# Do all cats do the bum wiggle before they pounce? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 16, 2016, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-all-cats-do-the-bum-wiggle-before-they-pounce/766076 "2016-09-16T11:34:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![coremelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-all-cats-do-the-bum-wiggle-before-they-pounce/766076/1 "2016-09-16T11:34:27Z")
I have a three year old short hair that’s tipping the morbidly obese side, he’s just over 7 kg. He’s a rescue I adopted after his owner died and he was already fat, I’ve tried putting him on special diet food but the neighbours also feed him so it’s hard. Anyway he’s still a big kitten and loves to play. When he hunkers down and is about to pounce when I get a toy out he always always will wiggle his butt for 2 or 3 seconds before he pounces. I’ve seen this before, but I’m not sure if all cats do it. It would seem to be a disadvantage in hunting in the wild to telegraph your moves like this. ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-all-cats-do-the-bum-wiggle-before-they-pounce/766076/2 "2016-09-16T11:45:05Z")
Maybe. Probably. I don’t know. Cats depend on stealth and being hidden, so the bum wiggle would not be seen by the prey. ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-all-cats-do-the-bum-wiggle-before-they-pounce/766076/3 "2016-09-16T11:48:31Z")
According to Purina, > [@](#): > > When they prepare for their clandestine attack, your feline will crouch down and wiggle their hind quarters while pressing their paws into the ground to help balance. Then, they will use her hind legs to propel themselves through the air. > > In other words, your cat doesn’t just shake their bottom to look cute or make you laugh — it actually helps ground them for the big launch, just like a runner at the starting block. > **[Pouncing Cat's Pre-Pounce Wiggle: Instincts & Anatomy - Purina](https://www.purina.com.au/why-do-cats-wiggle-before-they-pounce.html)** > > Discover the secret behind a pouncing cat's wiggle! Explore wild instincts, anatomy, and playful behavior in this intriguing insight. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-all-cats-do-the-bum-wiggle-before-they-pounce/766076/4 "2016-09-16T12:38:27Z")
My favorite bum wiggle gif - [http://i.imgur.com/LPtmwpd.gif](http://i.imgur.com/LPtmwpd.gif) ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-all-cats-do-the-bum-wiggle-before-they-pounce/766076/5 "2016-09-16T13:42:15Z")
There is nothing that ALL cats do. But I would liken it to a pitcher’s windup – preparatory to putting muscle memory into action. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-all-cats-do-the-bum-wiggle-before-they-pounce/766076/6 "2016-09-16T13:55:29Z")
It may help to remember that a cat’s feet are actually entirely toes. They don’t have the wide base of support we do - their “heels” and ankle bones (tarsals) are up in the air, not making contact with the ground. Stand up on your tip toes and prepare to jump forward. Don’t you kind of want to shift around a bit first and make sure your balance is right? Cat skeleton anatomy graphic: [http://www.eurocatfancy.de/en1/nav/about-cats/cat-anatomy/images/skeleton\_cat\_en.jpg](http://www.eurocatfancy.de/en1/nav/about-cats/cat-anatomy/images/skeleton_cat_en.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![coremelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-all-cats-do-the-bum-wiggle-before-they-pounce/766076/7 "2016-09-16T14:29:18Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > It may help to remember that a cat’s feet are actually entirely toes. They don’t have the wide base of support we do - their “heels” and ankle bones (tarsals) are up in the air, not making contact with the ground. Yeah ok, makes sense, I thought it was something like that but I wasn’t sure exactly how it helps them pounce. ---
**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-all-cats-do-the-bum-wiggle-before-they-pounce/766076/8 "2016-09-16T14:57:00Z")
I think most of them doing it because they know it’s adorable, and therefore the thumb-haver holding the toy gets distracted. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-all-cats-do-the-bum-wiggle-before-they-pounce/766076/9 "2016-09-16T15:24:11Z")
> [@Merneith](#): > > My favorite bum wiggle gif - > > [That catchy song just came on the radio - GIF on Imgur](http://i.imgur.com/LPtmwpd.gif) I knew what this was going to be before I clicked. So ridiculous, and so hard not to smile at it. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2016, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-all-cats-do-the-bum-wiggle-before-they-pounce/766076/10 "2016-09-22T00:21:53Z")
We had a cat who wouldn’t raise his butt in the air before pouncing, but pushed his aft end down hard to the ground. He still wiggled, though.