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Why Do Cats Like Keyboards? Ever Thought of That?

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Are you someone who is working at home and has cats kept as pets? If you do, you should have been in a battle – at least once in your life for a space on the keyboard. And most of the time, this battle is with your cat. While cats are known for the few weird and strange behavioural patterns. However, their special attraction to a keyboard is something that goes unexplained. 


Why Do Cats Like Keyboards? There is a Specific Reason


The answer is simple – they want your attention. They understand that you spend most of your time on the keyboard and they get jealous of the keyboard and vie for your attention. Simply because of the need for attention, they make the keyboard the place they want to dwell upon. Other reasons would include it is quite warm to sit on, it can provide you with a great degree of entertainment, and of course, it makes a sound. Anything that makes a sound can be what makes it a great option. All these things together contribute to why do cats like keyboards.


Why Do Cats Like Keyboards?


Any cat lover will vouch for that statement – Cats love keyboards. They love sitting on them, or even walking on them. They simply love your keyboards. Extremely stoic and unpredictable as the cats are, it may not be easy to find why cats love keyboards. One of the most common answers is that they need your attention. 

Like a huge number of respondents on this Yahoo Answers responses indicated, cats love attention, and they somehow notice that you spend most of your time on the computers. And laptops. The cats would get somewhat jealous of the computer, and the keyboard because it is exactly what you tend to be working on for most of your life. Since the kitty wants to be the centre of your attention all the time. Now that it notices that you are centred around the keyboard, you do not pay any attention to it, it just wants to get your attention, and the best option would be to attack the area that you are constantly seen with. 


A Few of the Reasons Why Do Cats Like Keyboards


Attention seeking 

Apart from getting enough food, one of the other important aspects that your cat looks for is the constant attention from its humans. While your cat looks and appears quite stoic and independent, the cats do look forward to your attention and, in essence, crave for it. 

No matter whether you are working on a keyboard or reading a book, you will notice that the cat will plant its butt on your book or sit on your laptop. It is simply asking for your attention. It is just a simple logic on the part of the cat, and it is simply asking you to stop what you are doing and pay attention to it. You now know the prime reason for the love of cats on keyboards. 

They Love Warm Locations

Cats instinctively like warmer places. In essence, they would look for temperatures as high as 126 Fahrenheit. This may have a lot to do with their desert ancestry. This should be one of the best reasons that would explain the relation between cats and computers. 

One of the prime options that cats look for is to find the warmest location to lie around and go to sleep. That should ideally explain why do cats sit on keyboards. Since cats like to spend up to 70 percent of their time sleeping. The cat has learned that the keyboard is one of the warmest and comfortable places to sleep on. They may be seeking out the best and warmest places ever. 

The Cats Love the Keyboards and the Noise 

There are several reasons why do cats like keyboards. Your fingers keep moving swiftly on the keyboard, and that can attract the cat to pounce on your hand and on the keyboard. The sound from the keyboard can be what would entice the cat. 

The cat will find the clicky sound one of the excellent options that attract it to the keyboard. It would also provide you with a simple and easier option to indulge in an effective paw stroking. In case, there is something you are watching on the screen interests the cat; it will be an invitation to attract the cat to the keyboard. 

It Loves the Smell

The keyboard is something that carries your smell, and if the cat misses you, it will simply get attracted to the keyboard because it carries your scent. Whenever your cat finds that you are not anywhere nearby, it will it would find the options to stay calm in your absence. It may sit on your favourite chair, curl up on your sweater, or more preferably decide to move on to your keyboard. 

The keyboard reminds the cat of your smell and thereby helps you get reminded of you. The cat basically missing you and wants to be reminded of you. That could be one of the prime reasons why do cats like keyboards. 

It Can be Quite Entertaining

Just the way you find the computers entertaining, the cat too finds it quite entertaining. There are several things that the cat would find interesting on your keyboard and computer. The fingers running swiftly on the keyboard, the clicky sounds emanating from it, and the visuals on the screen are a few factors that would interest your cat to get interested in the keyboard. 

Cats are keen observers. They learn things rather quickly. Moreover, they are also eager to explore new things. It learns that when you use the keyboard, the things and visuals change on the screen. It also finds that the use of keyboards changes and produces sounds. For your cat, it can be an open invitation to play. 

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How to Break the Habit of a Cat Laying on the Keyboard?

We have perhaps explained your question why does my cat sit on my laptop or keyboard, but, have you ever wondered how to break the habit and make it not sit on the keyboard. Do note that you should try understanding your cats’ behaviour and why it wants to sit on your keyboard. 

Here are a few of the options you can opt for if you really want to break the habit of the cat sitting on the laptop. 

  • Take the cat on your lap: If the cat is looking for attention, this would be the best option to help you solve the problem of a cat sitting on keyboard. You can keep the cat on your lap and keep continuing with your work. 
  • Provide it with a warm bed for sleeping: As the cat loves being with you, it also looks for warm spaces. Move the cat to a bed and keep the bed beside you. This will satisfy both the urges that the cat may have. It will help the cat stay near you and get your attention, while at the same time it will also get a good place to sleep comfortably. 
  • Give Something Else to the Cat that Smells Like You: Cats do love something that smells like you. If you give it something else that smells like you, it will prefer it to keyboards – perhaps. Make sure you keep it just beside you.

One of the excellent options will be not to pay any attention to the cat if it sits on the keyboard as a means of attention-seeking. If you give attention to the cat, you are simply reinforcing the behaviour, and that is exactly what you should not do. Just stop the positive reinforcement. Move the cat elsewhere, but never pay any attention to it.  Though it may sound a little cruel, that can be one of the excellent options to break the habit of the cat on the computer. 

Final Words

Cats are cute, irresistible, and always want to have their own way. In fact, cat owners will vouch to the fact that instead of you have adopted them; they have adopted. Cats are always possessive about you and would always want to do what they want to do. 

There isn’t a proven reason why do cats like keyboards. However, we have tried finding reasons for the affection or bonding between cats and computers and how to break the habit of a cat sitting on keyboard. We would just assume the info shared here helps you get access to the best options from this perspective.