The Big Question: Why Do Cats Like to Sleep In Weird Places?

Everyone knows domestic cats love to sleep practically anywhere. I'm sure you've all seen the range of pictures that have gone viral online showing cats sleeping on various things from radiators to flower pots. Cat owners will agree that this is not just a one-off, all cats do so on a regular basis.
But the big question everyone has is why do they do it?

Well there are many reasons depending on the type of object they've chosen to lie on/in.

Let's start with the most popular object; cardboard boxes.

Boo!  ©thinkcats.com

Cats have a peculiar fascination with cardboard boxes. Bring a box into a room and guaranteed within 2 minutes the cat will investigate it and jump straight in. Anyone brave enough to try and enter the box whilst a cat is inside will usually suffer some claw marks. 

Scientists have revealed that cats feel a sense of security when inside a box or a similar object because they are shielded from anything that could hurt them and they can see anything that is approaching them before it can reach them. 

This now makes sense as to why I found my cat Cosmo sleeping in this strange place:

Cosmo lying amongst the ivy that is growing on the side of my garage. He seemed shocked when he realised we could see him through the garage window!

Another reason they may be lying in a strange place is the warmth of the spot. Cats love warmth, they regularly sunbathe which according to experts actually conserves energy! "They like to seek out sunlight for naps because this offsets the drop in basal metabolism that comes with sleep’s shutdown of certain body processes" says Pamela Merritt.

This is why you'll find your cat laying in direct sunlight, next to your laptop, by the radiator or even stealing your seat when you get up.

©theheatingoilclub.co.uk

Also cats are extremely territorial animals, when they rub up against household objects, or even their owners, they are spreading their scent around the house so that they are familiar with their surroundings and know they can feel at home as they are the dominant species in that household. So when you bring a new object into the room cats will become curious and will inspect this new object, eventually rubbing up against it and possibly lying on it to transfer their scent onto it so they can recognise it as a familiar object; something they can trust.

Lastly, the most obvious reason; cats simply have different comforts to us humans. What we may think of as a bizarre sleeping spot they may see as a comfy one. We try to make their beds nice and comfy with cushions, blankets and cuddly toys but they might see that as the opposite to comfy.

So there we have it, now you know why you regularly find your cat sleeping in a weird place. Combine all these reasons and your cat has a purrrrfect sleeping spot (sorry just couldn't resist!)

Here are some more pictures of my cats lying in strange places: 

Cats must find bags comfy

Who says cats hate water?