Why Do Cats Fold Their Paws Under Them? ( Check Out Why Cats Curl Their Paws)

If you are a cat owner, you might have found that your cat tucks its legs below it body sits in a very royal manner. That is perhaps one of the majestic looks that  your cat shows up with. But, have you ever wondered why do cats fold their paws under them? Well, the posture has its own significance. Let us try unearting the secret of this tucked in position which is also referred to as loaf position.

What is Cat Loaf position?

The position where the cat sits with its paws tugged below its body. It is called a loaf position because it resembles a sandwiched bread loaf. The compact, rectangular shape with rounded edges is what makes the experience stand out as a loaff of bread.

If you look at your cat sitting in the loaf position, you would find it sitting with paws and tail tucked below it, resembling a perfect rectangular shape with rounded edge. The cat loaf position can have several variations. It may have one paw tucked in while the other extended. Another position may have paws tucked in and tail wrapped around the body. The most common aspect of the cat laof position is thee paws folded beneath the body.

Why do cats fold their paws underneath the body?

A cat sitting with their paws folded under the body is one of the most common sights of a cat’s body language. The cat may choose to do it due to several reasons. Want to know why do cats tuck their paws under them? You may find your answers here below –

Reason 1 – For preserving body heat

The paws tucked underneath the body is to preserve its body heat. The normal body temperature of your cat is 101.0 to 102.5°F (38.3 to 39.2°C). When you look at the normal human body temperature at 98.6°F (37°C), you would understand why cats look for warmer places. You would also see your cat stretching its body during the warmer months, they would tend to curl their paws beneath their body in the winter months. Your cat will seek your bed, or curl up close to you or even shed the coat to grow the thick ones to help maintain the body temperature.

Just like or hands get colder first than the rest part of our body, cats too get their paws colder. That is why the cat will tend to tuck paws under its body to preserve heat and warm up their paws.

Reason 2 – A sign of comfort and contentness

Cats often tend to find the best comfortable places to sleep. Sitting in a box with front pas folded or tucked beneath the body or or doing so on soft blankets is the feline way of showing their comfort level. Like the cat expert Mikel Delgado states, “a cat who is lying with their paws tucked underneath them is considered relaxed. They aren’t preparing to defend themselves or run away.”

You would also find your cat giving your soft blicks when she is in this position. This could be an indicator to show that they are extremely relaxed. In this case, if you go close to your cat, it may untuck the paw and rest it on your body.

Reason 3 – Your cat is being alert

Cats use the cat loaf pose for different purposes. The cat’s paws tucked beneath its body may also indicate that your cat is being alert. If you have noticed your cat sitting on a window listening to the birds chirping and something happening outside, it has tucked its paws below its body.

The loaf position in this case lets the cat to be alert about its surroundings. Your cat will keep twitching its ears and open its eyes every now and then.

Reason 4 – It is a sign of not being disturbed

The cat loaf position is also a sign that your cat does want to be left alone. It is your cat’s way to stay relaxed. They want to have their own space and some quality time for themselves. Yes, that is something a cat lover needs to understand.

Cats do look wonderful and cute in the cat loaf position. However, it should not be considered to be an invitation to play with them. Even when you may be looking to cuddle with them, it isn’t the right option to go with. The ccat may decide to run away from you.

Reason 5 – They may not be comfortable

Maybe your cat isn’t comfortable. The Cat loaf position where the cat has tucked paws under their bodies can also be a sign of their not feeling well. However, this possibility can also be accompanied by the other signs such as your cat may be lethargic or sleeps all through the day. It may also show a different sleeping pattern.

One of the reasons cats tuck their paws under the body can be an indicator that its paws are in pain. The cat may try to pull its away from you when you attempt to touch it. That would mean your cat needs a treatment and attention.

How to find which reason applies to your cat?

Well, the discussion above should have given you an insight into how tucking paws under the body can have different meanings. The position for cats can mean different things, and you need to study your cat to find which reason is applicable to you.

The trick is to read the body language of your cat. If you have been a cat fan since long, you should be aware of several indcators with respect to your cat. Some of the indicators would include the ears, eyes, tail, overall body, and meows.

The indicators would perhaps include –

Ears 

Under normal conditions, the cat ears would be slightly up and slightly to one side. But, when it is excited, the ears will perk up. They may also twitch their ears to find where does the noise come from. However, if you notice flattened ears, it is a clear indicator that the cat is angry or scared.

Eyes

The narrowed eyes indicate that the cat is showing an emotional attachment. Soft or partially closed eyes can indicate a relaxed state, or perhaps some ME time. Alert eys combined with the tense body postures can indicate a relaxed cat is may also be alert about something.

Tail

Even when you may witness the cat is in a relaxed position, it may whip its tail fiercely, which may indicate the cat wants some personal space.

Meows

The vocalisation can also be an indicator to showcase what state it is in. a soft purring or chirping meow may indicate comfortability. A drawn out meow, or a yowl can be a sign of anger.

Do all cats curl up their paws?

Most of the cats prefer sitting in loaf position. But there are a few cats that may choose to use some other methods and options relax or preserve their body heat. However, if your cat does not like curling up paws or tucking its paws under its body, it does not mean your cat is not usual.

Some cats may choose cross their paws, They may sleep majestically and cross their pwas instead of tucking them in. Some cats may also decide to sit their pawws straight out.

The Concluding Thoughts

Cats are indeed unique and their behaviour is something that proves to be quite cute. However, understanding the specific cat behaviours can prove to be a little tough task. One such cute cat behaviour is tucking its paws under the body. The choice of reasons as outlined above should prove to be quite helpful in providing you a good help in understanding your cat better.

If you think your cat is feeling sick or uncomfortable, make sure to take an absolute care in taking care of your cat by taking it to your vet.