Cat Sleeping Poses & Choice of Beds: Miki, Minnie & Nara Explore
Updated on
Hi, I’m Dr. Maja! Read my introduction to learn more about me and Miki, the kitten who made me a cat person.
Cats are so complicated! You get them the cutest and coziest of beds, and what do they do? Sleep on the floor under my bed! Miki has now realized how good it actually is to have underfloor heating, and he approves. And the presence of two tireless kittens that have taken over the house doesn’t help. From all the comfy beds in various high-up and secluded locations, they all choose to be as close to me as possible when I work, from sleeping in my lap to me finally giving in and now having a cat bed on my desk next to me.
Swap of Sleeping Locations
I still kind of long for those days of peace and quiet when Miki was the only cat in the household. Minnie and Nara are a handful, but I suspect that if we survive the next few months, it will all turn out for the best. Miki’s favorite sleeping locations so far include his cat bed on a windowsill, both of my office chairs, my bed, and the dogs’ beds. However, in the last few weeks, he also resorted to sleeping under the bed, while he completely stopped jumping up on my bed. I guess these changes reflect the arrival of the kittens, who have brought some chaos and noise to our home. But he will still use his bed on the windowsill, mainly overnight. It saddens me to see it, but I know I need to give him more time and patience and let him decide where he feels the most comfortable.
Maybe the floor under the bed is attractive because of the underfloor heating, but to sleep there without a cozy bed or blanket is not that unlike Miki. He does have peculiar preferences for sleeping areas and beds, and it took him months to start using a cat bed in the first place.
Minnie’s and Nara’s Favorites
Now, Minnie and Nara have their own beds. Nara’s is up high on a top shelf so she can feel secure and still have a good view of the room. She is the more fearful one of the two, so I figured she’d love it there. And she does. But it’s also amazing to see her opening up, jumping up to snooze in my lap, as well as now using the chairs and blankets on them, sleeping on the dogs’ beds, and even on my own bed a few times when it was already occupied by one of the dogs. She’s come a long way.
It’s almost unbelievable when I see how Minnie has changed. From a tiny little kitten that couldn’t climb up anywhere, to a proper agent of mischief who is now always up to something. She has discovered Miki’s bed on the windowsill but has slept in it only a few times. Nara is more keen to be up there, as she loves to watch outside. Otherwise, Minnie uses her bed for several purposes. She sleeps in it, as it’s sort of a Minnie cave, very fluffy and soft. She also sleeps on top of it, collapsing the cave inwards, and she loves to chew and play with it as well. And often she falls asleep with her head hanging over the side of the bed, not looking very comfortable, but clearly sleeping soundly.
Dogs Make Great Beds, Too
Kittens warmed up to the dogs quite quickly. Minnie almost instantly, while Nara took a few weeks. But Miki has always loved sleeping next to Lava in particular and Lava also seemed to enjoy it. Minnie has started doing the same, cuddling up next to Lava or Hela, both of whom tolerate her quite well. Nara hasn’t gone that far yet, but I suspect she will.
After all, dogs are warm and soft with their fur and must make a wonderful bed. And only on two occasions so far, Minnie has cuddled up next to Miki, and they slept like that for a little while. My ultimate dream is for all three kitties to become close enough to be able to sleep next to each other and even groom each other. There has been a lot of progress in them building their little social group, but we still have some way to go.
- Read her previous article: Kittens Are Hard Work: Minnie and Nara
- Read her next article: Cats and Christmas: Recipe For Disaster
