Theophile-Alexandre Steinlen was born in Switzerland and later resided in France.  He was a highly-productive and popular illustrator from the late 1880s through the end of World War I.  His renditions of cats are among the best in the world. He was a master of reflecting cats' moods in his drawings, and "The Steinlen" derives from interpretation of the contortions shown by some of his subjects.  Our Nicky (aka "Squidgy") is a master of "The Steinlen," practicing it on a daily basis! The following illustrations--though not those of Steinlen--make clear the intended effect.

In order to properly do The Steinlen, you must scrunch up the middle of your body and then rub against the item of your choice--first in one direction--then glide around (in a somewhat shark-like manner) and turn-- then proceed through the same steps in the other direction!  The process is repeated until the desired effect is achieved (petting, feeding, sitting on a lap, typing on the computer keyboard) or until something comes along that is of more interest (playing with a toy, gazing out the window at a bird, dinner, watching a spot on the wall).

You can use any (somewhat) stationary object--as long as it is warm and pliable--and as long as it is willing! 

Some examples of Steinlen's work with which you may be familiar: