8 reasons why a cat hides under the blanket

Causes

Let's find out the common reasons why they do this strange habit of hiding under blankets.

Cats feel safe under a blanket . Burying them under blankets makes cats safe. It is also a manifestation of their instincts as both prey and predator. Even though they are already domesticated, cats instinctively look for safe and dark places where they can hide, or a place from which they can “attack” their prey.
They want to keep warm . Cats naturally look for a warm place to burrow and snuggle, especially in cold weather. This may be more noticeable among breeds with fine coats or hairless breeds. However, some cats may hide under blankets regardless of the room temperature.
Your pet doesn't want to be disturbed . Just like people, your indoor cat can get hysterical and burying herself in the blanket is her excuse to hide everything. Although it may depend on the cat's breed or general temperament and personality, some cats hide under blankets and ignore any interaction at certain times of the day.
They want to captivate you with the game . The exact opposite of point #3 above, your indoor cat might just want to play with you, so she's rummaging around under the covers. This usually happens if she sees you lying in bed in the morning or before bed. Typically, your pet will burrow under the blanket to get your attention, either to invite you to play or to snuggle with you.
Your cat may have bush instinct . Cats prefer three types of environments: trees, the beach, or bush dwellers. Cats that prefer to sit in high places are tree-dwellers, while cats that like to sit in open spaces are beach-dwellers. If you have an indoor cat that likes to hide under the covers, then she is a bush cat. This type of cat likes to stay in places below ground level, such as under the bed, among potted plants, or under blankets.
She may be worried and stressed . A cat that hides under the covers may also be feeling anxious or stressed. Have you recently moved to a new home? Have you added another pet or perhaps a new addition to the family, such as a new baby? These types of household changes can cause stress and anxiety for your pet.
Cats may do this out of routine . Some indoor cats just hide under the sheets out of routine, that's all. That's how random these furry felines can be! They may do this just to see how you react, and some days they won't come near the bed at all.
Perhaps she doesn't feel well . When your cat burrows under the covers, she may also be telling you that something is wrong with her. She may want to hide and bury herself under the covers to rest and recover because she doesn't feel well. If she looks pale, lethargic, and shows other signs, such as not eating or drinking water, you should take her to the vet immediately.

In case of illness

A sick or wounded animal is not able to run away, hunt or offer serious resistance, therefore, in the natural environment, sick animals try to sit out in a shelter until the condition stabilizes.

The sensitive instincts of domestic cats force them to repeat the behavioral stereotype of their wild ancestors and hide away from prying eyes. You can suspect something is wrong if a pet hiding in a dark place:

does not respond to calls;
refuses not only the usual food, but also treats;
becomes apathetic and indifferent to toys and fun;
turns out to be unusually hot to the touch;
constantly rubs sour eyes and nose with its paws;
continuously licks any part of the body;
unable to empty the bladder, or the urine has a strong odor and blood;
experiences a frequent urge to vomit and/or defecate, and the feces are liquid with an admixture of undigested food residues, mucus and blood.

Cats experience temporary illnesses, but ignoring obvious signs of poor health is unforgivable carelessness. To dispel all doubts and take emergency measures in case of serious trouble, a depressed animal must be shown to a veterinarian without delay.

How to correct a cat's behavior?

If you're an indoor parent but you don't like your indoor cat burrowing under your blankets because you're afraid she might suffocate, then here are a few tricks you can try.

Close or lock your bedroom to prevent your indoor cat from getting inside . This is the best thing you can do to prevent your kitten from getting inside and burrowing under the blanket. Not only will you eliminate the worry that your cat might suffocate, but you will also eliminate the hassle of disheveled or, worse, dirty blankets.
Stack pillows or recreate a stash using cardboard boxes . You can still give her the feeling of burrowing under the blankets and sheets by stacking the pillows so that there is enough room for her to crawl and hide. You can also make “hides” for her by collecting cardboard boxes.
Place comfy blankets in her cat's bed . Your kitty will no longer have a reason to come into your bedroom if she discovers that you have comfy blankets just for her. Hopefully this will stop her from burying herself under your blankets.
Help your cat calm down with sedatives . If the behavior is caused by anxiety or stress, you may want to try calming cat foods.

Cats will always be cats, and burrowing under the covers is an instinct they usually do to feel safe, to start playing and bonding with you, and to keep warm in the winter. However, if your pet is hiding under the sheets for other reasons, such as stress or illness, seek professional help immediately and take her to the vet.

Cat quirks

Friends never tire of telling how Nora frolics when they come home from work. Plays with balls and paper balls. Any pen, pencil, milk bottle ring is a toy for her.

