Supine Feline Indeed!

Fresh air, full tummy and just bathed: contentment!

This is just about Addie's favourite position to relax in - and sometimes fall asleep. She loves spending time on her back. In fact, she likes being on her back of her own volition more than any cat I have ever had. Luckily she also likes - or at least tolerates - having her belly rubbed, especially when she is very sleepy. Good thing, because we'd be rubbing that belly either way. I mean, look at that furry tummy. There is no way to resist it. Addie's belly fur is like cotton candy without the stickiness, or a favourite woolen sweater that you keep long after you can wear it out in public.

I took this picture this evening after Addie had polished off her dinner and given herself a bath by the screen door to the balcony. The air conditioners were on all weekend but today the air in Toronto is cool and fresh so I shut off the noisy machines and threw all the windows open. Addie loved it; she's an indoor cat but a fresh air fiend. When the balcony door is open the air circulates around our dining room table just right and Addie, lover of all locations high in the air, is usually to be found right where she is in this photo. We tried to keep her off the table completely, but fell victim to her feline charms and have reached a compromise wherein she is allowed on the table as long as there is neither food nor tablecloth already on it. She seems to understand this arrangement and it's worked out very well so far.

Addie as a kitten, a pose she never outgrew

Many of my very favourite pictures of Addie were taken while she was cavorting or sleeping on her back. I was looking through my catalogue of photos on Flickr and I seems to me that somewhere around a quarter of all the shots of Addie show off her fluffy white belly. That's likely why when I saw a "Group Pool" on Flickr entitled supine feline (only cats lying on their backs!) I immediately joined it. Here are a few of my favourite shots from that pool, uploaded by other Flick members.




Here's one from Scotland. This is likely my favourite of the outdoor shots in this group pool. Spring sun in the garden: who wouldn't lie like that?

This cat has remained anonymous

Here's one from Croatia. I like this one because the proportions of this cat are very similar to those of Hobbes (from the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes). Also I think her markings make her look like a small ocelot!

Driblet

And, of course, the obligatory supine kitten picture, this one from Gouarec, Brittany, France.

Virgul'

As of this writing, there are 197 photos from 43 members in that group pool; check it out if you want to see them all! I will leave you with my favourite "supine" picture of Addie....so far.

Blissed out

Sweet dreams!