| Whenever you walk into a room where a cat is lying | | | | greeting, but a cat in a lazy, sleepy mood favors the |
| down asleep on the floor and you greet it with some | | | | belly roll demonstration. The yawning and stretching |
| friendly words, it may react by rolling over on its | | | | that goes along with it reflects the sleepiness of the |
| back, extending its legs as far as they'll go, yawning, | | | | cat; a sleepiness which it's prepared to disturb just so |
| exercising its claws and gently flipping the tip of its | | | | much and no more. The faint flipping of the tail |
| tail. As the animal performs these activities, it will | | | | shows that there's a small element of conflict building |
| stare at you, determining your mood. This is a cat's | | | | up; a conflict between staying stretched out and |
| method of offering you a passively friendly response | | | | getting up to greet the your arrival. |
| and it's something which is only executed to close | | | | It's not always safe to presume that a cat giving this |
| family members. Not many cats would take a chance | | | | belly up display is inclined to permit you to stroke its |
| at such a greeting if the person entering the room | | | | delicate underside. It might seem to be volunteering |
| were a stranger, because the exposing of the belly | | | | this option, but often an effort to respond with a |
| position makes the animal extremely susceptible. So, | | | | friendly hand is encountered with a swipe from an |
| this makes up the core of its friendliness. The cat is | | | | annoyed paw. The belly area is so well protected by |
| saying, in effect, 'I roll over to show you my belly to | | | | the cat that it finds touch there unpleasant, except in |
| prove that I trust you enough to assume this highly | | | | situations where the cat and its owner have acquired |
| defenseless position in your presence.' | | | | a very high level of social closeness. However, most |
| A cat that was more active would rush over to you | | | | average cats are leery about their more delicate |
| and begin rubbing against you as a type of friendly | | | | parts and draws the line when they are approached. |