I recall one of our cats making a habit of getting completely under the spread on our bed. The only thing that revealed the cat’s presence was a slight bulge in the bedding. I often did not know for sure it was a cat.
I would always pull the spread back and gently encourage the kitty to find another location. The cat may have been reluctant, but I felt I was looking out for the kitty’s welfare.
With a strong-willed individual like your cat, one of the best ways to discourage a specific behavior is to offer an alternative. This would apply if you prefer to not have your cat under those covers.
Something that may work to achieve that alternative is a cat bed in a little tent that provides your cat with a hideaway environment, and which hopefully will offer the privacy they may be seeking. Place it near the bed and show it to your kitty. Here is one your cat may like:
Frisco Tent Covered Dog & Cat Bed
- Has a removable pillow that is washable
- The entire tent is also washable
- For a photo and pricing visit the product page at Chewy.com
6 Reasons It Is Not Okay for a Cat to Hide Under the Bed Covers
1. Imagine you walk into a room, you are tired and distracted, and you flop down on the bed. If you were to land full weight on your cat, the kitty could be injured.
2. Suppose you entered the bedroom carrying a fairly heavy backpack and threw that item onto the bed and it landed on your kitty?
3. Breathing the air under those covers would seem to me to be like breathing with a sack over your head. That does not sound like a good thing.
4. What if your cat decided to exit that hiding place, started to crawl out, could not see where it was going and fell off the edge of the bed?
5. There may be a reason that your cat is hiding under those covers that requires your investigation. You need to know if your kitty is sick or injured, and you can’t know about your cat if you cannot see your cat.
6. They are hidden away and not keeping company with you. If they could be persuaded to choose a cat tree to lounge in rather than hide under those bedspreads, you could easily check on them now and then. Visit my blog post How to Choose a Cat Tree to see what they might like.
Why Would My Cat Get Under the Bed Covers? (6 answers)
1. Maybe your kitty is trying to get warm, but there are better ways for your kitty to seek out warmth than putting themselves at risk of being sat on by being completely hidden under the bed covers.
2. Instinct is still a big part of your cat’s life. This carnivorous predator is at times naturally secretive. This activity may be comforting to them if it satisfies their call of the wild, it just needs to be safe as well.
3. The kitty just likes doing that. I knew a cat who would go completely under the covers on a regular basis. I never identified a problem such as illness or injury, so I concluded it was just his inclination. I still did not view it as a good idea, so I always encouraged him to find a more appropriate hiding spot.
4. Your cat may be upset. Perhaps there has been some change in your household. Strangers visiting or a new pet addition might drive your kitty to hide away.
5. Maybe your kitty is afraid of something unusual going on. Noises from either outside or inside your home that your cat is not familiar with could be the problem.
6. Your cat might be sick or injured. In either of these circumstances, cats will often hide themselves.
Cat Hideouts to be Careful About
- under a recliner lounge chair with a raised foot rest that will eventually be lowered
- inside a clothes washer or dryer
- inside a kitchen refrigerator, dishwasher, or oven
- inside a kitchen cabinet
- under a rolling desk chair you are sitting in
- under a bedspread and completely hidden
How to Attract a Cat You Cannot Locate
If your cat is used to getting an occasional treat, grab the treat bag and vigorously shake it to make as much noise as you can.
If your cat does not know about treats, get a can of cat food and pop it open as loudly as you can.
If you get no response, keep searching and try again later.
Is It Okay for My Cat to be Under the Bedspread With Me?
This would be a different situation than your cat being under the bedspread alone while normal activities are going on in the household. I still wonder if it is good idea.
Say your cat is under the covers by your feet while you are asleep. Could you possibly kick your cat? If your cat is next to your body, could your roll over on your cat?
If you are under the covers and your cat is on top of the covers, your bodily movements might be limited by the covers. This would seem to be safer than if your cat is under the covers. It is not for me to say that anything is completely safe, so the ultimate decision about this is yours.
Cats Are Not Always Wise
Just like people, cats do not always act in their own best interest.
They are curious, adventurous, and often take the initiative without thinking things out. Sometimes they get themselves in trouble.
Let us do our best to keep them out of trouble. My blog post Living With Your Cat will give you lots of information about how to watch over your pet.