Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've been watching my two cats interact with each other and noticed something strange. I have a male and female both about five years old though not littermates. Both of them are neutered.
Quentin, the male, occasionally jumps on Star like he wants to mate. This aggravates Star and she lets him know it. I realize that is a sign of dominance. However, right after doing that Quentin rolls on his back and shows his belly to Star. She doesn't respond to that, just watches him. I always thought that a cat exposing his belly to another is being submissive or defensive. Why would Quentin act dominant and then immediately go to the submissive phase? This isn't a problem, but I find this contradictory behavior interesting. Any thoughts on this? Thanks.
Ellen

Sounds like a co-dependant relationship. He gets a rise out of her and when she has the expected angry reaction he apologizes. Then they repeat.