Many cat parents are well aware that their feline is obsessed with technology, well, more specifically with keyboards. If you’re working from home or just surfing the net in the evening, you may have noticed that your cat spends a lot of time in front of you, like directly on your keyboard. We’ve heard many stories from clients about emails being “typed” by Fluffy or even entire Power Point presentation being deleted! We recently heard about a cat that ordered things from Amazon while napping on a laptop. You may be struggling to read this newsletter because Fluff is standing in your way right now!

Cat people are well aware of this phenomenon but the real question is why? What is it about our keyboards or iPad that they love? We aren’t aware of any scientific study about cats and keyboards but a number of animal experts have weighed in on the subject.

Although cats are often referred to as aloof, cat people know this isn’t true; most felines love the attention of their person. When they see your attention so focused on the screen, they may be curious to find out what is so interesting. So, they come over and take a look – which of course involves standing on the keyboard. Or perhaps they don’t relish the fact that Facebook takes up so much of your time and they have figured out that if they stand on the keyboard your attention will be focused on them. Smart kitty!

Some laptop keyboards are warm, and a toasty spot is always attractive to a cat. Many laptop keyboards have keys that actually depress (unlike most tablet keyboards); those keys act like a memory foam mattress! They give (or settle) in all the right places and apparently are quite comfortable.

Lastly, cats are highly driven by scent. They love how we smell and our scent is all over our keyboards. And furthermore, they love leaving their scent on things that are theirs (so don’t think for a moment that your keyboard belongs to you).

In reality, our keyboards have all the right ingredients for Fluffy – you’re there, they smell like you, they are warm, comfy, and a great place to leave their scent so you’ll know that keyboard belongs to them.

The solution to keyboard napping? Supply your cat with a heated bed of their own near where you’re computing, distract your cat with a treat or toy, and you may want to keep your laptop closed when you’re not working! Here is a Pinterest board dedicated to keyboard nappers.