The cat loves to hide its fun under the doormat, brings it into bed, pushes it behind the closet and sofa, and then fishes it out with its paw, like getting a mouse out of a hole. She meows and invites people to communicate with her. But if they don’t pay attention to the baby’s calls, she suddenly disappears...

When my friends lost it for the first time, they looked for it for a very long time, and then found it under a sofa cover. There Nora nestled comfortably between the back of the sofa and the mattress, stretched out to her full height and dozed. And at this time her friends were going crazy: they thought that she accidentally jumped out the door and got lost.

I know a lot of details about the gray beauty: as a kitten, she began to sleep next to her owner, as if with her mother cat.

And during the day, when she is alone, the mustachioed prankster also climbs under the covers. First, she grabs the edge of the blanket with her paw, then pulls it forcefully towards herself until she forms a fold, like the entrance to a hut. Then he climbs inside an imaginary hole. Friends suggest that this makes it more comfortable for the baby, it’s easier to rest and wait for them from work.

Perhaps, not only children's instincts speak in a cat, but also wild instincts: the smaller the shelter, and its walls touch the fluffy sides, the safer it is for life. Therefore, in winter and summer, the master's bed replaces Nora with a reliable, warm bed.

If a cat sleeps at the head of the owner, what does this mean?

Experts have conducted a number of studies and found that a cat can sleep near its owner's head for several reasons.

According to physiological

The human head is always warm, and therefore the animal is very comfortable there. The location of the cat near another part of the body may indicate that it is hot there and perhaps there is an inflammatory process leading to this. The cat will experience the same comfort when lying on a battery or on a laptop.

In a dream, a person does not swing his head, but a cat has most likely already gotten his foot or hand accidentally, so the animal could remember that he can sleep peacefully near his owner’s head.

Emotionally

An emotional connection between the owner and the cat can occur if they are very attached to each other. Then the location of the cat in the area of the owner’s head indicates that she adores him.

Why does a cat hide under the blanket?

Cats are playful, but they can also be unpredictable. They have strange habits: for example, they bring gifts in the form of caught prey or hide under blankets.

Why do cats do this? Perhaps they are looking for warmth, want to engage you in a game, or because they feel safe there. It's adorable, although sometimes cats can be a little intrusive.

Seclusion due to illness

Sick and wounded animals instinctively hide, because they are unable to actively resist and withstand danger. Domestic cats who feel depressed do the same thing, shutting themselves off from the world and immersing themselves in their pain. They may avoid human company, but go to the hospital under a blanket, especially with chills and elevated body temperature.

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Refusal of food, lethargy and reluctance to leave the shelter should alert the owner, since the stronger the disease, the weaker and more apathetic the animal becomes.

The desire to help a person

There are many examples of cats crawling into a person’s bed to cure him or improve his well-being.

If an animal behaves too intrusively, crawls under the blanket, trying to wake up a person, then you should pay attention to its behavior. Perhaps the cat is feeling restless or it’s time to go for a walk. Most likely, she wants to warn her beloved owner about something. Owners tell many stories about how cats saved them from accidents, warned them of heart attacks, and even brought medicine in their teeth.

Pets perfectly sense the human condition, have a good sense of smell and hearing, so they can notice what the owner himself is not able to see. Listen to your cat and you will learn many useful things.

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Great article

How to give artificial respiration to a cat

1. Place the animal on the floor. The neck and spine should form a straight line.

2. Clean the cat’s mouth from secretions with a napkin and close his mouth.

3. Place your palm in a tube, apply it to the animal’s nose, and exhale air there (you can inhale directly into the nose, covering the mouth with a handkerchief).

4. Feel your pulse every 20 seconds. If it suddenly stops, you need to try to restore the heartbeat with indirect massage. With one hand, take the cat's chest, pinching it between your thumb and the other four fingers, and quickly squeeze and release 5 times. After this, exhale 1 air into the cat’s nose, then squeeze again. Check every 2 minutes to see if there is a pulse. It is best to do this together, when one does massage and the other does artificial respiration. Continue until you regain your breathing or see a veterinarian.

The respiratory system of cats is naturally very vulnerable, so the only right thing to do if a cat is breathing heavily is to immediately take him to a veterinary clinic, where he will receive qualified assistance. Among the many diseases whose symptoms include shortness of breath, there are none that you can cure on your own.

Ambush hunting

Representatives of the cat family are not physiologically adapted to long, exhausting running and prolonged pursuit of prey, preferring hiding to catching up. Even the legendary cheetah sprinter sneaks as close to its prey as possible for a short, quick lunge.

