If your cat keeps plopping down on your laptop, you’re not alone — and there’s a theory from cat psychologists that explains why they love sprawling across keyboards. So what’s the reason behind it?
Recent studies have again confirmed that cats can imitate human behavior. One study even showed that cats compare their bodies to yours and mimic actions like touching a box with their head or paw. But if you think lying on your laptop is just another way of copying you, you might be wrong — it’s unlikely they can press keys the way you do.
Dr. David Sands, an animal psychologist with more than 25 years of clinical experience, says cats struggle to imitate typing. It’s also unlikely they’re only drawn to the warmth of your laptop. “Yes, laptops emit heat, and cats like warm spots. But if warmth were the whole story, a cat could just sit by the radiator,” Dr. Sands said.
What really draws a cat to your laptop is your scent — or more precisely, the scent you regularly leave behind. If you don’t notice it, your cat does: it can smell your scent all over the keyboard, Dr. Sands explains. “Cats are scent machines from the tip of their tails to their noses. Their world is based on smells,” he added. But it’s too simple to say your cat lies on your laptop just to enjoy your scent. “The cat wants to preserve its own scent and displace yours. It’s all about ownership. By doing this, your cat is essentially declaring that you belong to it,” Dr. Sands said.
Many people assume that when cats rub against us or our things they’re showing affection. Not exactly. Cats are possessive: the more scent they leave, the more they assert dominance and claim ownership over their human. “Dogs are our companions, while cats are still fairly wild,” Dr. Sands said. Science Focus reports that cats were primarily bred to hunt pests and never became fully social animals.
Will lying on a laptop harm your cat? It’s unlikely. But you should pay attention if the behavior points to an attention deficit. “If your cat seems to be complaining and constantly follows you around the house, it may be a sign of anxiety and a search for attention,” Dr. Sands said. If the animal shows no such signs, there’s no reason to worry — it’s just taking a nap on the laptop and marking its territory.
