What is a cat's favorite activity? Of course, a game, and then a well-deserved rest! In the closet, in the drawer, on the sofa, on the chair, on and under the bed, on books and even in the sink. Cats' imagination as to which places in the house can be used to create a separate bedroom for themselves probably has no limits. During the day, the cat may even change its resting place several times. Despite the house purchased for the pet, it often goes to sleep where it is most comfortable for it, guided only by the selection criteria known only to it.
Depending on the terrain, temperature, number of people nearby and even the current state of affairs at home, the cat sometimes chooses a rather unusual place to sleep. If it is cool, the animal will look for dark and warm places, but on hot days it will hide where it is cooler.
It may seem incredible, but cats sense what things are valuable to their owner. The more important the item is to its owner, the more likely it is to turn into a cat bed. Cats are able to perceive emotions and analyze the owner’s behavior, therefore, they quickly identify an object that is important to him and, lying on it, mark it with their own smell. Also, the survival instinct, the animal's personality and past experiences influence the choice of where a cat is going to take a nap.
One of the reasons why cats squeeze into tiny boxes, slide deep into closet shelves, snooze on their owners' heads, or "nest" in sinks is to regulate their body temperature.
When the cold comes, there's nothing better than finding yourself a warm place, heading there and taking a nap for a couple of hours. Cats seem to be well aware of this. In winter, you can often find a cat purring behind a pillow or dozing on a radiator. In turn, the tight spaces where cats tend to curl up help them maintain the right body temperature.
Peekaboo
How many times have you run around your apartment in a panic, looking for a cat that seemed to have disappeared into thin air? Yes, most cats have this crazy habit of settling down to sleep in a secluded place. Hiding is normal behavior for cats, especially when they want to get a good night's sleep. They do not like noise and value privacy, usually finding a quiet and dark place, such as in a laundry basket or on the top of a clothes rack, where they sleep most of the day.
Most often they go to places that have only one entrance. This way they don't have to stay on guard all the time. They often choose spaces that are away from family members. Tight and confined boxes make cats feel safe. The sides of the container act as armor that protects the animal from predators. This way he doesn't have to be on guard all the time, making it easier to relax. In addition, boxes help cats reduce stress.
Everything is in plain sight
Some cats are very sociable, they are attached to their owner and enjoy spending time in his environment. Then they go to bed in such a way that the person is constantly in sight. Most often, they doze, lazily raising their eyelids just to see if their guardian is where they should be, so they choose a carpet for their “observation platform.” Located in the center of the room, it gives a good view in all directions. A window sill, a sofa or a table in the kitchen is also suitable as an observation point... there are several, sometimes even dozens of such places from which the cat controls the situation in the house.
They look down on us
Cats love to look at everything from above! And this has nothing to do with the fact that they are supposedly filled with pride. In their natural habitat, cats hunt, but they can also become prey to larger animals. The instinct of the predator that lies dormant in a domestic tiger orders him to find a resting place where he has the best chance of seeing a threat or prey. Therefore, your cat may sometimes seem to overreact to certain sounds, movements, or objects. In practice, this means that places such as the top of a cabinet or shelves will become your pet's favorite resting place.
Even if a cat has been domesticated for a long time, it should be remembered that vigilance has not disappeared from its genes and it will choose a place that is at its best. It is for this reason that wild cats doze on tree branches.
Ideal place for a domestic cat to sleep
And now, having talked about where cats like to sleep and having considered their preferences, you can finally imagine the ideal place for a cat to sleep. Or rather, there are two of them, for different needs of the cat - for “warming up and hiding” and for “rolling around and looking at everything around.”
Perhaps the first one looks like this. A cardboard box or bag with bedding carefully placed at the bottom. A box in which you can comfortably lounge and which stands somewhere in a warm corner of the room near the radiator. Dark, warm, soft and quiet - you couldn’t imagine anything better!
And also a wide and smooth window sill, flooded with sun. On which there will be a soft bedding, next to it there will be sheets of paper, next to it there will be an unoccupied smooth area. His Majesty must have a choice!
By the way, nowadays there are many different plush and cardboard houses for cats on sale - not all of them are popular with our furry friends, but there are really worthwhile things on sale that were created specifically taking into account the preferences of many cats. Give a gift to your little friend!
So we looked at where cats like to sleep and how to create suitable places for our little friends to sleep. Please your pet, take care of his “minks”! After all, he himself will not be able to do many things, but it is not difficult for you.
In addition, in another case, it may happen that the cat begins to sleep in places chosen at its discretion. This means that she can easily choose, for example, a place in your closet. Wrinkled clothes with claw hooks, covered with a layer of fur from some robber... Well, not a tragedy, of course, but still an inconvenience.
Where do your cats like to sleep? Maybe you have your own ideas for creating ideal places for your pets to sleep? Share them with other readers of the women's online magazine “100 Worlds” in the comments!
