Have you often started to notice that your cat is hiding under the blanket, and you wonder why? You should not panic ahead of time, because with such a gesture an animal can speak not only about its poor health, but also about other important things. Every owner should understand this and not be angry with his pet when he again climbed into the wrong place.
Sweet Dreams
Zoologists know that relatives of domestic cats are also prone to hiding, doing this for various reasons:
- Rest after the hunt . In nature, cats spend most of the day (from 18 to 20 hours) resting after hunting. During sleep, the animal is especially vulnerable, and therefore beds are arranged in hidden and hard-to-reach places. For cats in their natural environment, this could be a hole, an old hollow, a fork in large branches with dense foliage, or a rock crevice. The animal feels protected when the walls of the shelter touch the body. Most often, cats doze with their eyes closed, without turning off their sensitive “inner guard,” but for health and recuperation, complete relaxation and a deep sleep phase are necessary.
- Call of the Ancestors . It is this property that makes a domestic cat settle down to rest in a secluded place, which can be a hole-house, a basket with a woolen blanket or a blanket on the owner’s bed.
- Feeling warm and safe. The desire to surround themselves with a cozy “cocoon” is characteristic of cats of all ages, but small kittens are especially sensitive to touch, instinctively striving for something warm and soft, reminiscent of their mother’s fluffy side. Warmth, silence and twilight create a feeling of security, allowing the baby to sleep peacefully.
Why does a cat need to hide?
Some cats prefer to sleep next to their owner from childhood, and then it becomes a habit for them. A little kitten is scared and cold alone, but under the blanket it is cozy and pleasant. Many pets like to sleep with a blanket on top, leaving only their nose and ears outside. They consider this quite convenient, because the owner also sleeps like this. You can also put your head on the pillow.
If the cat does not have his own house, then you should not ask why he chooses a bed or sofa. The need to find a safe hiding place can arise in a cat for various reasons.
The cat crawls under the blanket because:
- sick and looking for warmth;
- awaits the appearance of offspring;
- loves comfortable rest;
- wants to smell the owner;
- marks its territory;
- rarely sees the mistress of the house;
- wants to be safe.
Since a cat's body temperature is slightly higher than a person's, it is more acceptable for her to sleep in a warm place, for example, under a woolen blanket or rug. The blanket itself cannot provide warmth, but it effectively reduces heat loss and helps the animal maintain a constant body temperature.
Pregnant cats look for a secluded, quiet place. They understand that kittens also need warmth, so they choose a comfortable place.
Another important reason is the desire to feel comfortable. The bed and blanket are soft and pleasant. Every second cat usually prefers a hard surface to a soft one. It is much more comfortable for a small kitten to sleep on a soft one; it reminds him of his mother, the company of brothers and sisters with whom he grew up. Elderly cats may be bothered by joint pain, which subsides a little in a warm place. It is much more comfortable for them to lie on a soft bed.
All living creatures strive for peace, and reliable shelter allows them not just to doze off, but to fall asleep deeply. It is the deep sleep phase that allows you to truly restore the strength lost during the day. It is during this period that the animals’ immunity works in full force, the processes of cell division in the body are activated, and tissue renewal occurs. So you shouldn’t be surprised that the cat tries to crawl under the covers or blankets on its own. This behavior of a pet is quite understandable and understandable.
Sometimes you can notice that the cat is moving its paws over the blanket.
This could be due to several reasons:
- the animal shows that it feels good and pleasant at the moment;
- a childish reflex appears when, as a kitten, a cat kneaded its mother’s belly to get milk;
- In this way, the pet marks its territory, because on the pads of the cat’s paws there are glands that secrete secretions.
Scientists have found that constant stress and the inability to get enough sleep lead to premature aging of animals and various diseases.
Usually a cat hides in a dark place for its own safety. Life is filled with fears and stressful situations. Climbing into a closet with clothes or under a blanket, he feels the familiar smell of the owner and finds peace.
Not all animals can be alone for a long time and really don’t like it when the owner goes to work during the day and returns home late. Lack of communication and the need to be alone for a long time force cats to climb into those places that store a familiar smell.
Pets can be attracted not only by affection for their owner, but also by the smell of their sweat. This is especially true for situations where the cat’s owner is a man. She may like the way his shaving cream or shower gel smells, especially if it has notes of mint or valerian.
For young animals, a blanket can act as an ambush during playtime. From under it, the cat can quietly stalk prey, and at an opportune moment suddenly attack and grab it.
Warm place
If the house is cool, the pet will look for a way to warm up. Cats love warmth, so they often sit on central heating radiators or appliances that have become hot from work. They often curl up into a ball and settle among the soft folds of tissue, limiting the space around them.
