We know that there are many things that cats like. They like to follow you to the bathroom. And they love to step all over you and put their butts right in your face when you least expect it, too. Cats will sit in all sorts of cute positions that we love as well. There’s the bread loaf, the sploot, and of course, that curled-up position where they wrap their tails around their paws and hug their bodies for warmth. It makes perfect sense for a hairless cat to crave warmth, even though their body temperature is naturally regulated at a few degrees higher than the average cat with a fur coat. But, have you ever wondered why it is that cats love to be warm? Keep reading to find out the answer to why it is that your feline friend craves warmth!
Here’s why cats love to be warm…
That cute-as-a-button kitty in your living room is a descendant of a wild desert cat. Now, for anyone who knows how desert weather works, once the sun goes down, temperatures drop rapidly. For cats, it’s hardwired in their minds to seek out warmth for survival. So, essentially, that warmth provides them with the sense of security they so deeply crave. Remember, your cat is a naturally guarded creature, and their fight or flight response is like no other. So, being the naturally skittish beings that they are, when something does provide them with a sense of security, they gravitate to it.
Just check out this little cutie basking in the sunlight—a well-known favorite feline hobby!
Additionally, your cat likes to lay on you because you are giving off body heat and they’re happy to soak that up. (Your head gives off the most body heat so it’s why they like to sleep on it!) It’s also another reason why you often see cats cuddling up to each other. When it comes to kittens, they aren’t able to regulate their internal body temperature until they’re a few weeks old, so they’ll cuddle up simply because it’s an instinct for them to keep their bodies warm. For feral cats, when they crave warmth, they will often huddle up to fight the frigid temperatures in the winter. There are many kindhearted folks who create makeshift living spaces for them equipped with heat lamps, and they even sell beds with padded floors that give off heat, too. Aside from caring for feral cats food-wise, offering them the warmth that they so desperately crave is another kind of thing to do for them that they’ll be sure to appreciate. (For more tips on caring for ferals and strays, click here.)
Proceed with caution for warm objects in your home…
Cats love that fresh laundry because it’s nice and toasty and they want to burrow in it. But there can be things in our homes that we need to be mindful of when it comes to our feline friends and their desire to be warm. It’s always important to check your dryer before starting a load when you live in a home with cats. Salt lamps are another danger in your home that you need to be mindful of should you have them. Not only are they warm, but some cats might let their curiosity get the best of them and try to lick the lamp which is highly toxic to them. One vet is even urging cat owners to throw them out after one of her feline patients nearly lost their life from ingesting the salt from the lamp.
Because of that fabulous fur covering their bodies, your cat will want to cuddle up to something warm and will not realize just how hot it actually is because they have that fur protecting them. Cat expert and author of The Way of Cats explains that,
“While their fur is insulating, this can work against them when they use our heat devices. They can cuddle up to something warm, not realize it is getting warmer, and their fur will keep them from noticing until it is quite hot.”
