Why Does a Cat Elongate Its Body Before Sitting Down?

Cats often elongate their bodies before sitting down. This routine can be a form of communication or simply the stretching of their muscles after sleeping for a long period of time.

  1. Stretching

    • A cat may elongate their body simply as a way to stretch out muscles after a long nap.

    Relaxation

    • Cats have a very relaxing lifestyle. Their daily routine includes thorough stretching. Additionally, the elongation of the body keeps a cat in shape, so that he can assume the defensive position when needed.

    Signals

    • Stretching the body also is a common way in which a cat shows self-confidence. However, bending the front legs when it stretches, could signal that a cat is trying to avoid conflict.

    Territorial

    • Cats often stretch their bodies to scratch with their nails in order to mark their territory. This trait started in the wild, where big cats, such as leopards or tigers, marked trees by utilizing this exact position.

    Flexibility

    • A cat is able to elongate their back due to the nearly 60 vertebrae in the spine, which allow a cat to be extremely flexible. In comparison, humans have only about 34 vertebrae.