As indicated by their inclination to smell, swat at, or even sleep on, in, or close to shoes, cats certainly have a fascination with them, as cat owners may have noticed.
Why do cats like shoes so much? Why do some cats even move the shoes of their owners from the front door to a secret location?
Why Do Cats Squat On Shoes?
Knowing about these elements can aid in avoiding future shoe-related issues. There are valid explanations for cats’ fascination with shoes. For the following reasons, cats may want to congregate near shoes:
Strange Smells
A cat’s sense of smell is arguably the most important of its five senses. Their sense of smell is fourteen times stronger than that of humans, and they have twice as many olfactory receptors in their nasal tissue. When your cat rubs its face against you or another object, it’s a way of indicating, “I’ve been here before” (a behavior known as bunting). Cats can actually taste the pheromones and odors in the air thanks to this organ, which gives them a lot of knowledge about the other animals and people in the area. Cats are naturally inquisitive creatures who investigate both new and old smells that make them feel safe and at ease.
Geographical Claims
Cats create and emit their own unique smell pheromones from glands all throughout their bodies, including their cheeks. They also have a special organ called the Jacobson’s organ, which is located in the roof of the mouth and is completely absent in humans. With this in my private place, I feel secure. Cats are attracted to people and to things that smell similar to them. Sleeping on your shoes is a simple way for your cat to show their affection for you, ease, and comfort in your company.
Safe Areas
Your cat, however, might not just be purring or lingering on your shoes to express their love for you. When situations are tough, your cat may take comfort in your clothes, shoes, and blankets that have your scent. While you are out during the day, your cat may very well use napping on your shoes as a sort of self-soothing. It might even end up being the reason your cat decides to move your shoes from where you’ve left them to another location rather than just sleeping on them. Your cat can bring your shoe to a place where it likes to relax and use it as a comfort item to have a bit of you close by. In fact, if your cat was bottle-fed, it may suckle on your socks or shoes. This is due to the fact that kittens who are weaned too young frequently develop an oral fixation and nibble or suckle on objects that smell like their mothers. This habit, which is another approach to calm oneself, has a convenient outlet when shoes are left on the floor for easy access.
Returning Your Shoes
Of course, even while you understand your cat’s interest in your shoes and even that it may be their way of thanking you, it still upsets you when it takes one of your shoes as you go out the door. The constant search for your shoes because your cat keeps moving them could grow old pretty quickly. But getting your cat to stop taking your shoes can be challenging.
Storing Shoes
It can be far easier to prevent your cat from getting into your shoes than it is to attempt and change the behavior. Keeping your shoes hidden in a closet or in a sealed plastic container might be a simple solution. Just putting your shoes on a high shelf may not be enough to make them inaccessible because cats are superb climbers.
Change Your Focus
If you can’t physically stop your cat from getting to your shoes, try to direct them toward something else that still bears your scent but that you won’t necessarily notice as much if they get there. In its stead, a worn-out T-shirt or pair of socks might be appropriate. If you happen to catch your cat trying to remove your shoe, try not to yell at them or act in a way that would seem hostile. These actions won’t do anything more than terrify your cat, who might not connect your irate cries to the theft of your shoes. Despite the fact that they may drop the shoe in alarm, it’s conceivable that your cat won’t entirely understand why you were upset.
Although to us shoes don’t seem like a comfortable place to unwind, cats believe otherwise since they connect shoes with their favorite people. The next time your cat is falling asleep on your shoes, snap a picture for posterity, put a blanket in its place, and enjoy the fact that your cat just expressed their love for you.
