Cats spend an average of 16 hours per day dozing off, and this is fine—it’s their choice. What’s a bit dodgier is that they do this in the most bizarre places ever. Like, terrariums, vases, laundry racks, trees, your bed, your dog’s mat, the list is never-ending. We documented this phenomenon in our previous articles here, here, and here.
At this point, it’s fair to say that cats would sleep anywhere except their perfectly fine, brand-new, super comfy, and very stylish cat beds. Does that mean you wasted your money on a cat tree? Well, kinda. And that vegan hipster mat you got your feline last Christmas? You could have splashed the money elsewhere.
But it's better to understand cat logic late than never, so please get ready for Bored Panda’s new list of cats who nap anywhere but where they should.
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Cat Was Tired And Jumped Into My Daughter Doll House And Actually Used The Bed
My Cat's Kittens Have Found A New Cozy Bed... In A Cup Holder
To find out more about feline sleep peculiarities, Bored Panda reached out to Mikel Delgado, a postdoctoral fellow in animal behavior at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. Mikel told us that as predators, cats tend to “work hard, sleep hard.”
But their sleeping patterns are quite different than ours. “Cats tend to sleep for short periods throughout the day and night, unlike humans, who tend to sleep in one long (hopefully!) bout.” In total, felines sleep 12 to 16 hours a day, and all that sleep helps them to “conserve energy for when they need it most—to hunt.”
We Got Him A Bed, But Then A Paper Towel Fell On The Floor, So Nevermind
Mikel also explained that most cats sleep a lot during the day since their humans aren’t at home and their environment isn’t active enough to keep them stimulated. “Providing your cat with a window perch, food puzzles, enrichment like cat grass, and safe solo play toys can help keep them more active when you are gone.”
It turns out, cats may be sleeping in all these weird places due to the fact that they fall asleep much more easily than we do. Plus, “they are also more flexible so they can fit into spaces that do not look comfortable to us.”
I Planted Oat Grass For The Cat To Snack On, She Decided It Makes A Good Bed
Mikel explained that some of those spaces may “provide cats with a sense of safety, or the ability to see what is going on in their environment.” Because even though we focus on cats as predators, they are also prey animals, so they need to be aware of what's going on around them.
Spent 10 Minutes Looking For My Cat Before I Went To Bed, Found Him Asleep In A Wok On Top Of The Freezer
My Cat Has Been Sleeping On My Pants On The Bottom Shelf Of Our Closet Lately, So I Asked My Wife To Move The Pants And Put A Cat Bed In There. Cat's Response
My Cat Has Never Quite Figured Out How His Bed Is Supposed To Work
My BF Spent 3 Months On An Outdoor Heated Cat House For My Guy. Hasn't Stepped Into It
Five Beds And Ten Chairs In The House. He Sits On The Eggs
Bought Our Kitten (Mac) A New £40 Bed And Walked In To Find Him Asleep Like This
how dare u give Mac a mere £40 Bed when the coach is clearly worth more
My Girlfriend Brought A Pot To Bed Because She Felt Ill. The Next Morning We Woke Up To This
Got Them A Bed And 10 Different Blankets, They Won't Sleep Anywhere Else Than On My Laptop Bag
Sent My Mom A Cute Cat Bed For Her Two Cats. She Sent Me Back This Picture
Bought Him A Nice Cat Bed- Refuses To Use It Without The Box Inside It
He Has Access To About Seven Cat Beds But He Prefers Hanging On The Back Of A Chair. Why
My Little Ones Have A Soft Cushy $30 Pet Bed Yet Prefer To Nap In Their Dad's Slippers
Just Bought A New Cat Bed. That's Not How You Use It, Sweetie
We Put Our Cat's Bed Inside Of A Box So She Would Use It
Two Cat Beds, One Human Bed, One Human Couch, And An Endless Amount Of Pillows And Blankets And He Chooses The Heater
My Mom Made A Fancy Bed For Her Cat Out Of An Old Suitcase
Ungrateful Cat
She Dragged This Cardboard Onto Her Bed Instead Of Just Laying On The Bed
This Was In The Way Of Padma's Usual Napping Spot, She Made The Most Logical Decision
Has An $80 Cat Bed, And Yet She’s Been Sleeping In This Bag For 2 Days Now And Won’t Get Out
Why Lie Down On The Cat Bed When You Can Use The Fruit Basket Instead?
Bella Started Sleeping On Clothes On Top Of The Rabbit Cage. Bought Her A New Cat Bed Specifically For That Purpose Like A Nice Human. She Used It Once
Note: this post originally had 139 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.
TL;DR: People don't understand cats and think they're small clawed dogs or kids you can bend to your will. Cats will think outside the box, but mostly sit inside the box.
My cat was worst than a dog, i have a dog that is worst than a cat now. My cat was always with me, at university, air bnb, any room. The pic where my cat is using a tiny place before his hommock? It's because his hooman found this thing on the streets, thought it was the good size, but it was not. He was happy and didn't want to hurt my feelings. I adopted him and he was just happy and using anything i will give him. He had a great life with me for less than one year, the shelter made money on him with a pulmonary cancer. I spent more than 4000 euros for him, he was a treasure, i will never ever trust a shelter. dscn2718-5...635198.jpg
Sorry for your loss. He was such a beautiful little cat. I like black cats very much.
dscn2711-5...c50799.jpg
luisa, before salam_10-5...859218.jpg
ohh...
Please don't blame all shelters, you happened to get a bad one, report them !!!
you also cant bend kids to your will. still humans, equal rights
Seems like cats enjoy the feeling of small enclosed spaces and being high up. Smooth solid walls (like cardboard boxes) may appeal to them more than a soft cushion open to the room. Think of defensibility, comforting smells, familiarity. Plan around your cat's needs and desires.
true, a lot of cat bed companys are like "a soft, cushy, cat bed your cat will love" and its like no, no they will not love that. they will love a stiff soft bed. they are not humans. (my theory is that they feel like their sinking into it and avoid it for that reason)