I’m completely stumped. On my afternoon walk, I pass by this cat, sitting in a yard. Its a home for sale, so no one lives there. I walk slowly toward it to greet it.
It suddenly tenses. I think it may bolt. Nope. It starts rocking back and forth rhythmicly, as if Van Halen is on its inner radio. Then it seems to flop to one side.
Never seen this behavior before in a cat.
I’ve seen it once before and it rocked then also.
Anyone an expert here who can give me a small clue?
Were it’s paws flexing while it rocked? My cats will do the “kneading” thing to varying extents when they’re happy to see us, and if they’re sitting up, this can make them rock back and forth a little. And when you say flop to one side, did it turn its head first, then fall over? Like falling to its side with the top of its head down? Because my cats do that to mean they want you to play. Tip the head to the side, fall over.
I didn’t notice if its paws were moving. It looked like it was going to flop over, I’ve seen cats do that enough, to roll on their back, but it sortof flopped to the side slowly but not all the way.
I will approach it again if I see it.
Short answer: Cats are weird.
Long answer: Cats can be epileptic, and have the same range and types of seizures that epileptic humans do. IME, cats can also be interestingly mentally ill, although it’s hard to tell if they have the same kinds of crazy that people do, as they can’t walk up to you at the bus stop, reeking of hard liquor, to tell you about the tiny radio transmitters the CIA installed in their teeth, like humans can. The behavior you describe doesn’t sound familiar to me, and we had at least two dozen cats while I was growing up (not at the same time! Although we did technically have ten once, when one of them had a large litter). Some variety of neurological dysfunction may explain the cat’s behavior, if nothing else. Which is to say, cats are weird.
Sounds like Professor Magonagal’s been hitting the pumpkin juice a little harder these days.
It must be one of those famous Tennessee fainting cats.
Can I hijack on this thread? I have the same question but for completely different cat behavior. I have contemplated starting a thread on it, but always feel a bit weird.
You see, I seem to be involved in some weird three-way relationship: me, our cat Gracie and the bathtub drain lifter.
Most workday mornings, I get up first and am in the bathroom. Our other cat, Will as well as Gracie (we got 'em from the shelter named that way…sigh) come in with me. Will gets some water from the sink spigot, gets a few pets and wants back out. Gracie jumps into the tub and waits.
I finish my pre-shower stuff and by that time, Gracie is barking at me. She has a loud, assertive “MAO!” sort of meow and she wants me in there, darn it. I stand in the tub and pet Gracie, and she walks to the front of the tub, and you know that little lever right below the water spigot - the one you flick up to open the drain and down to close it? They’re metal of course - but Gracie will teethe it and rub up against it while I pet her, every now and then looking back at me and offering a “MAO!” of…I dunno, encouragement? If you have the visual right, it isn’t hard to imagine her practically fellating that darn lever (yeah, I know: Ewww, and ouch!). It doesn’t take long for me to start laughing and tell Gracie that she is one weird cat, but then what does that make me???
Wait - don’t answer that 
But does anyone have any ideas what my cat seems to be doing???
Oh man - I killed the thread, didn’t I?
Dude, one of my girlfriend’s cats does the kind of falling thing like the first cat. She’ll take the side of her head, and roll onto her side or back. Sometimes she doesn’t complete the entire cycle. We try to pet or play with her when she does this, but then she runs away.
Cats are weird.
As I understand it, rolling onto the side or back is a defensive posture so they can use their claws and hind legs. I guess it’s for when they’re not too scared to run, but not too friendly either. My roommate’s cat definitely doesn’t want to play when she does this, and putting a hand near her usually results in her grabbing it and rabbitkicking like mad.
My cats roll to the side all of the time - only one of the cats is aggressive and will do the bite/rabbitkick move. He’s got aggression issues and we take this into account when petting or otherwise interacting with him.
The other cats want loved on. Petting, caressing and skritches are all sought after.
So, I guess it depends on the cat. I pay attention to their tails - fluid, minimal movement generally means a relaxed and happy cat. Swishy, twitchy, fast-moving tail - agitated, irritated or wound-up kitty.
YMMV, of course. 
Don’t worry, my Molly is just as weird as your cat. She does stuff just as…suggestive…as what yours does.
Okay, that’s at least one data point that I’m not alone. It’s pretty funny - my wife teases me about having a mistress…
When I talk nice to one of my cats, she’ll do the sideways roll, starting with her head. If there’s something there, she’ll sort of lean against it. It’s her way of being cute and seductive and wanting to play.
While it’s true that one of the positions a cat in a fight will take is on its back, it doesn’t mean that any cat rolling onto its back is being aggressive. Lots of cats will play on their backs, or use it as an invitation to play. Mine will get on their backs, wiggle around, and stretch their paws at you to get you to come play with them. They do it to each other, too, when they want to wrestle or play chase.
Okay, **Opalcat ** I agree with the back = invitation to play posture at times; what about my cat’s weirdness?
I always thought rolling on their back was a submissive gesture? As in, I trust you enough to show you my most vulnerable bits.
That’s in dogs.
WordMan My guess is either she is trying to figure out how to turn the water on and thinks that’s the key, or she is just enjoying rubbing something up against her gums.
OK, maybe it’s a throwback to the cat’s suckling days. Since you are essentially the cat’s parent now, when you go through the routine in the morning she feels close to you and she’s reminded of her kitty days and wants to nurse. The drain is convenient and the approximate size and shape.
Better that than some part of your anatomy :eek:
The weirdest thing my cat does is wrestle the little rug in front of the back door. If we won’t open the door to let him out on the porch he claws at the rug until he get a corner up then he bunchs up the rug and gets it between his paws where he rolls over and rabbit kicks it for a while. Cats are weird.