Ambush hunting is common to all cats, and a domestic cat may suddenly imagine itself as a lion, jumping out from under the blanket after some moving object. Young active animals are especially prone to hunting games, loving to arrange a safari on a vacuum cleaner brush or the ankles of the mistress.

The desire to help a person

There are many examples of cats crawling into a person’s bed to cure him or improve his well-being.

If an animal behaves too intrusively, crawls under the blanket, trying to wake up a person, then you should pay attention to its behavior. Perhaps the cat is feeling restless or it’s time to go for a walk. Most likely, she wants to warn her beloved owner about something. Owners tell many stories about how cats saved them from accidents, warned them of heart attacks, and even brought medicine in their teeth.

Instincts and habits

Wild cats sleep in depressions but prefer open areas. The reason is the survival instinct; the tailed animal must always be able to stand up quickly, fight or run. Most likely, you have seen films about lions. The male, the leader of the pack, sleeps on a hill, which allows him to protect not only himself, but also the lionesses. The conclusion is obvious, cats do not tend to hide while sleeping.

There are also several species of small wild cats that live in burrows. This is explained by the habitat, since larger predators live around the tailed animals. Otherwise, the need to hide during sleep appears only when the animal is vulnerable. Transferring these natural laws to pets, we can conclude that if a sick or pregnant cat climbs under the blanket, this is absolutely normal.

How to help at home?

First of all, examine the cat’s oral cavity and look into the throat:

- if the cat is breathing heavily with his mouth open, and strong wheezing, gurgling, whistling is heard in the chest, or fluid is flowing from the mouth and nose, immediately take him to a specialist. There is nothing you can do to help, and a delay may cost the animal its life;

- if the mucous membrane of the mouth and gums are too pale, with a purple or blue tint, then the cat is suffocating. If he has almost stopped breathing, you need to give him artificial respiration.

Why does a cat need to hide?

Some cats prefer to sleep next to their owner from childhood, and then it becomes a habit for them. A little kitten is scared and cold alone, but under the blanket it is cozy and pleasant. Many pets like to sleep with a blanket on top, leaving only their nose and ears outside. They consider this quite convenient, because the owner also sleeps like this. You can also put your head on the pillow.

If the cat does not have his own house, then you should not ask why he chooses a bed or sofa. The need to find a safe hiding place can arise in a cat for various reasons.

The cat crawls under the blanket because:

Since a cat's body temperature is slightly higher than a person's, it is more acceptable for her to sleep in a warm place, for example, under a woolen blanket or rug. The blanket itself cannot provide warmth, but it effectively reduces heat loss and helps the animal maintain a constant body temperature.

Pregnant cats look for a secluded, quiet place. They understand that kittens also need warmth, so they choose a comfortable place.

Another important reason is the desire to feel comfortable. The bed and blanket are soft and pleasant. Every second cat usually prefers a hard surface to a soft one. It is much more comfortable for a small kitten to sleep on a soft one; it reminds him of his mother, the company of brothers and sisters with whom he grew up. Elderly cats may be bothered by joint pain, which subsides a little in a warm place. It is much more comfortable for them to lie on a soft bed.

All living creatures strive for peace, and reliable shelter allows them not just to doze off, but to fall asleep deeply. It is the deep sleep phase that allows you to truly restore the strength lost during the day. It is during this period that the animals’ immunity works in full force, the processes of cell division in the body are activated, and tissue renewal occurs. So you shouldn’t be surprised that the cat tries to crawl under the covers or blankets on its own. This behavior of a pet is quite understandable and understandable.

Sometimes you can notice that the cat is moving its paws over the blanket.

This could be due to several reasons:

Scientists have found that constant stress and the inability to get enough sleep lead to premature aging of animals and various diseases.

Usually a cat hides in a dark place for its own safety. Life is filled with fears and stressful situations. Climbing into a closet with clothes or under a blanket, he feels the familiar smell of the owner and finds peace.

Not all animals can be alone for a long time and really don’t like it when the owner goes to work during the day and returns home late. Lack of communication and the need to be alone for a long time force cats to climb into those places that store a familiar smell.

Pets can be attracted not only by affection for their owner, but also by the smell of their sweat. This is especially true for situations where the cat’s owner is a man. She may like the way his shaving cream or shower gel smells, especially if it has notes of mint or valerian.

For young animals, a blanket can act as an ambush during playtime. From under it, the cat can quietly stalk prey, and at an opportune moment suddenly attack and grab it.

Feeling safe

In addition to warmth, an animal may seek banal solitude under a blanket. This often happens if there are children in the house who are persistent in showing their feelings and wanting to play. For a cat, the space under the blanket becomes a truly safe and tranquil place in which to rest, relax and recuperate, especially if she does not have her own house or other secluded corner where she can hide.