Your cat is a playful creature, and it’s up to you to provide it with a healthy environment and stimulating activities.
When he’s wearing your shoe, he’ll no doubt appreciate the spell word or humorous expression you gave him. Some cats lay on your shoes just because they feel like they aren’t up for anything else.
So, why does my cat lay on my shoes?
Cats love to play and use their instincts to hunt for prey or other animals. When your cat is playful and gets overstimulated, he may just want to lie down and relax on your shoes.
Cats like to be up high and away from other cats so they can see what’s happening around them and gauge how safe their territory is.
So, if your cat decides that your shoes are a good place to lie down, don’t do anything that will scare him away or make him uncomfortable. Just let him be and give him some space.
Cats love to be petted and brushed and will often invite you over to curl up on your lap for some affection.
Why Does My Cat Lay on My Shoes?
Reclaiming Your Shoes
Because you now understand why your cat has a shoe fetish and how it is a perfectly normal part of their personality, you need to enjoy it while it lasts.
Having to continually look for your lost footwear can cause some frustration and embarrassment, especially when it involves meeting your boss or an important client or boyfriend’s parents for the first time.
However, convincing your cat to relinquish his territory can be difficult and frustrating.
Marking Your Shoes as Their Territory
You know how cats will rub themselves against your clothes or furniture to mark it as their territory.
They do this to establish their territory; they will brush against your clothing to mark it as their own territory.
They will rub their faces, as well as the sides of their bodies, up against your possessions.
Cats take solace in napping on their owner’s clothing, and chances are if your cat loves your clothes so much, it most likely means that it recognizes you as its owner.
They are terrific snuggling companions because they thrive on having you near them and usually have a distinct preference for sleeping in your spot.
Divert Attention
If you can’t prevent your cat from accessing your shoes, you may like to try distracting him or her in some way.
An old T-shirt or old pair of underwear can be cut up into little pieces and placed near the area in which your cat is laying.
If you catch your cat in the midst of marking your footwear, gently reprimand it and take away your shoe from the cat for a few minutes.
These movements will just scare your cat, and this could make him or her go right back to your shoes.
Even if your cat drops the shoe during playtime, you should try to catch it as soon as possible.
While shoes might not seem to be a comfy place for a cat to sleep, cats have been known to curl up in them.
They Love Your Smell
Each person’s scent is distinct, yet it is very hard for us humans to pinpoint exactly what makes it distinct.
Cats have a Jacobson’s organ on the top of their head that lets them smell very subtle odor molecules in the air and in physical contact with their owner’s skin.
That’s how serious they pay attention to you and what you wear.
Aside from your pheromones adhering to your shoes from wearing them all day and your scent from wearing them and laying on them, cats are particularly attracted to leather.
This is similar to the way moths are attracted to your clothes; they make their nests within jackets and shirts, and cats can do the same with leather footwear.
This is also how they find out where you sleep – if you wake up with leather shoes in your bed, odds are cat tracks are all over your shoes from the night before.
Why Does My Cat Put Her Paws in My Shoes?
Cats mostly want your attention and reassurance that you’re around.
The inside of a shoe may be extremely dark, and if your cat needs reassurance that you’re still there, she will paw at your shoes to get your attention.
Cats find it difficult to get comfortable when their backs or stomachs are exposed, and they do this by curling up near their human companions.
Just make sure your shoe laces aren’t too loose or they could chew on them and choke to death.
Why Do Cats Love Feet So Much?
Many cats pay special loving attention to their owners’ feet.
Some may bite your toes, others will rub their chins on your foot, and others still will lick your feet to give you kisses.
It’s natural to be perplexed the first time you see your cat paying so much attention to your feet.
It’s even more comprehensible if you’ve seen that your cat pays a lot of attention to other unusual things, like your curtains.
But your cats are interested in your every move and reaction, and your cat is busy studying you in order to learn about you and work out your intentions.
Your feet contain a myriad of odors that are interesting to cats, and your cat may begin to lick and chew your feet when you wear certain socks.
The aroma reminds them of you and makes them feel close to you and comforted.
Your natural pheromones also include substances that are comparable with a cat’s pheromones.
How Do I Keep My Cat Away From My Shoes?
Stimulation
Your shoes with the loose laces will stimulate your cats and keep them away from the shoes that don’t have loose laces.
However, if the cat has enough toys and food around the house, then the shoe laces won’t prevent them from crying and demanding attention.
Deny Your Pet the Chance
When you have visitors around, be sure to store their footwear in a small room that is free of furry felines.
Make it a practice to not allow your pet to be anywhere close to your guest’s shoes when they’re in the house.
What your cat cannot touch or smell, then your cat will try to ignore or stay away from it.
Distraction
Keep your cat occupied with other activities and toys and away from your shoes by focusing its attention on other interesting things.
Never offer cats an old shoe to chew because old shoes have germs and bacteria that can harm your cat.
For a cat, a leather shoe will be a little on the heavy side to chew on, but a plastic shoe would be much easier to wear down.
They don’t identify fancy labels, so you can put your shoes anywhere that your cat won’t be attracted.
Also Read: Why Do Cats Hate Car Rides?
Conclusion
When your cat is running around and having fun, he’ll probably want some rest and relaxation at some point.
Your cat probably brings you a lot of joy and entertainment by rolling around on your carpet or playing with toys around the house.
However, when your cat is bored or overstimulated, he may also want some comfort and relaxation by laying on his favorite shoes.
When your cat does this, enjoy it and give him some pets and cuddles to make him feel even more comfortable and relaxed.
They also like lying and sleeping on the shoe boxes, and in the shoe racks when those aren’t filled with shoes.
If you don’t want your cat’s hair in your shoes, then try to keep your cats hair brushed or trimmed regularly.