Why does a cat hide under a blanket?

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.

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.

Instincts and habits

Wild cats sleep in depressions but prefer open areas. The reason is the survival instinct; the tailed animal must always be able to stand up quickly, fight or run. Most likely, you have seen films about lions. The male, the leader of the pack, sleeps on a hill, which allows him to protect not only himself, but also the lionesses. The conclusion is obvious, cats do not tend to hide while sleeping.

There are also several species of small wild cats that live in burrows. This is explained by the habitat, since larger predators live around the tailed animals. Otherwise, the need to hide during sleep appears only when the animal is vulnerable. Transferring these natural laws to pets, we can conclude that if a sick or pregnant cat climbs under the blanket, this is absolutely normal.

There is no need to worry if your pet has been accustomed to sleep in comfortable places since childhood. Some pets like to burrow into their owner's things or crawl under the covers just because it's softer and more comfortable. For many pets, the need to sleep covered comes out of nowhere; the cat tries it once and understands that it feels good. Further, this habit takes root and becomes part of the normal daily routine.

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.

Reasons why a cat hides

Fear and stressful situations

Stress can be temporary or permanent. The cause of temporary fear is renovations in the house, the arrival of guests, the appearance of a newborn baby or another pet, moving to a new place or staying in a pet hotel. Sometimes fear is caused by the bizarre shape of a houseplant or a soft toy. A cat that is accustomed to a measured life or peace tries to hide from the source of fear, not to go where things incomprehensible to it are happening. Often hisses and growls. However, after eliminating the stress, the pet boldly leaves the darkened place and behaves normally.

An animal can behave this way when its owners are constantly quarreling.

If a cat hides in dark places, this indicates a long-term internal conflict due to a stressful situation.

The predisposing factors for such behavior are constant conflicts between family members, aggressive attitude of children towards the animal, and total inattention to the pet. The cat appears calm, but is stressed

This is noticeable if obsessive movements, tics, and constant licking of certain places on the body appear until bald spots form. The animal hides in the closet, under the bed and does not want to come out because it is afraid of its owners.

Shyness

Even if the owner loves the pet very much, the animal may be shy. Delicate and friendly animals are especially prone to this. They try to hide in the closet if they accidentally do something dirty - turn over a pot with a plant, tear a toy, drop a vase. When a cat hides in a dark place, she feels guilty

Therefore, the owner should pay attention to his pet. A cat may also be shy at first when brought home from a shelter or picked up on the street.

Hide and seek

Often a cat hides under a blanket, in closets, bedside tables during the cold season. When a cat is cold, he prefers a dark place among clothes, in which he burrows, warms himself and sleeps. In addition, cats love small spaces that warm them with body heat. Also, pets cannot tolerate bright light, so in hot weather they go into a darker corner.

An animal can hide in a place from where it is very convenient to keep an eye on its “prey.”

It should be remembered that the domestic cat has inherited the instinct of its wild ancestors, so it often hides in a dark place while hunting. While playing, a kitten and an adult cat hide, considering themselves invisible, carefully watching their movements and attacking their owner. This is exactly how hidden predators behave in nature and track their prey.

Pregnant cat

Before giving birth, the pet herself finds a dark place where she is safe. The owner should not kick the cat out of there if the place does not pose a danger, otherwise the animal may feel uncomfortable and experience additional stress in another place chosen by the person. This is where the cat hides her newborn kittens. If the pet has chosen an inappropriate place, the owner can do something similar and put it in a secluded corner.

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.

The cat hides before giving birth

If the cat meows and hides under the blanket, it means that there will soon be a new addition to the family. Animals are subject to instincts, so before giving birth they look for a safe and warm place where they can give birth and protect their offspring. If a cat has its own “hole”, but doesn’t like it there, you should put the owner’s belongings and a small blanket in which the animal can wrap itself.