Broccoli, the cat, enjoys spending most of her time sunbathing, as any self-respecting feline would. There’s nothing like the warm sun caressing your fur as you drift off to sleep. It seems humans aren’t the only animals who love laying out on a sunny day; alligators, dogs, cats, and even some birds soak up their fair share of sunshine.
If you own a dog or cat, you’ve probably noticed how often they take naps in the sun. Broccoli is no exception, and her owner, Carolyn, loves her for it! Be prepared for cuteness overload – don’t say we didn’t warn you!
She says that most of the time, Broccoli and her brother Dilbert spend their time lounging and sunbathing. Their old apartment had a little window seat where Broccoli would “play dead,” lying flat on her back with her arms straight out. It was a sight to behold and became Broccoli’s trademark after a while.
“She used to love to sunbathe in that spot, so that’s where she spent the majority of her day,” Carolyn said.
“So as far as we know, Broccoli is a domestic shorthair Tortoiseshell Tabby. We adopted Broccoli from the National Humane Association,” she explained. “Her cat dad Cade and I have been wanting a cat for a while, but Cade actually ended up surprising me with Broccoli one day.
“When I was at work, he called me and said that he had a surprise and to come outside. I was not expecting to walk outside and see just the tiniest, cutest little cat walking around his car like she owned the place,” she jokes.
Meet Broccoli, the Adorable Sunbathing Cat
Broccoli isn’t the only one with a big personality. It turns out Dilbert also showed his feisty side from day one.
“Broccoli does have a brother named Dilbert, but we call him Dilly for short. When we adopted Broccoli’s brother Dilly, he was screaming at us through a little kennel thing, and we were like, ‘Oh, let’s see if that one wants to play.’ I mean, he did want to play. He just did not want to play with us,” Carolyn recalls.
He chased a little ball around the entire time, ignoring Carolyn and the gang. However, when they placed him back in the kennel, he started screaming at them! He followed them around the place and continued screaming as if he didn’t want them to leave.
“The people at the shelter were like, ‘Oh, he must really like you. He never does that for anyone.’ But come to find out, I think they might have just been tired of the screaming because he’s very vocal and makes noises all the time,” Carolyn says.
Now, he has a cat sister to play with and release all his pent-up energy. He also seems to enjoy basking in the sunshine with Broccoli, and it’s become one of their favorite pastimes. They immerse themselves in other typical cat activities when they’re not sunbathing. For example, playing, running marathons through the house, and cuddling are also on their daily to-do list.
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“[Broccoli] loves to play with like toy springs, anything that resembles a hair tie, and she loves to chase ice cubes. Anytime I walk over to the ice machine, she’ll come running over and start meowing at me relentlessly until I toss her a little piece of crushed ice for her to chase around and lick. So that’s her new favorite hobby,” Carolyn says.
She Also Has a Unique Nighttime Ritual
When she’s done sunbathing and playing for the day, Broccoli tucks herself snugly into bed with her parents. It’s so adorable that she’d rather sleep with her humans than by herself! Of course, she’s not always gentle about getting into bed, but that’s another story.
“So one of the cutest things I think Broccoli does is she sleeps with us every night. She loves to sleep on this little pillow that’s above my head. She really has no regard for other people; she’ll just jump right on your chest and knock the wind out of you, and then climb across your face to get to her pillow,” Carolyn jokes. “But it’s very sweet when she’s sleeping there. She’s like our little princess on her little pillow, so that’s one of our favorite things that she does.”
You might wonder why cats love to sleep above your head at night. According to cat behavior experts, it’s because heat escapes through your head, so it’s pretty warm up there. In other words, it’s the perfect place for cats to keep themselves cozy while sleeping. Also, they have a strong sense of smell, so your cat might like the scent of your shampoo. Whatever the reason, it’s cute that some cats exhibit this behavior at bedtime.
Cats may have their quirks (such as sunbathing), but it’s easy to see why people love them. They’ve changed Carolyn and Cade’s life for the better, and they wouldn’t trade their fur babies for anything!
“It’s hard to say all of the positive things that Broccoli and Dilly bring into our lives. Sometimes we will just be talking about her, me and her dad, and we’ll just say, like ‘I can’t even imagine what we’d be doing or what our lives would be like without our cats,’” Carolyn says.
“They just make us so happy, they’re so sweet, they bring so much entertainment because you never know what they’re going to do. If you don’t have a cat, you should get a cat!”
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Final Thoughts on Broccoli the Sunbathing Cat
Have you ever seen a cat sunbathing before? If you’ve been around cats enough, you probably have noticed this quirky behavior at some point. It’s an instinct for cats since they have a high body temperature of 102° F, so they need sunlight to keep warm.
Of course, most cats have other hobbies besides just lying in the sun, such as playing with random objects and cuddling with you! Broccoli is the complete package, providing her owners with endless entertainment and a wellspring of love. How could you not absolutely adore her?! Let us know what you think about Broccoli in the comments.
