How Do Cats Choose Spots

[houghj3]

Hi,

Just curious, Thermose has various sitting spots. One is on the floor carpet at the entrance to my apartment, the other is the bedroom (also carpeted).

When I am home, Thermose (when not wanting attention) is on the doorway rug, when I come home from work she's in the bedroom area.

 

[Gaven Kent]

Hi,

Just curious, Thermose has various sitting spots. One is on the floor carpet at the entrance to my apartment, the other is the bedroom (also carpeted).

When I am home, Thermose (when not wanting attention) is on the doorway rug, when I come home from work she's in the bedroom area.

This is Hugo relaxing in his favourite chair while imitating a human. The moment this chair was delivered Hugo fell in love with it. After playing with and then destroying the packaging he jumped up, made himself comfortable and then slept on it for ten hours. I've covered it with a cheap but thick blanket as the chair is made from a cream material that stand no chance with Hugo's razor sharp claws. Other than a couple of guests neither myself or my partner have ever has the chance to sit in it properly. I used it briefly while putting my shoes on. Hugo appeared and gave me a look of utter contempt.
I'm not sure how he chose this spot but he spends each evening, from about 9pm to when we all go to bed wither curled up in a fight ball or spread out in a human like recline pose. Once everybody goes up to bed he sleeps on the basket at the top of the stairs or the bottom of our bed. During the winter months we will have the open fire going and he gets the full effect of the heat in this chair. Once he is in a heat induced stupor and a state of feline nirvana its not unusual for him to have a full twelve hours on this chair. This has remained a firm favourite and while I never had the pleasure of finding out how comfy it is the look of pure happiness on Hugo's face has given me a rough idea! So worth every penny just to see his smiling, sleeping tabby face and ridiculously relaxed self! Also it's always had a super heavy, claw proof blanket over it,so after several years remains in pristine condition.

 

[daisyd]

I know it's strange.. Gracie mostly sleeps one the bed with is and now and again she will sleep elsewhere. she slept in the tail rack last night and i felt quite upset as wondered why she didn't want to sleep on bed with us

 

[Gaven Kent]

I know it's strange.. Gracie mostly sleeps one the bed with is and now and again she will sleep elsewhere. she slept in the tail rack last night and i felt quite upset as wondered why she didn't want to sleep on bed with us

We will have two weeks of two cats taking up most of the bed then suddenly they'll be off doing their own thing. I'm left wondering what did I do to offend them? Carter and Hugo have their time with us but then their time with each other that is free from humans. If either of us disturbs them we get some angry looks accompanied by menacing tail swishing!

 

[Gaven Kent]

This chair was described as a love seat on Heals website. I suppose it's right as Hugo clearly loves it. Nobody else has got a look in

 

[Gaven Kent]

I was given a load of random sized and coloured carpet tiles that I've put in the cats area downstairs. They love them and also use them to sharpen their claws. With the various scratching posts and boxes they've helped keep claws off the furniture and actually look quite good against the wood flooring.

 

[Kieka]

My cats have several spots. A few more frequently used than others. Some seem to be seasonaly. Others simply because someone else found it interesting. Someone told me once have "spots" was part of a cats territorial nature.

Here are Link and Fury passed out in their frequent warm day spots (due to trees and where it is that area is usually 10 degrees cooler then the surrounding area). The boys, being older, claimed their chairs before we got Rocket. So her similar spot is under a rocker next to the birds aviary.

 

[Gaven Kent]

I found this Japanese cat lair called a Kamakuras Lair. It looks awesome. You can make it using old cardboard boxes or there's a few sites selling them. I think they are about $120 US. There's also a YouTube video of Maru the box loving cat squeezing into one. Here's the link for some basic build instructions:
The Stickercat: DIY Cardboard "Kamakura House" (Japanese Cat Nest) - Part 1

 

[Gaven Kent]

And here's a ship bought example

 

[blackkittens]

Oli prefers me or the bed. We share just about everything!