Cat lover Anastasia Cherkasova
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Attract attention
The cat can be found in the kitchen or bathroom, resting on cold and hard tiles. This unobvious vacation spot is surprising. Seeing a pet on a cool floor, many wonder if this is a cause for concern. As a rule, no. The kitchen and bathroom are places where the cat's owner often comes and goes and the cat lies down so that it cannot be walked around. All this is done to attract attention. Then the cat can count on a few extra strokes, and sometimes even a tasty bite. In addition, in the summer, cool tiles allow the cat to find relief from the tedious heat.
They can stretch out on a book that their owner is about to read. Or they lie directly in front of the computer screen, effectively preventing them from working or watching a movie.
Metal in bed
Most beds and sofas have metal springs or parts. Unfortunately, this metal can enhance and distort the Earth's natural magnetic field, leading to restless sleep, nightmares, headaches, anxiety, depression, chronic fatigue, eyestrain, and muscle spasms. To find out whether your bed contains residual magnetism and whether it can be magnetized, Vicki Warren advises using a compass - slowly moving it across the bed every 30-35 centimeters. The compass needle should point north. If this is not the case, you should be wary. It is very important to protect pregnant women and young children from exposure to electromagnetic fields. It is harmful for a child to sleep in a metal bed, since the baby’s body is extremely susceptible to electromagnetic fields. A safer alternative is a wooden cradle or crib. Moreover, it turns out that high levels of electromagnetic fields in a pregnant woman's bedroom can contribute to the birth of a child with autism! If throughout pregnancy a woman sleeps in strong electromagnetic fields, her child may develop some deviations from the norm in mental development during the first years of life.
Under the blanket
Under the blanket, under the sheets in a pile of pillows. If your indoor cat likes to curl up under warm blankets, you should not throw them loosely on the bed or sofa, because there is a risk of accidentally squashing your beloved pet! Cats crawl under blankets or piles of things for the same reason as humans - to keep warm. It is also a way to create an environment that is not only warm, but dark and safe.
For the same reason, the cat hides in drawers, bags, boxes, bags, baskets. Wherever it’s warm, cozy, dark and safe. Such hiding places are better at reducing stress. It has been scientifically proven that anxiety levels in animals are reduced in dark and small spaces. Small surfaces provide ideal insulation from the environment and are ideal for curling up, a position that allows animals to maintain their desired temperature.
Constant sleep - is it normal or a deviation?
The duration of sleep directly depends on the conditions in which the cat lives. Street animals sleep much less than domestic animals, and all because they need to make an effort to feed themselves - hunt mice, look for food and even take it from their fellow animals. They more than make up for the energy expended on hunting and street fighting during long sleep, amounting to about 13–15 hours a day.
Pets, especially those that do not go outside, live on everything ready-made. They do not need to get their own food, protect their territory and take care of their offspring. Out of boredom and idleness, they can sleep 20 or more hours a day, and this will be considered their norm. We can talk about a deviation in situations where the animal’s long sleep is accompanied by lethargy, apathy, refusal to eat and other similar symptoms that require immediate contact with a veterinarian.
We figured out why cats sleep for a long time - from boredom, idleness, cloudy weather, and also to save energy. The length of time a pet sleeps is directly affected by its breed, temperament, age and living conditions. Sleep may lengthen for several reasons:
- severe fatigue;
- stress;
- the weather is too hot or, conversely, too cold;
- vaccination or surgery;
- castration or sterilization;
- pregnancy.
Older cats sleep much more than younger ones, this is due to the aging of its organs and systems and the slowdown of metabolic processes in the body. Be sure to pay attention to the duration of sleep; its increase may be the first symptom of the disease.
Love of literature
It turns out that a love of books may be inscribed in... cat DNA. The history of this addiction dates back to the times of ancient Egypt, where cats were domesticated. They protected houses, fields, and also libraries, where valuable scrolls were kept, from rodents. Some have been specially trained for this purpose! We can say that cats had a hand in the development of civilization. No wonder they were worshiped as gods. For centuries, cats have served the same role. Later they lived in bookstores and museums, where they protected collections of rare books. To this day, cats feel comfortable in bookstores and antique shops. Perhaps they feel that this is their historical duty!
Also, hypothetically, it can be assumed that cats' love for paper is related to safety. To escape, the cat climbs a tree. Perhaps the structure and smell of wood somehow “reminds” cats of their natural habitat, and paper replaces it at home.
Everyone knows that cats are thermophilic; they look for heat sources everywhere. And a piece of paper turns out to be... one of them. Paper is an excellent insulating layer - it reflects the heat of the cat lying on it and returns it to the cat. The texture of the paper and the sounds it makes are also important. All this makes an ordinary piece of magazine or a creaking newspaper more attractive to many animals than the coziest den.
There is also a theory that a cat that definitely wants to lie down on a newspaper or book that its owner is currently reading simply wants to attract attention. Some cats love to be in the center of things and therefore just want to say with their behavior: “Hey, I'm here! It's time to play with me."
