The 'squeak and roll'

Our squeaky cat, Midori haas a very distinctive behavior that we jokingly call the 'squeak and roll' dance. Can anybody tell me what it means in cat language or if they have a cat that does the same thing?

she paces the floor in front of you 'squeaking' or 'eeping' (we don't meow!). Drops, rolls around on her back showing you her grand white fluffy tummy, but before you'd have time to pet her she rolls back up and resumes pacing and squeaking, only to repeat the whole process several times for your benefit.

She does this when she wants something. She did it once when I emptied my closet to clean (just had to check it out I guess), and she does it as a greeting if she's been left alone for a while (several hours). My folks are retired so she's rarely left entirely alone in the house.

Someone told me the 'showing the tummy thing' is a submissive gesture which would make sense since she's sure a mellow, friendly patch tabby cat (-the Vet loves her) but I think that's a dog thing...

Does anyone know the significance of this behavior? Any opinions welcome. Or if you have a squeaking-and-rolling cat let me know. This is our first.

Hi and welcome! My first thought is how old is she and is she spayed? If shes not spayed, this is typical in heat behavior.....However many adorable kitties across the world are belly up, chirping attention seekers! All to often I will come across Maia right in my path, on her back, and chirping when she knows I am looking!

My Flutterby does this to me when she's hungry. She likes to try and trip me up

I can't offer any advice though, cats are so mysterious

Sometimes they simply know that if they are the cutest they can be, they will distract you from whatever you are doing and give them love !

Originally Posted by cheylink

Hi

and welcome! My first thought is how old is she and is she spayed? If shes not spayed, this is typical in heat behavior.

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She's about 8yrs now, but has done this since we got her at 4yrs. She was a Humane Society cat, so no history. She had long since been spayed when we got her.

Not to make anyone think this behavior is a problem, it's not, we just laugh at it. But I'm curious where it comes from and what it might mean. She's really silly looking sometimes...

my tilly does that!! Especially in the morning when she wants her food. I think it is really cute.

Also she doesn't meow either she's squeaks.

Harley does the same thing. She'll mew and squeak at me (she doesn't meow, either), pacing around my legs, and then she'll just throw herself on the floor and show me her belly. Occasionally I'll get to tickle her before she gets back up. Sometimes, she just lays there until I pet her.

She usually does it when I get up in the morning, so with her, on one hand, I think it's partially a greeting. On the other hand, she'll do it at night when she wants me to pay attention to her (or play) as well. Cats are definitely a mystery, though.

Cats are good at getting what they want. She probably did it once before, got lots of attention from it, and now knows that cute behavior equals attention.

I agree with the other posters. It's for attention! She knows you will give her some when she does it! Sounds like she has you well trained!

BTW, I like the name Midori. Aside from a melon-flavored liquor, does the name mean anything?

Originally Posted by AddieBee

BTW, I like the name Midori. Aside from a melon-flavored liquor, does the name mean anything?

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Midori is green in Japanese.

Nora does that when she wants food, specifically her wet food. She also does it to be dramatic. lol She does it when we are all out of the house for a while, or when she wants something and isn't getting it. She thinks she is sooooo neglected. lol When she is hungry she won't let us rub her belly, she'll do what you describe. When she feels neglected she will let us pet her but gives us dirty looks the whole time. LOL

One night last week at the beginning of my flu I felt terrible so I went to bed early and hubby stayed up really late to let me get some good uninterrupted sleep. He was up until close to 4am. Nora REALLY wanted to go to bed, and to be dramatic she would THROW herself onto the floor and pout. She wasn't getting the desired effect on the carpet (it wasn't getting the proper "thud") so she moved to right inside the vinyl floor about 3 feet from the end of the sofa. She then THREW herself down again and it must have had the desired "thud" b/c she did it over and over again until he went to bed. LOL

Too bad when hubby came to bed at 3:45 Nora was screaming so loud b/c she was so happy, she woke me up and I never went back to sleep.

Originally Posted by vampcow

Midori is green in Japanese.

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Ah, that makes sense b/c the liquor is green - like honeydew.

Originally Posted by vampcow

Midori is green in Japanese.

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Yep, and she's got huge green eyes.... That's how she got the name.

Flynn does this, but only in the shower.
He likes it when we put the showerhead on the floor and turn it on and off and on and off again, he tries to catch the jets of water coming out.

So he often sits in the shower squeaking and as soon as we look at him he lets ghimself fall to the floor, rolls over, gets up, squeaks, rolls over, etc.