are brothers from the same litter - one uses the position as part of of his set of standard poses, whilst the other rarely does. The temperament difference between the two is that the one that likes the Sphinx position is more timid than the other, and it seems he adopts it when he is less comfortable about his surroundings. When he is totally relaxed he will adopt all the ultra-cute (on his back, paws splayed) positions to sleep in, but if he is more alert and wishing to relax whilst being vigilant, it is the Sphinx.

A very long time ago there was an article in Scientific American that showed a series of cat poses, and related them to levels of alertness, and implicitly levels of threat perception.

[TBG]

Maybe a certain site (meme?) should have been "I can haz meetloaf?"

I don't think either of my current cats assumes the position too often. One's just a big huge fuzzball and just likes rolling over on his side and/or curling up, and the other prefers a more "lounging" position with his hind legs pointing out behind him.

[Musicat]

I have on my desk right now, a Kliban coffee mug showing two Kliban cats. One is sleeping on top of a computer monitor, obviously tuckered out from a chat session. The remnants of said session are still on the screen, and look a lot like: "Meow meow meow meow meow..."

The other fat cat is playing with a mouse. The computer mouse, of course. Kliban was pretty hip.

"Meow meow meow meow meow..."

Why do cats sit in a loaf? Just loafing around, of course.

[panache45]

Originally Posted by sandra_nz

. . . assumed the meatloaf position (that's what I call it, because I always imagine her sitting in an imaginary meatloaf tin).

I've always called it "impersonating a meatloaf," and have occasionally thought of squirting ketchup on its back. I don't think I've ever had a cat that didn't do it.

[TBG]

Originally Posted by TBG

Maybe a certain site (meme?) should have been "I can haz meetloaf?"

I don't think either of my current cats assumes the position too often. One's just a big huge fuzzball and just likes rolling over on his side and/or curling up, and the other prefers a more "lounging" position with his hind legs pointing out behind him.

And right on cue, as if to make a liar out of me, cat#2 is now on the back of the couch next to me, assuming the meatloaf position, lol

[madrabbitwoman]

When my cat sits with her feed out front I call it the sphinx position. When her feet are tucked in I call it the loaf of bread position. All my rabbits get into the loaf position too.