2009.01.27
Where does kitty sleep? Where ever kitty wants.
Here's a picture of Shade, the matriarch kitty of blog reader Kim's family. Shade got a new bed over the weekend and she likes it very much. Kim says Shade, who is more than 12 years old, smacks around her pet siblings if they even look at her new bed.
This led to a little discussion among co-workers about where kitties like to snooze. My daughter's cat, India, naps only on my daughter's bed. My cat, Thai, sleeps in a variety of places, but his favorite place to rest is in what we call The Cat Cave. Remember that stroller I told you about last year, and I mentioned it again last week?
Well, since I am too lazy busy to take him out on walks, he has turned the carrier of the stroller into his own bedroom. We have it perched on an ottoman near a window, and he can survey most of the first floor of the house from this vantage point.
The dogs even seem to respect the sanctity of The Cat Cave and never bother him there.
But this is not Thai's first bed. When we lived in Nashville he used to sleep on a big pillow that sat on a four-drawer dresser at the foot of my bed. When we moved to Roanoke the dresser migrated into my daughter's room, along with the pillow. He never slept on it again. Ever.
I suspect one day we will turn the ottoman the wrong way, or something will just not feel right about it to him, and he will walk away from The Cat Cave and never sleep there again. Why?
Because he's a cat.
And kitty sleeps where and when he wants. Sometimes it's where you want them to, like a nice cat bed. And sometimes it's on your fiance's coat, like Dumo here, a cat who belongs to reporter Mason Adams. At least the coat matches most of the cat.
Where does your kitty like to take his or her cat naps? Have you ever successfully persuaded kitty to choose another spot to sleep? Share and enlighten, please.
We can't persuade any of our 8 cats to sleep where we would like them to. If they want to sleep somewhere, they will. They tend to stick mostly with our chairs and couches, but they also love piles of laundry, clean or otherwise. Our bed is a popular spot too, although we try to keep the bedrooms closed to the cats if we can help it. They also love sleeping in front of the fireplace when it's buring nice and toasty. If they're outside, they'll nap anywhere that's warm, like car hoods after they've been driven a while and parked, or in the sun.
Comment by Other John — January 27, 2009 @ 8:04 am
Couch or bed for my two. Woe betide any article of clothing that gets laid on either piece of furniture, as the cats will instantly gravitate to it.
Comment by Mark R — January 27, 2009 @ 9:18 am
My Baby has commandeered the glider rocker. No one is allowed to sit there. I had to resort to placing her bed in the chair to keep the fur situation from ruining the upholstery. She actually rocks the chair which is conveniently located near her window perch. She is 16 years old now and is allowed to do whatever she wants. She's earned the right!
Comment by Sandy — January 27, 2009 @ 12:07 pm
My female cat, Zoe, either lays on the bed upstairs or on her perch in the living room window. When she gets really cold, she lays right on top of the radiators -- not very comfy looking, but clearly warm. Our male cat, Ned, is quite the fickle feline when it comes to sleep spots. If he had his way, he would sleep directly on the upholstery of our new couch and chair in the living room. We didn't want that, so we put plastic sheets on top with the plastic spiked side up. Now, Ned sleeps on the plastic sheet, SPIKE SIDE UP. He did have a very comfortable bed dressed with one of my gym shirts, which he loved. It is still laying in the exact same spot on the living room floor where it was when he inexplicably abandoned it about a year ago. I keep hoping he will go back and I even drop him in the bed occasionally and make cooing noises and pat the fluffy inside. He jumps out like I just put him in a tub of water. Go figure!!!
Comment by lindseynair — January 27, 2009 @ 1:07 pm
Oh yes. I'm there with you all. My kitty cat Brandy will snooze in the usual and oddest places.
She will weigh down the corner of my blanket while I'm reading on the couch and she can be found hiding like a refugee of sorts in my closet shelves. There among the sweaters and jeans I don't regularly wear, she is shedding her turtle-colored long hair, while blinking her eyes at me. She even has the nerve to silently wonder, "why would you disturb my sleep with your search for... clothes?"
Today she wanted a piece of paper to curl up on. I don't really understand that one.
When there's company staying for more than a few hours, she can be found above the fridge, on top of the cabinets. I think she feels the higher she gets, the safer she is. Hmmmm... instincts must aways win out.
And btw, we bought a fancy-shmancy cat bed when we first brought Brandy home. She never once used it.
Comment by Amy Hanek — January 27, 2009 @ 3:39 pm
I'm waiting to see how long Shade will maintain her bed. She's a rover and this is the first bed she's had. Normally she likes the top of the sofa, loveseat or recliner. When she gets tired of one spot she moves to her next choice which is based on criteria only she knows. I hope she sleeps in her bed on a regular basis with side trips to other spots but only time will tell!
Comment by Kim — January 27, 2009 @ 4:51 pm
Two very beautiful kitties! Shade has this look on her face that says to me "don't even think about taking my new bed!" Love both kitties!! I would not or could not make my cats sleep anywhere except where they want to be..no way. They sleep on my bed, a chair upstairs, my recliner downstairs and if I have company and they toss their coats where the kitties can get to them..my company leaves my house with lots of fur. They are the bosses of the house...they sometimes let me sleep in my (their) bed and refuse to make the house payments!
Comment by Deborah — January 29, 2009 @ 8:43 pm