 

[tabbytom]

Hi,

Just curious, Thermose has various sitting spots. One is on the floor carpet at the entrance to my apartment, the other is the bedroom (also carpeted).

When I am home, Thermose (when not wanting attention) is on the doorway rug, when I come home from work she's in the bedroom area.

Cats have strategic spots of rest. They always choose a spot that they can see you and have a good view of what's around them.

When we are in the living room, he'll lay in a spot where he can see us and if we are not home, he's at a spot near the door. The spot is always warm to touch and we know that he's there waiting for us to come home.

If wethaer is hot, they'll choose a cool floor and if cold, usually they are on the rug. And they have their favorite spots.

 

[Gaven Kent]

Oli prefers me or the bed. We share just about everything!

Hooray! Another person who doesn't mind their cats on their bed. I've had so many people recoil in disgust when they hear that Carter and Hugo sleep upstairs with us. Comments like ..'How can you sleep with all that fur'... and ...'It's so unhygienic'... etc etc are the usual outbursts. The TV in the living room is made by Samsung and when it's switched off at night it plays a tune. The cats are usually asleep in one of their downstairs spots but wake up on hearing this as its their cue to both trot off upstairs and take their nighttime positions at the top and bottom of the bed. We've got a double bed but need to upsize as two people and two cats leaves no room!

 

[jcat]

Favored spots tend to change all the time, which is presumably driven by an instinct for self-preservation. They keep potential predators guessing. High, soft, and sunny spots appeal to most cats, but there are some that would much rather be in a dark "cave", often former strays or ferals.

There have been a few cats at the shelter who've preferred hard spots to sleep in. They'll push cushions and blankets off shelves and perches to slumber on bare wood. Some will sleep directly on top of a radiator even though there's a soft bed attached to the front of it.

Our own cats have always loved fleece blankets. Our last one, Jamie, claimed every one in the house as his own and would bitterly complain if my husband used one of "his" blankets. I was allowed to.

 

[blackkittens]

Hooray! Another person who doesn't mind their cats on their bed. I've had so many people recoil in disgust when they hear that Carter and Hugo sleep upstairs with us. Comments like ..'How can you sleep with all that fur'... and ...'It's so unhygienic'... etc etc are the usual outbursts. The TV in the living room is made by Samsung and when it's switched off at night it plays a tune. The cats are usually asleep in one of their downstairs spots but wake up on hearing this as its their cue to both trot off upstairs and take their nighttime positions at the top and bottom of the bed. We've got a double bed but need to upsize as two people and two cats leaves no room!

Aww, haha! I've been sleeping with them from day one. I don't mind.

 

[daisyd]

Hooray! Another person who doesn't mind their cats on their bed. I've had so many people recoil in disgust when they hear that Carter and Hugo sleep upstairs with us. Comments like ..'How can you sleep with all that fur'... and ...'It's so unhygienic'... etc etc are the usual outbursts.

I've had gracie in our bed since day one too. She's an indoor cat only so I know where she's been (although I know in the litter box too ) but that's clean too as I'm bit over the top with cleaning that).

There is a whole thread on here somewhere about cats sleeping in bed with owners ...

 

[daisyd]

I've had gracie in our bed since day one too. She's an indoor cat only so I know where she's been (although I know in the litter box too ) but that's clean too as I'm bit over the top with cleaning that).

There is a whole thread on here somewhere about cats sleeping in bed with owners ...

 

[daisyd]

Gracie also loves her basket we got her when she was tiny ! She's a bit too big for it now but not sure we can take it away from her now ! See the difference in the pictures of her in her basket

 

[houghj3]

Yeah Thermose, sleeps in the bed with me too. My sleep is eratic (working graveyard), and I move around a lot, she seems to have adjusted though. She stays near the front door when I am home, unless she wants rub downs, and is always at my bedroom door when I come home.

Cool to hear other cat spot stories.