I have a thing for curling tootsies.
Yeah, I’m going to have to explain this one.
The other day, I walked up to my cat, Zippy, in the house as he was sleeping on my bed and said” hi” to him and I rubbed his back a little and his front paws curled in on the blanket and he started purring.
I thought to myself, man, I love curling tootsies.
And here we are. I’m writing about it like the lunatic that I am.
See, here’s the thing. I talk to a number of people who think it’s super easy to tell when a dog likes you, but with a cat it’s the opposite. I’ve heard people say it’s difficult to tell when a cat likes you. It takes everything I have not to holler, “oh contraire, my friend!”
For those who think cats don’t show emotion, I’m here to tell you if you know what to look for, you can have a pretty decent barometer on the inner workings of a feline’s emotions.
The curl of a paw, the purr in the throat, the lowering of the eyes, it all combines to show serious contentment.
The crazy thing is there is actually a reason why cats do this.
As kittens, in order to drink from their mamas, cats have to actually express the milk on their own. Animals don’t have the muscles in their mouths that humans do and can’t form an airtight seal to be able to actually suck milk in.
They can’t use straws like we can – to give you an even clearer visual on what I’m talking about.
As a result, kittens actually push on their mama’s stomach in order to get the milk to come out of the nipple. I would imagine as they are doing this, they are incredibly happy. Their bellies are getting full and it’s warm and safe and…yeah.
It must be a pretty nice feeling as a little one.
That sensation I would imagine becomes a core memory – for fans of Disney’s “Inside Out” movies. (They’re great movies, by the way, if you haven’t seen them yet.)
But my point is I’m sure the experience of drinking milk from their mamas imprints on cats from a very young age and sometimes that motion – the kneading – can follow them into adulthood.
I will often catch Zippy kneading on a blanket while we’re snuggling, and I think it harkens back to when he was a kitten getting milk from his mama and he must be pretty happy.
When cats knead or, as I started this column, curl their little tootsies, I think it’s a sign of that same contentment they knew when they were kittens.
They feel safe and loved and happy and it’s why I love those curling tootsies so much.
I see it a lot at the shelter when I walk up to a cat cage and murmur softly to our felines. The tootsie curl is a sure sign of happiness for a cat.
And it’s one of the many ways you can tell that a cat actually might like you a little bit.
I told Zippy, “See? You do love me!”
He was less impressed with my realization, but allowed me to pet him and snuggle him and even kiss his head for a bit before his tail started the swishing that I know often leads to impending doom (and that’s another way to read what a cat is feeling).
He eventually hopped off the bed and went to bug one of his feline siblings but for those few moments, I had a warm feeling in my heart knowing that no matter how ornery my boy may be, he really does enjoy my presence.
Cats are definitely an interesting creature and you can’t apply the same understanding that you have with dogs on them, but I know for a fact my life would be incredibly empty without them.
After all, where would I get my daily fix of curling tootsies if I didn’t have my feline babies?
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Jennifer Vanderau is the public relations coordinator for the Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter and can be reached at [email protected]. The shelter accepts both monetary and pet supply donations. For more information, call the shelter at 717-263-5791 or visit the website www.cvas-pets.org. CVAS also operates a thrift store in Chambersburg. Help support the animals at the shelter by donating to or shopping at the store.
