Cat keeps lying lying on laptop

[whiggs]

Hello all. So, I am having a problem with my cat lying down on my laptop, which, after some research, I have come to learn is quite a common issue that cat owners have to deal with. However, I am posting here because my problem differs slightly from everything I have read online. In all of the articles/forum posts I have seen, the cat lays down on the laptop when the owner is present and usually actively using the device. I wish that was my problem, but no, my cat only does this when I have left the house. I have never actually seen her lying down on my laptop before, but I know she is doing it due to the fact that my laptops are not in the state that I left them in when I get back home, and these are noticeable differences, like the brightness on my built-in monitor having been turned all the way down, or my screen magnifying a certain section of my desktop. So I have never actually caught her in the act before, so I can't punish the behavior when she does it. It almost seems like she is intentionally doing it, as, when she sees that I am about to leave, she will make a bee-line for my room and hide under my bed until I leave, at which point she pops out and does things she knows she is not supposed to. This behavior is starting to upset me greatly, and I am trying to figure out what I can do to stop this behavior, as I don't want to have to play hide and go seek with her in my room and then wrestle her out of my room each and every time I have to leave the house, but that is what I am essentially having to do, and I am about to throw the damn thing off my balcony if I can't find a way to teach her to STOP. Sorry. I am just tired. I don't want to have to deal with malfunctioning laptops after a long day of work because of this bloody animal. I can't. I just can't. Any help would really be appreciated.

 

[Biomehanika]

Your cat is not intentionally doing this to spite you, so try to get that idea out of your head. Some cats, usually the more nervous ones, hide as their owners get ready to leave the house. They sense the change in energy/uptick in activity, realize something is up, and go somewhere “safe”… totally normal.

Sounds like turning off/unplugging your PC when you leave the house should solve the issue completely. She can’t accidentally mess with any of the settings if the machine isn’t on.

 

[maggie101]

Is your laptop by the window? Have a spare box? Anything else she can lay on. A cat tower

 

[DeesCats]

I have to close the lid on my laptop when I'm not using it otherwise the cats tend to walk all over them and open multiple windows.

 

[Alldara]

....just close your laptop and put it away. Don't make it more difficult than it is.

Normal behaviour she's laying somewhere warm that smells like you.

Just like as pet owners we don't leave food out on the counter because we know our pets get in to things. You can't blame her for something you continue to allow by leaving the laptop out.

 

[Furballsmom]

just close your laptop and put it away. Don't make it more difficult than it is.

I agree. Close the laptop(s), close the door to your room before you get ready to leave, whatever.

You're tired and that makes things look and feel worse, I know and understand. However, if you need to, rehome your cat so that both you and she aren't living under the stress that you are experiencing.

 

[ImaRobot]

My cat will lay on anything I lay around that resembles a box shape, even if its just a flat piece of paper. Knowing that, I don't leave any devices open or on simply because of that, as that's the easy step to eliminate issues. They'd lay on the screen of my TV if I left it flat on the floor without any supervision or left for the day. If it's something I don't want them to lay on, I move it to somewhere where they simply can't.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Turn off and close the laptop. That settles it completely, and, as it is not generating ANY heat in the "off" setting, will make it less attractive to her.

The hidden advantage of this is that no one can hack your computer, activate the camera, and watch you without your knowing about it. Yes, that happens. It happened to a friend of mine. They were, thankfully, able to track down the guy. It's an insidious form of stalking.

 

[iPappy]

I always close my laptop when not in use. Once, I returned only to find the "blue screen of death" and was lucky to salvage what I did. Another time, the fan got clogged and the thing was dangerously hot. I'd close the laptop and see if that alone breaks the habit.

 

[eevans3373]

(1) It's a laptop. Close the lid and/or put it away or simply shut the cat out of the room when you are at work.
(2) You've never seen you cat lay on the laptop. How do you know it's her? The laptop could be faulty. You could have a virus, etc...
(3) You sound angry over such a trivial, easy to solve matter. Chill out. Your cat is not conspiring against you.

 

[Gunther4ever]

Throw a sheet over the system when you leave it might discourage the cat. It's simple and easy