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History
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Your cat wants to be around you. You may notice that when you're sitting on the sofa or at the table, or standing at the counter, that your cat will curl up on your lap or rub itself up against your legs.
Background
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When you sit in a rocking chair, whether reading, rocking a baby or doing some other activity with your hands, your cat is curious and wants to be part of whatever you're doing. But since your hands are full, you don't have room for the cat on your lap, so it curls up under the rockers, since that's the next closest place to sit.
Consequences
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When a cat is unfamiliar with rocking chairs, it doesn't know that a rocking chair is different from a regular chair, which means that it's in for a nasty surprise when the rockers come down on its tail.
Prevention/Solution
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Cats learn from experience, so over time, a cat that has had its tail crushed many times may learn to stay out from underneath rocking chairs. However, some cats learn faster than others and some never learn, so if you really want to prevent your cat from getting hurt, it's better to save the rocking chair for special occasions only.
Fun Fact
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Singer-songwriter duo Loggins and Messina presented a humorous take on this situation on their 1971 album "Sittin' In," with the lyrics of the first verse of the song "Long Tailed Cat:"
A long tailed cat sitting by the old rocking chair/
Now he don't realize that there's a danger there/
But he don't care no rock 'n' roll chair is gonna boogie on his day/
'Cause when his tail took a low down, syncopate, yeah
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Why Do Cats Sit Under Rocking Chairs?
An old saying describes a nervous person as "jumpy as a long-tailed cat in room full of rocking chairs." But those of us with both cats and rocking chairs wonder why Fluffy can't keep her tail out from under the rockers.