Why do cats crawl under blankets?

Above: My cat under the covers larking around. Photo: Michael.

Domestic cats crawl under blankets to:

Feel secure;
Feel physically warm;
Feel emotionally warm and reassured as it is likely that the cat will smell the scent of their human companion;
To have some fun.

A concern is that cats cannot breathe properly under a blanket or a duvet cover. A domestic cat will know when it is time to vacate the den under the blanket. There is no problem with a cat breathing properly. If the cat finds it uncomfortable under there for whatever reason they will vacate the place.

You have to be careful that you don’t fall asleep with your cat under the duvet with you. You don’t want to cause an accident to happen with you rolling over onto your cat. Your cat will escape but it wouldn’t be particularly pleasant.

It’s a personal trait whether a domestic cat likes to go under a blanket or the bedsheets with or without their human companion. Sometimes cats like to play under sheets or blankets because it’s fun. They can nose around and it appeals to their inquisitive nature.

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Comments

Why do cats crawl under blankets? — 1 Comment

E.A. Blair on December 24, 2020 at 5:45 am said:
I have observed that there are “under cats” and “over cats”. Under cats like to get into small spaces and hide under blankes and piles of clothes. My family had a cat who liked to get made into the bed. When she heard the bedding being moved, she charged into the bedroom and waited for the sheets and blankets to cover her. She’d be a lump under the covers for hours, only coming out when people came home from school or work. My current cats are over cats. The older one will jump into a box, but only when it’s upright. She won’t go into one lying on its side. She also lets me put the blanket over her when she’s in bed with me, but only when I’m with her. If I try to cover her at any other time, she scoots. It’s always entertaining to have a mixture of under and over cats – it makes their play much more interesting.
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