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Why Does My Cat Sleep On The Kitchen Floor

If your cat is sleeping on the kitchen floor you may be wondering why this is happening, or if it is normal…

Why Does My Cat Sleep On The Kitchen Floor

This is completely normal and nothing to worry about. Remember, your cat is wearing a fur coat everywhere, so when it’s just mildly warmer to you, it’s quite a bit warmer for your cat. Due to this, kitties will look for cool places to sleep.

So, now you know. But, should I be concerned? How can I prevent it if I am sick of it? Are there any risks with the cat on the kitchen floor? Keep reading for these answers, and much more…

Is kitchen Lino (Linoleum) popular with cats?

A black and white photo of a cat sitting in the kitchen.

A black and white photo of a cat sitting in the kitchen.

Linoleum is a popular place to take a nap, and even a cold tile can feel quite soothing for its temperature and slick surface. So, don’t worry when your cat eschews their fluffy bed for a nap on the kitchen floor – it actually feels quite nice for them!

Should I be concerned if my cat sleeps on my kitchen floor?

No, there is no need to worry when your kitty is sleeping on the kitchen floor, it just happens to be comfortable and cool and that’s why your kitty is there. If you’d rather they sleep in their bed, you can put a fan close to it and this will sometimes lure a warm kitty there for a little cooling down.

That said, whenever you cat is sleeping on the soft linoleum or tiles of your kitchen floor, it’s just because they want to cool down and these surfaces just happen to be the ideal place in your shared home for doing this!

How can I prevent my cat from sleeping on the kitchen floor?

The best way to keep an overheating cat off of the kitchen floor is to make other spots in the house more attractive to them. You can make the whole house cooler by simply cranking up the AC, although you’ll safe a little on your electric bill by putting a fan somewhere strategic to create a nice airflow.

Somewhere close to or even facing the kitty’s bed might just do the trick and you can also put a couple of ice cubes in your cat’s water bowl to help them to keep their temperature down when the weather is quickly warming them up.

What are the risks of my cat sleeping on the kitchen floor?

The kitchen isn’t the best place for your cat, as people go in there a lot when they are looking for snacks or drinks and of course, for cooking. Your kitty could easily get stepped on or even have hot food or oil dropped on them.

A human trying to avoid stepping on your cat could also trip and get hot food or oil on themselves as well!

Unless you live alone and know to watch for any felines napping on the kitchen floor, it’s a good idea to set up a fan somewhere else in the house so that your cat has other options for keeping themselves cool.

Where should a cat sleep?

If you live alone and you’re in the habit of watching where you walk, then anywhere is okay. Otherwise, as far as places for your kitty to sleep, you’ve got quite a few excellent options. A kitty tower with a fan nearby makes for a comfortable place to sleep and if it comes with toys, it can double as a play area.

Sprinkle a little catnip in it and you’ve got a great little ‘kitty hotel’. A soft, fluffy bed is also welcome, but even a favorite blanket placed strategically on the couch where your cat can be comfy and next to you is a fine sleeping option for your kitty.

Just get creative and be sure to leave a little catnip in your strategic ‘suggested sleeping spots’ and with a little luck, your cat will be less random about where they feel like sleeping.

Why do cats suddenly change where they sleep?

A cat sleeping on the floor on a rug.

A cat sleeping on the floor on a rug.

While it’s easy to think of your cat as a sweet and fuzzy little acrobat, you need to remember that you are looking at a small, but extremely effective apex predator. As such, your cat is hardwired to change where they sleep from time to time, so that another predator could not easily find them.

Cats are highly driven by scents and staying in one place for too long creates a concentration of their scents in one place. Nature has equipped them with an instinct that this is a bad idea and might get them eaten!

So, your cat naturally changes their sleeping spots as a form of protection. Even though they are safe in your house, this instinct is hard-wired into your cat, so there is not need to worry when they play ‘musical napping spots’.

Is it comfortable for my cat to sleep on the floor?

Yes, it is very comfortable for your cat, even if you might not like sleeping on the floor yourself. With carpet, your cat gets a fuzzy spot, often with the inclusion of a nice, soothing and warm sunbeam from the window.

With a linoleum floor in a kitchen, your cat gets a spot with an interesting texture that’s also cooler than fuzzier sleeping spots. Tile cools even better, and it is also slick and smooth for your kitty, and generally quite clean in the bargain (also a very important factor for fastidiously self-bathing creatures like your cat!).

So, don’t panic – if your cat wasn’t comfortable then they wouldn’t be sleeping there!

Do cats usually prefer a private location to sleep?

Most, if not all cats, so like a little privacy every now and again. While that TV doesn’t seem so loud to you, your cat certainly notices the sounds (and might even hear a few that you don’t!), so seeking out a quiet nook for a nap is completely normal and to be expected.

Doing so gives your cat a little peace, but it also helps them to feel safe. Cats routinely switch their sleeping spots based on an instinctual urge to make things difficult for other predators that might want to eat them.

They will also pick sleeping spots based on things like temperature or even by scent – Cats are highly territorial and a comfortable spot that doesn’t yet smell like them makes a prime napping location, as they can subsequently mark it with their own scents by simply napping there a few times.

How do a cat’s instincts, from the wild, affect where it sleeps?

When you see your cat sleeping somewhere that seems like it would be uncomfortable to you, what you should remember is that cats weren’t always domesticated.

In the wild, cats don’t have fluffy beds or carpet to sleep on, so piles of dirt that are ugly, but cool to the skin, are fine spots for sleeping as well as secluded nooks under bushes, homes, and the like.

Cats are driven to pick places to sleep where they feel safe and beyond this, also never to sleep in one place for very long. This is an excellent instinct for survival, as other animals that might eat the cat would be looking for concentrations of scent to indicate that they will come back to that spot.

So, when your kitty keeps moving to different spots in the home, it’s not a reason to be concerned. In the wild, it’s how they survive, and even domestic kitties have never forgotten this important lesson!

Can a cat sleep almost anywhere?

Yes, cats can make themselves comfortable in the strangest of places. When it’s warm out, it’s not uncommon to find your kitty grabbing a nap in a cool bathtub, for instance, or even curled up in a ball in your sink!

You cat looks for places that warm them up or cool them down, and which also provide a good vantage point so that no person or animal can sneak up and catch them unawares!

Lindsey Browlingdon