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Bored Panda

Jonas Zvilius

50 Times Cats Went Belly Up And Showed Off Their Adorable Tummies

Bored Panda

There are all sorts of cats: fluffy and hairless, skinny and plump, spotty and monochrome. Similarly, their bellies come in many varieties too: hairless pink, chonky and floofy, but always so incredibly soft. Just looking at them makes you want to go in for some soft scratches!

Interestingly (or should we not even be surprised at this point?), there's a subreddit dedicated to pics of cats showing off their bellies. So, if you're in need of some feline cuteness, scroll down for some adorable pictures of cat tummies that even have me – a sworn dog lover – thinking maybe being a cat person ain't that bad.

Bored Panda reached out to one of the moderators of the Cat Bellies community, u/Startinezzz. They were kind enough to give us inside knowledge about the cat subreddit. Read our chat below!

#1 Picture Of The Cat With Her Young

Image credits: justomgthings

#2 Ballerina Belly ❤️

Image credits: judenotjudas

#3 Palm Print

Image credits: icant-chooseone

We're certified cat lovers here on Bored Panda, so we couldn't pass on the opportunity to put these adorable kitty tummies on your timeline. In the past, we've covered many things from close-ups of cat noses and their interesting fur markings to cats with jobs and cats with some serious malfunctioning issues.

So, a post dedicated solely to cats' bellies shouldn't come as a surprise. More so, when there's an entire subreddit where people share those kinds of pics. The Cat Bellies community has 250k members and their rules are pretty simple: post a picture of a cat that's showing off its belly. Other felines, like leopards, are acceptable too.

#4 Are Snow Leopard Catbellies Accepted Here As Well?

Image credits: Niadlaf

#5 Kittenbelly

Image credits: ProfDumm

#6 We Made Her Funniest Photo Into A Pillow. Unprompted, She Immediately Posed For Comparison. Now We Have A New Funniest Photo

Image credits: halloumi-hallouyu

To find out more about the community, we reached out to one of the mods of r/CatBellies. We asked u/Startinezzz about what it's like moderating such a wholesome corner of the internet. "The vibes in this sub are almost always excellent," they told us in a message.

"My job as a mod is mainly removing spam and karma farming bots but I've only been needed to step in once for an inappropriate comment in all my time as a mod. My approach is always to ensure nobody feels threatened, abused, or vulnerable in what should be a safe and happy place!"

#7 The Best Belly Ever

Image credits: cant-chooseone

#8 Look At This

Image credits: fidocapeta

#9 He Melts Like Butter In My Husband’s Arms

Image credits: Percyear

As a moderator, u/Startinezzz is probably becoming an expert on the different ways cats expose their bellies. We asked the Redditor if they had any favorites they'd seen during their time as a mod. "The full stretch belly or the sitting like a human belly are definitely my favourite poses!" the netizen says.

#10 Another Baby Ember Belly After His Bottle

Image credits: roseyaj

#11 This Cat's Belly

Image credits: ForgottenPotato

#12 Cruisin For A Snoozin

Image credits: jonnos

Usually, when a cat exposes their belly, it's a sign of trust. Sure, they might just be having a nice stretch after a long nap, but it's more likely that they're also showing you they're comfortable and relaxed around you.

u/Startinezzz thinks trust is a big factor in why we like cat belly pictures. "The exposure and vulnerability they show when exposing their belly is a sign of how comfortable and safe they feel – what more could you want to give a pet in a home?"

#13 Looooooooooong Belly

Image credits: jasontaken

#14 Cancer Won But I'll Never Forget That Belly

Image credits: makeupketchup

#15 Her Winter Coat Is Taking Her Fluffiness To Comical Levels

Image credits: Formal-Rat

But showing trust isn't the only reason why cats roll onto their backs and expose their tummies occasionally. That's also how they regulate their temperature. Because they have less fur on their stomachs, by exposing it they cool down, similarly to how we stick out a leg from underneath a blanket.

#16 Good View Of A Great Belly

Image credits: StellasSilkBlouse

#17 Here Is Flynn And He Likes To Have His Belly Tickled

Image credits: mermaidpaint

#18 A Different Kind Of Sunrise

Image credits: Attack_Bovines

Interestingly, having all four paws up is a defensive stance for cats. "On their back, a cat has quick and easy access to four sets of claws and all their teeth. For a cat, exposing their belly can mean that they are prepared for battle," cat behavior specialist Dr. Rachel Geller told Rover.

#19 Look At Me! I'm A Snowman

Image credits: anon

#20 Can A Post-Surgery Belly Get Some Love?

Image credits: edovebragg

#21 Cupcake Attempting To Be Cute After Yelling In My Ear For Two Straight Hours While I Was Trying To Sleep

Image credits: mistu62

It's hard to resist rubbing an inviting fluffy belly, but cat people probably know that you risk getting your hand scratched when you touch a cat's tummy. This "Cat Tummy Trap" that might catch some people by surprise is a very natural reflex. Because cats are predators, they go into defensive mode when someone is just a few millimeters away from their vital organs.

#22 Dunkie Likes To Show Off The Chocolate Chip Cookie On His Belly

Image credits: Jenn1555

#23 Belly’s Out, Curls Out

Image credits: CatsAndShades

#24 I Must Be Doing Something Right For Him To Be So Comfortable

Image credits: SlaughterKitten

As all cats have different personalities, some might like belly rubs better than others. According to animal behaviorist Lena Provoost, the hair follicles on the belly and the tail area are hypersensitive. So, getting rubs on the tummy might be overstimulating for some cats. "Cats prefer to be pet and scratched on the head, specifically under their chin and cheeks where they have scent glands," Provoost told National Geographic.

#25 When The Sun Shines, The Belly Appears

Image credits: tinyblackberry-

#26 Tempting But It’s A Trap!?

Image credits: alexpokemontrades

#27 My Lucy Has To Be Put Down Today Due To Thyroid Cancer, But She Loved Exposing Her Tummy To The Sun

Image credits: Celesteeni

There's a tweet somewhere in the depths of the internet about how cats are an exercise in control. The same goes with belly rubs; you have to read your cat's body language: if they scratch, nip, or glare at you, they probably don't like having their tummy rubbed. That doesn't mean they don't trust you or don't feel comfortable around you – just be aware that a show of their tummy isn't an automatic invite to go to town with your hand on their fluffy tums.

#28 Beatrice. She Stretches Like This For About 10s When I Have To Move Her Off My Lap

Image credits: slothello

#29 You'd Never Know She Was Once A Stray

Image credits: Poshturnip

#30 Please Tell Me Why Does His Belly Smell So Nice? ?

Image credits: kingdommaerchen

Some signs that your cat might be asking for belly rubs can be pawing for attention, purring, closing their eyes, pushing their face or head into your hand, and slow and steady breathing. Some cats also show affection by allogrooming – licking – their owner's hand or arm. If they're also moving their tail slowly, your cat might be telling you they're ready for a belly rub.