353

What kind of locomotion is that? What is the evolutionary advantage? (lemmy.world)

submitted 2 months ago by regdog@lemmy.world to c/science_memes@mander.xyz

27 comments fedilink hide all child comments

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/36846914

Down we go

all 28 comments

sorted by: hot top controversial new old

[-] miss_demeanour@lemmy.dbzer0.com 86 points 2 months ago

[-] Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works 15 points 2 months ago

Close, but not sideways, no cheek-skritch action

[-] brisk@aussie.zone 82 points 2 months ago

[-] Soup@lemmy.world 8 points 2 months ago

“That’s so weird!”

“And what are you doing?”

“…”

They expect embarrassment but they will only get pity.

[-] supersquirrel@sopuli.xyz 39 points 2 months ago

[-] logicbomb@lemmy.world 35 points 2 months ago

What is the evolutionary advantage?

Preservation of energy. Anti-parasite behavior.

[-] selokichtli@lemmy.ml 9 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

By lack of limb and intestinal autonomous motion! Yep, the cat is also digesting while flowing down.

[-] JohnAnthony@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 2 months ago

Also, autonomous bodywide scratching

[-] whosepoopisonmybuttocks@sh.itjust.works 32 points 2 months ago

I'd say the silliness seen here goes hand-in-hand with curiosity and intelligence, which makes them clever and effective hunters. This type of derpiness also earns them a rent free spot in monkey houses. So, dumb as it may seem, this is actually a very fit behavior.

[-] death_to_carrots@feddit.org 30 points 2 months ago

Well, cats are basically liquids, so flowing down the stairs is actually the expected behavior.

[-] Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works 27 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Your premise is mistaken. The cat is rubbing its scent glands/scratching its cheek (and shoulder) on the stairs' edges, to satisfy an itch and mark its property simultaneously. Sliding down the stairs is merely a benign side effect.

[-] manuallybreathing@lemmy.ml 21 points 2 months ago

I bet theyre also having fun, because cats do like fun

[-] ininewcrow@lemmy.ca 16 points 2 months ago

The temperature in your house is too high .... because your cat has taken to its liquid form.

[-] AlligatorBlizzard@sh.itjust.works 12 points 2 months ago

slinky cat!

[-] blackbrook@mander.xyz 12 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Example of convergent evolution.

[-] carmo55@lemmy.zip 12 points 2 months ago

Sometimes when I'm really tired in the morning I get out of bed like this, it's the path of leadt resistance.

[-] Zephorah@discuss.online 8 points 2 months ago

He wants pets and is using the stair edges to handle it himself.

[-] NigelFrobisher@aussie.zone 1 points 2 months ago

A pet with pets? Petception.

[-] SkabySkalywag@lemmy.world 6 points 2 months ago

Felis Slinkere!

[-] slothrop@lemmy.ca 6 points 2 months ago

Cathartic?

[-] betanumerus@lemmy.ca 5 points 2 months ago

It's called "de-escatlation". Just like de-escalation, but with an awkward hiccup.

[-] jaybone@lemmy.zip 4 points 2 months ago

Looks like a sidewinder snake.

[-] sp3ctr4l@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

... Drunken Tiger Paw?

Evolutionary advantage...?

Uh... its fairly energy conserving, accomplishes the desired goal when time is not a critical factor, also keeps kitty limber via basically a light stretch/workout of many diffent muscle/tendon groups?

[-] sqw@lemmy.sdf.org 3 points 2 months ago

i think stairs can just be awkward for cats to navigate too. they are designed for human feet...

[-] TheReturnOfPEB@reddthat.com 3 points 2 months ago

not everything is an Darwinian adaptation.

[-] ThunderQueen@lemmy.world 2 points 2 months ago

Tbh, the most compelling idea of why animals play that ive heard is just as a way to keep the body limber and ready. Its like free form yoga and calisthenics combined if youre playing hard

[-] ewigkaiwelo@lemmy.world 1 points 2 months ago

"On the rheology of cats" is the article that studies this phenomenon, please if you don't trust my link don't follow it just search the name in quotes from the beginning of the message (you should never trust the links (-________________-) ) https://www.drgoulu.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Rheology-of-cats.pdf