Why does my cat sit on my laptop?

What it often means

• Warmth: a laptop that is on stays warm, and cats look for warm surfaces to lie on, especially when the room is cool.
• Your attention: you look at the screen, you talk to the screen. By lying on it, he puts himself exactly where your eyes and hands already are.
• Your presence and scent: the keyboard smells like your hands and sits inches from you. Many cats like to rest against you, and some even sleep on you.
• A learned request: last time, you petted him, talked to him or got up to fill his bowl. He comes back to the same spot at the same time.
• Play: tapping fingers and a moving cursor look like small prey, especially to a young cat.

Signals to read at the same time

• What he does on the keyboard: if he lies down and falls asleep, it is warmth and closeness; if he walks across it meowing, it is a request.
• His body: a loaf with half-closed eyes and a purr means he is comfortable; a twitching tail and paws grabbing at your fingers mean play mode.
• The timing: right before a meal or after you have been gone for hours, it is more often a request than a search for warmth.
• The room and the season: in winter, or if his usual spot is cold or far from you, a warm keyboard quickly becomes his favorite bed.

What you can do

• Put a cushion or a small bed on your desk, right next to the laptop, with a shirt you have worn: warmth, your scent and a view of you.
• Give him your attention before you start: ten minutes of play, then his meal. A cat who has hunted and then eaten usually grooms, then falls asleep.
• If he still climbs onto the keyboard, lift him gently onto his cushion, without scolding. As soon as he settles there, pet him or give him a treat.
• When you step away, close the laptop or lock the screen: a cat walking across the keys can send an email or delete a file.
• Do not shove him off or yell: he would only learn that your desk is a tense place, not where to lie instead.

When to see a vet

Lying on a laptop is not a medical issue. See a vet if this need for warmth and contact is new and comes with other changes: he sleeps much more, eats less or more, drinks more, loses weight, or no longer jumps onto high furniture. In older cats, arthritis, kidney disease or hyperthyroidism can change daily habits. A cat who has suddenly become very clingy also deserves a checkup.