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Fluid Felines

By Debbie Best

I've often thought, if only I could stretch and relax like our feline friends. My cat, Austin, luxuriates in relaxation. His big round eyes get blinky and turn into slits. He's the champion of dozing. Sometimes, he sleeps in his little fleece bed; other times, he zones out on a narrow window sill with half of him hanging off or squishes himself into a small box with his body bulging over the sides. Studies show cats spend 70 percent or more of their day sleeping or napping.

Austin–lazing in the sun.

But when Austin decides to move, he excels at that as well. He's a creature of great agility, capable of amazing acrobatic feats. If he sees an imaginary spook, he jumps two feet in the air, straight up. He soars like a flying squirrel from the top of the kitchen hutch to the distant table below. When he jumps from the living room sofa and lands on the three inch wide back of a chair four feet away, his aim is flawless. What incredible balance he possesses while standing on a thin towel bar in the bathroom. And what piercing pain he inflicts when his wild jump lands him firmly on my shoulders or my stomach while I attempt to snooze.
A cat's particular anatomy enables it to perform these extraordinary moves, appearing almost fluid-like in motion. Its lithe, muscular, deep-chested body, relatively short limbs and long tail are primed for power. Strong hind legs give it the capability to jump and leap with great dexterity, while its forelegs can firmly grip objects large and small. With their rotary motion, cats can easily change direction while in flight. The cat's ability to move on almost any plane and perform at almost any angle make it one of the most supple creatures alive.

Austin is a constant wonder as he gracefully leaps and stretches to a thin line in air or balances like a circus act on some impossible perch. But when that fluid body finally ripples and flows into total relaxation in some nook or cranny, you marvel still at such engineering of muscle and bone.

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