Why does the cat sleep on the keyboard?
Some cat habits are not easy for humans to understand. For example, the fact that most cats simply adore the keyboard or computer screen.
“Today you are not working, because I will sleep here,” says the cat, settling on the keyboard of a working device, sometimes changing all the settings.
Why is this happening? Behaviorists also speculate about the reasons for cats' love of computers. While there are no studies that provide a definitive answer, there are several theories that point to possible reasons why pet tigers become addicted to electronic equipment.
Some argue that the answer lies in the electromagnetic field emitted by the device. Perhaps cats are able to sense it, and for some reason they are drawn to it. Opponents of this theory disagree, because in this case, pets should also be interested in other equipment, such as smartphones. Meanwhile, they are usually only drawn to computers.
So, maybe we are talking about the heat that technology generates? Cats, after all, love to bask on the stove. This sounds logical, but the fact is that for many of them, a cold, switched-off laptop is just as attractive as a switched-on one.
Could this be jealousy?
Animal psychologists agree that a cat's interest in computers is actually associated with the user of the equipment, that is, with the owner. According to this theory, the cat lies down on the laptop because it sees that the device is the center of the person's attention. She is jealous and wants to redirect all attention to herself. In addition, the owner often unconsciously reinforces this behavior by stroking the cat and talking to it. The cat thus receives the signal: “This works,” so it will interfere more often.
But what to do in a situation where you just need to get work done, but your pet has a different opinion about it? The only way is to gradually wean the animal from such behavior. If the cat wants to be nearby, you need to allow him to do this by setting up, for example, a den near the computer and each time moving him there as soon as he tries to settle on the laptop. When he decides to stay in the prepared place, it is good to reinforce such a gesture with a reward, and also do not forget to praise him for this every time. This way, the pet will receive what it was looking for - closeness and attention, and the person will be able to work calmly.
Close the bedroom door
Tactic of closed doors at night
The most obvious advice on how to wean a cat from sleeping with its owner is to simply close the door. Although it is quite obvious, there is an important nuance to it. It takes patience to make it work.
As soon as you close the bedroom door in your cat's face, the cat will want to get in. He will scratch at the door and meow. In this case, it is important not to react to any cat provocations , because he can perceive any reaction as a positive result of his actions. Next time the cat will torment the door even more, because he will know: this technique with the owner works perfectly.
How to proceed? Be patient and only open the door if you really need it. For example, in the morning after sleep.
Closed area tactics
There is another trick that might work. Make the bedroom a no-go zone for your pet and follow this rule not only at night, but also during the day.
Why does the tactic work?
Cats are territorial animals. It is important for them to have access to territory that they consider theirs. This is why a closed door is perceived as a challenge. If the entrance to the bedroom is permanently restricted, it will cease to be part of the cat's domain and the need to inspect and guard them at night will disappear.
Why does a cat sleep on her guardian's head?
Even if your pet politely falls asleep at the end of the bed, cuddled up to your feet, you shouldn't count on him staying in that same spot until the morning. At least several times during the night, the cat changes its position and location, eventually greeting its guardian in the morning by lying on his head.
According to feline sybarites, snuggling up to a warm human face or hair allows them, on the one hand, to warm up, and on the other hand, to save on their own heat. The principle of energy saving. But why not legs or arms? The limbs that a person most often hides under a blanket have a lower temperature, which makes them no longer so attractive as heating pads.
During sleep, a person changes his position, turns from side to side, puts his hands next to his face or along his body, moves his legs. These involuntary limb movements are extremely annoying for cats. Therefore, they prefer to find places to curl up where they won't be woken up every few minutes. The human head area is the calmest place, which is why cats often choose it for long sleep.
If you look at a sleeping person. What part of his body is the most prominent? Of course, the head, shoulder or back depending on the position in which he sleeps. Instinct tells cats to take sleeping places that are improvised observation points in order to give a good overview and quickly retreat in a suitable direction in case of danger.
Hair, especially long and thick hair, is associated with fur in cats. By snuggling with human hair, cats return to their childhood, feeling safer, as if their cat mother is still nearby, watching over their sleep.
Cat and man
It is important for cats to take part in the life of the owner and be part of the events that happen. By lying down in a person's place, his clothes, or jumping into his arms, they feel in the thick of things, and with the help of smell they receive additional information.
When a cat rubs against a person and his things, she leaves her scent and accepts him as a member of her pack. Especially if the kitten was separated from its mother early, this is exactly how it perceives the person. The cat worries about him and if he senses problems in his body, he lies down on the weak spot, sharing his healing energy.
For reasons unknown to humans, a cat likes to fall asleep not in a cat house, but in a human bed or in a chair. Pregnant women most often experience discomfort when an animal sits on their stomach. They worry that the pet will cause harm by the pressure of its weight on the developing fetus. And some are afraid that the cat feels some kind of deviation. In fact, the animal is simply leaning against a warm and living place.
