Thanks so much for your post! As a new cat guardian, I wasn't aware of the difference between these positions. The pictures were especially helpful!
Cats are amazing at hiding pain. People sometimes misunderstand the the difference between the Sphynx and Meatloaf positions.
Sphynx, is where the head is held high up, good eye contact is being made and the cat is clearly engaged. If you blink at him/her most likely you'll get the I love you look back
Meatloaf, has a heads down position, no eye contact and sort of crouched over. This position indicates, usually, pain of some kind and can be anything; an infection, being sick to their stomach, dental pain, etc.
It's important to be able to distinguish the difference. If you notice your cat in the Meatloaf position, perhaps a quick vet visit might be in order.
