Cats! Naps! Let’s agree on a couple of things before we dig into the subjects: 1. Cats nap better and harder than humans; 2. Cats are smarter than humans. Are we on the same page? Great!
Let’s move on to five ways cats make the most out of naps.
The 5 Ways Cats Make the Most Out of Naptime
1. Chair stealing
Have you ever left your chair for a few minutes only to return to find a feline in your place? They’re either zonked (how do they do that so quickly?) or staring at you with the sweetest-yet-smuggest look you’ve ever seen. We choose to either grab a different chair, move the cat or balance ourselves on the very edge of the seat. Cats know we face this conundrum. They also know we will probably let them stay where they lay. Not only do the cats get a spectacular nap, but they’ve also manipulated us (again), which pleases them.
2. Hiding
Some kitties snooze in the open, loafed on a sofa arm or resting in yoga-like repose in the middle of the floor. While they nap so openly, we get to admire their grace and beauty. But cats are smarter than us (remember?), and sometimes they prefer tucking underneath a bed or behind a curtain. They’re such skilled hiders that we occasionally cannot locate their napping headquarters. This is by design. By hiding, they raise their chance of getting a bomb-diggity nap, and they rest in the knowledge that they’ve pulled yet another one over on us.
3. Embellishing clothing
Kitties love naps atop our clothing, especially if it’s nicely laid out on our beds, clean and mostly wrinkle-free, ready for the day ahead. And then we emerge from the shower to find our cat taking a grand snooze on the aforementioned outfit. Let’s face it, friends: We’ve become accustomed to wearing cat hair as an accessory. We’d like to think our cats aren’t trying to sabotage our black pants and white sweaters, but instead believe they do it because they adore our smell and want to send us out into the world with layered reminders of them on our clothing. Nice nap + retaining control = making the most of a nap.
4. Charging
If the sun’s streaming through a window, there’s a mighty fine chance a cat is lying square in the middle of a sun puddle. And why not? It’s warm, and heat can make us feel sleepy. I may or may not have curled up in a person-sized sun puddle a few times. What cats know is that, not only is it a sweet nap spot, but it’s also full of solar charging power. While kitties are off in dreamland, chasing mice and swatting bathrobe belts, their inner power meter is rising. They may not use this power reserve the minute they wake up, but they will use it. I’m sure you’re familiar with 3 a.m. hallway races and post-litter box zoomies. These are sponsored by sun puddles.
5. Scoring lap time
We humans and our cats benefit from shared snuggles while we’re watching TV or reading. The warmth of a lap cat is pure heaven for us, and kitties can’t get enough of our hands stroking their fur and feeling that love vibe. Smart cats all over the world know this is a recipe for a quality nap. Even better? Sharing a nap with a human. Our naps are way better when we’re spooning a kitty, picking up on their supreme napping mojo. Hey, maybe that explains those mysterious mouse-chasing dreams I sometimes have.