The desire to crawl under the side of a sleeping person or lie on his chest can also be dictated by the search for a source of heat.
Hairless cat breeds, for which room temperatures below +25°C are uncomfortable, especially need warmth.
The house is very hectic and noisy
There are times when a pet begins to behave aggressively and bury itself in a blanket away from everyone. This is the first sign that the animal is uncomfortable being at home in a noisy and unfriendly company. By this behavior, the owner of the house can determine which person came to the house with good intentions, and which one brought anger and envy with him. Take a closer look at the animal and don’t get angry for its antisocial lifestyle.
Also, the cat may hide under the blanket in the first days when a new person appears in the house. This could be a newborn or a guest who likes to pester the cat. At such moments, it is advisable to protect the pet from communication with children or guests so that it does not feel uncomfortable.
The behavior of a pet is the attitude of its owner towards it. If there is a tense situation in the house, frequent quarrels or conflicts, then the pet will try in every possible way to cheer up the owner (by basking next to him on the bed) or, on the contrary, shut down and not make contact. You need to monitor the reaction of the furry inhabitants of the house, because they can help resolve a difficult situation.
Tips for caring for cats, useful information on raising your pet, as well as other articles about cats.
Anti-stress nook
In case of danger, wild cats hide in a secluded place until the threat passes. The Pallas's cat escapes from enemies on high rocky ledges, and the lynx hides from hunting dogs high in the trees. At the same time, obeying a wise protective instinct, the animal tries to merge with the environment, squeeze in and spread out, becoming more invisible.
Domestic cats have their reasons:
- An alarmed cat will dive under the blanket, frightened by a sudden loud noise or an unfamiliar object.
- The animal will seek salvation in comfortable solitude from the intrusive caresses of guests.
- A stressful factor for your pet is a car ride, an exhibition or a visit to the veterinarian, so he will hide under the blanket.
- Hiding under a blanket is especially common for animals for which “personal space” is not provided in a noisy and crowded house.
The owner should not disturb the peace of the cat, hidden in the soft folds of the blanket, giving him the opportunity to calm down and restore psychological balance.
Top 4: why does a cat meow and hide under the blanket
Have you often started to notice that your cat is hiding under the blanket, and you wonder why? You should not panic ahead of time, because with such a gesture an animal can speak not only about its poor health, but also about other important things. Every owner should understand this and not be angry with his pet when he again climbed into the wrong place.
Ambush hunting
Representatives of the cat family are not physiologically adapted to long, exhausting running and prolonged pursuit of prey, preferring hiding to catching up. Even the legendary cheetah sprinter sneaks as close to its prey as possible for a short, quick lunge.
Ambush hunting is common to all cats, and a domestic cat may suddenly imagine itself as a lion, jumping out from under the blanket after some moving object. Young active animals are especially prone to hunting games, loving to arrange a safari on a vacuum cleaner brush or the ankles of the mistress.
Sometimes cats can hide food in secret places, stocking up for a “rainy day,” so finding a dried piece of raw meat in their bed is a common occurrence for a cat owner.
Birth in the den
The desire to find a secluded, safe place and build a “nest” there is typical for pregnant females preparing to give birth to babies.
They are guided by the strongest maternal instinct, since in nature a weakened mother in labor and her defenseless cubs are easy prey for other predators.
The bedroom, in which human owners sleep so peacefully, is regarded by domestic cats as the safest area of the apartment and therefore can make a den for childbirth in the closet with clothes or directly in the bed.
Behavioral precursors to lambing are:
- animal anxiety;
- refusal of food;
- alarming meow.
Some cats refuse to give birth in their house, demanding the presence and help of a person they trust. Sometimes a cat can bring newborn kittens into the owner's bed that she gave birth to in another place.
Attachment to a person
Domestication has led to the emergence of human dependence in animals, so cats can climb into bed with their owner due to tender feelings. They purr musically, rub their cheeks and butt funnyly, trample their owner with their paws and hug like bored little children. When the owner leaves, his scent remains in the bed, which has a calming effect.
There are cases where cats climbed up to the blanket in order to wake up their owner in case of a fire, gas leak or an approaching earthquake. And perhaps the stories about the mystical abilities of mustachioed striped creatures to draw negative energy from a person and heal bodily ailments are not so fantastic.
Seclusion due to illness
Sick and wounded animals instinctively hide, because they are unable to actively resist and withstand danger. Domestic cats who feel depressed do the same thing, shutting themselves off from the world and immersing themselves in their pain. They may avoid human company, but go to the hospital under a blanket, especially with chills and elevated body temperature.
Refusal of food, lethargy and reluctance to leave the shelter should alert the owner, since the stronger the disease, the weaker and more apathetic the animal becomes.
