Why do cats imitate each other's poses?

by Janet Ordung
(Woonsocket, RI)

I have two cats. One is a 2 year old calico, long haired cat, the other is a short haired tuxedo.


They tend to lay next to each other like bookends that are mirror imaged. Why are they doing that?

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starstarstarstarstar 		Learning by imitation?
by: Kurt (Admin)

I don't know for sure why cat's make "bookends," or sometimes pose to create what appear to be a mirror image.

I do know that kittens often learn by imitation. They learn to use the litter box and do the "face cloth" cleaning method from their mothers and their siblings (adopted or biological). They even learn to do some things by watching humans, or dogs, or other animals.

Some of these behaviors may be instinctual in nature, but having someone to imitate tends to speed the learning process.

On the other hand, perhaps some of it is just the natural tendancy of a cat to blend in, and take on some of the characteristics of the landscape.

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