Interesting insights from everyone, and I thank you all for your responses. It seems like an interesting question for cat-behavior-researchers. Leela, who has lived with (and...sigh...dominated) me for over nine years seems to prefer lying on my chest, tail pointing toward my head and claws (ow) kneeding me just above the crotch.

The more I learn about cats, the more I need to learn seems to expand. I love dogs, too, but they are much more obvious creatures.