I have just thought about the cat butt wiggle. In England we might call it “the cat bottom wiggle”. You don’t always see it. Some cats do it more than others and the cat in the video has variations on the theme.
I don’t recall seeing an explanation for this type of cat behaviour. The reason for it must be either physical or psychological (or perhaps both) and I have decided it is primarily a way to mentally prepare for a chase, attack or a pounce (on prey) because there is little physical benefit to it as far as I can see. However, there may be a physical element to it which is secondary. It may prime the muscles in the hind quarters in readiness for a explosive contraction which propels the cat forwards rapidly.
In respect of mental preparedness, I’m sure that there are many equivalent human forms of behaviour which are done the same reason. For example, when a person is about to embark on a difficult task employing considerable mental and physical exertion, sometimes he or she will take deep breaths or a single deep breath. Tennis players, bounce the ball before serving and golfers waggle the club before hitting a drive.
And so the domestic cat winds himself up mentally by wiggling his butt. He “girds his loins” (“to prepare [oneself] for action”1)to use an old-fashioned phrase.
What do you think 😉 ?
Note: (1) Free Dictionary definition.
yea its cute its like im coming to get you. Jasmin does that alot with still being young at i think 3-4 months old.
Kittens are more active in play hunting so you’ll probably see it more in kittens. Geriatric cats won’t do it. It’s kids stuff.
Yea thats for sure, jasmin and Ozzie are always play fighting even after ozzie been sore with his tail.
Yea i forgot what it was like to have a kitty in full active mode. She climbs up my legs those claws and teeth are very sharp. i dont mind though. its all part of the fun of being a kitty. I can see shes already made her name amongst the other cats has won them over too. None of them are unhappy anymore. Sumtimes tiger but they all get along now.
LOL!
I haven’t thought much about this in years.
We always called it the “shimmy shake”.
Most cats I’ve been with had/have it.
It was carried over into my personal life too.
When I felt a little “frisky” in a relationship, I did the “shimmy shake”.
And, by the way, Michael is right. It was mental preparation for a pounce.
LOL!
LOL. I would have loved to have seen your shimmy shake in preparedness for a pounce 😉 Scary.
I’ll give a full demonstration when we have our party!
sounds great lol will have to have pics of course lol
lol Dee your ‘shimmy shake’ made me laugh, you are definitely like me, we’ve got some feline in our ancestry lol
I love the pre-pounce bum wiggle. It adds to the suspense and excitement. 🙂
Yes! The wind up! It also seems as though they are getting their footing just right, to help with the leap.
lol – the ‘wind up’ – is kind of exactly what it is. I picture twisting a little key in the side of the cat and then letting go as it shoots accross the floor.
But it is a sort of wind up – a get ready – a get my footing.
Does Marvin pre-pounce bum wiggle? For some reason I can’t picture him doing it but that’s probably because all I have seen of him has been very laid back and relaxed – except of course in the action movie with the rug 🙂
Marvin is so fast, he has no time to wiggle. That big lump of laid back is lightening fast if he wants to be. He can go from zero to 80 in three seconds. No time to wind up. He has such a personality. He keeps me laughing.
…and I’ll bet he can get back down from 80 to zero in another three seconds. For a nap break perhaps, or a bite to eat 🙂
Exactly! You’ve got the picture.
A lot of cats don’t do it. My Charlie doesn’t do the wiggle. That said he doesn’t do anything, hardly 😉
lol both our boyz do this before they pounce, I love it! It’s as if they are excited and winding up ready for action, yes just like tennis players bouncing the ball, or golfers waggling their club, a very apt description.