Expert: Jessica - 9/4/2010

Question
Hello:

I am sure you have been asked this a thousand times so I apologize in advance for taking your time.

Why do cats like to lay on laptop computers?  I am going to take a wild guess and say it is because the laptops are warm but that wouldn't make sense in the summer when it is 95 degrees with 80% humidity and the cat still lays / sleeps ontop of the laptop.

Am I correct with the computer being warm and if so what about the summer?

Thank you,

Paul


Answer
Hi Paul,

Actually, there is still a ton of guessing going on about why cats like to sleep on objects.  It seems most any object will do - even a piece of paper!  We know that cats prefer warm objects, especially in the winter, and this is a compelling point for the laptop argument, but you're right that it doesn't hold much water during the summer months, when many cats are sprawled out on tiled flooring searching for a cool spot.  Still, cats who get cozy with a laptop during cooler weather may refuse to give up their comfort zone even when the heat rolls around.

Another pretty proven fact is that cats sleep on closely personal belongings of their owners.  If you leave your sweater out, the cat is more likely to sleep on it than on a new bed you bought for him.  Maybe it's a bonding thing, maybe it's a territorial thing, maybe it's a "you'll have to pay attention to me to get to this" thing.  Nobody's quite sure.

An open laptop also provides some degree of protection for a cat.  Any time a cat can have at least one side of him shielded from intruders, he's going to be happy about it.  Security is a big deal for cats, and this is why they love boxes so much.  Cats will seek out areas like this.

Hope that makes some sense!

Jessica