Why Does My Siamese Cat Lay On Me All The Time?

Having your Siamese cat lay on you all the time is by no means unusual. The reasons could include:

 

• Genuine affection. Siamese cats are incredibly social and extroverted, and they will want you to know just how much they love you.
• Simple convenience. You’re certainly warmer than any piece of furniture in your home, and therefore best suited to the cat’s needs.
• A desire to feel safe. As your cat’s surrogate parent, you are the one they count on for their security. Given the choice, why would they sleep anywhere else?
• Habit and advancing age. All cats tend to sleep a lot, and that quirk gets even further accentuated as they get older.

 

Why Does My Siamese Cat Lay On Me All The Time?

 

With a white coat of fur contrasting a dark face, further accentuated by a piercing pair of crystal-blue eyes, the Siamese cat is a creature of almost otherworldly beauty. And the peculiarities of the breed don’t end there. Unlike most felines, a Siamese will often get very attached to its owner, to the point of following them around the house and vocalizing loudly when ignored. Thus, it’s not rare at all for someone to ask me, Why does my Siamese cat lay on me all the time?

 

The answer to that question, however, is not one that I can easily give. A Siamese cat is an individual first and a member of a breed second, and I don’t know the specific quirks of your particular furry friend. I do, however, know cat breeds and how they—subtly or less so—affect the individual pet’s overall behavior. And today, I will go over the typical traits of the Siamese cat, and we can go from there.

 

Siamese Cats — The Dogs of the Cat World

 

Siamese cats are often described as the most “doglike” of felines and for good reason. These are not pets that you can feed, then forget about for the rest of the day. They demand a constant dose of both affection and attention, and woe betide you if you can’t spare the time! They will meow loudly and constantly, follow you around, and may even take their anger out on your furniture.

 

To express their outright adoration of us—their owners and best friends, they will go to any lengths. I’ve found that even as I go about my business through my place, my Siamese cat will keep trying to grab my attention. A Siamese who feels neglected will stop at nothing to recapture the spotlight, including:

 

• Meowing excessively, or “talking,” as we often call their vocalizations
• Following its owner around the house, sometimes sitting or laying on their feet
• Frequently brushing against its owner’s ankles
• Relentlessly asking for playtime, or even creating its own playground by causing trouble around the house.

 

Is it any wonder, then, that it will try to nest in our lap at the first (and second, and every other) chance that it gets? Suddenly, all of our attention is directed at the feline, and everything is right with its world.  And again, we ask ourselves, Why does my Siamese cat lay on me all the time? This time, however, we know half of the equation: it loves us with all its heart.

 

But why does it choose the lap, specifically? And why does it seemingly never want to leave? In order to solve those conundrums, we will need to dive a little bit into cat psychology.

 

A Housecat’s Sleeping Habits

 

Being a natural-born predator is neither as easy nor as fun as it may seem. We, humans, perceive being alert and active for most of the day as the way things should be. Nature, however, has a different idea when it comes to obligate carnivores. They are built for quick, extreme bursts of energy, and spend the rest of their days conserving said energy.

 

And as it turns out, few obligate carnivores embody that rule as cats do. Felines sleep a lot, and by a lot, I mean, for most of the day. A typical feline will spend anywhere between 15 and 20 out of 24 hours either sleeping or napping. That may seem like a lot of time lost to unconsciousness, but for cats, it is simply the way things are.

 

Thus, outside of eating and playtime, most of a cat’s energy is spent looking for that one perfect rest spot. Most of the time, that nesting place ends up being our lap, and us wondering, Why does my Siamese cat lay on me all the time? For us, it may seem confusing. To our cat, it makes perfect sense.

 

Indeed, cats of all breeds favor their owners’ laps as napping spots for a variety of different reasons. Some of those reasons include:

 

• Genuine affection
• Simple convenience
• The feeling of safety
• Habit, sometimes accentuated by old age.

 

So that we could better understand these reasons, I will go in-depth into each one.

 

Genuine Affection

 

Studies have shown that adult domestic cats live in a state akin to extended kittenhood. A house cat sees itself as a sort-of baby to a sort-of parent. For lack of a better phrase, my cat loves me, just like your cat loves you.

 

The way they express that love will, of course, differ between individuals, but the message will remain the same. Some cats will prefer standing away and slowly blinking our way (colloquially known as “sending cat kisses”). Others sit nearby, purring loudly while maintaining unblinking eye contact. The most dedicated (or spoiled, depending on your point of view), on the other hand, will accept nothing less than extended physical contact.

 

Well (and by this point, to no one’s surprise), Siamese cats are among the most likely ones to fall under the lattermost category. Their love runs deep, burns bright, and they want us to feel it with each individual purr. Thus, a good part of the answer to your question, Why does my Siamese cat lay on me all the time? is right here.

 

That doesn’t mean that genuine affection is the sole reason behind cats—Siamese or otherwise—laying on our laps. In fact, even when they are being genuinely nice and committed, cats remain resourceful, cunning creatures. When they undertake an action (or in this case, inaction), there is almost always something to gain. Which brings us to…

 

Simple Convenience

 

Being soft (for the most part), warm, as well as their go-to problem-solvers will cause all house cats to at least consider us for the position of “bed” at some point in their lives. Furthermore, we aren’t lifeless pieces of furniture. Our organs aren’t entirely silent, which cats—given that they appreciate physical contact, will enjoy greatly.

 

Assumed to have evolved from desert creatures, cats absolutely love warm places. However, the hot spots that they can find within our homes are rarely comfortable to nap on. No radiator or window stool can hold a candle to a human being’s lap or abdomen when it comes to comfort, at least as far as cats are concerned.

 

Siamese cats are no different in that regard, aside from their great commitment to their owners. If anything, they will be more likely to “try us out” than most other breeds. And once they’ve had a good nap or ten, we will usually become their all-time favorite resting spots.

 

The Feeling of Safety

 

Given that I am my cat’s surrogate parent and caretaker, it looks to me to keep it safe. Your own cat certainly sees you in the same light. When we are near, our furry friends feel protected, nurtured, and cared for. And there is no better reminder of that feeling of absolute safety than the gentle touch of their owner’s body.

 

Simply put, the safer the cat feels, the more relaxed it will be. The more relaxed it is, the better it will rest. And Siamese cats, with their exceptional dedication to their owners, will crave that perceived safety of physical contact, again prompting us to ask, Why does my Siamese cat lay on me all the time?

 

Habit and/or Old Age

 

Anyone who has ever tried (and failed) to fall asleep in a new bed (or even a new place) will know just how important familiarity can be for a good night’s rest. Being creatures of pronounced habit, cats (especially house cats) tend to stick to what works for them. If their owner has consistently been their best bed-equivalent for as long as they can remember, then they won’t be changing their opinion on the matter—ever.

 

Additionally, as cats age, they tend to hold onto their rituals with even more dedication than before. They will also sleep even more than usual, so you shouldn’t be surprised by your old cat spending pretty much its entire day in your lap. Siamese cats age just like every other breed, so it’s not unusual to see the passing of time turn them into semi-permanent lap decorations. They may even follow you around the house, just to climb onto you again the moment you sit down.

 

Conclusion: A Siamese Cat Is A Loyal, Longtime Companion

 

As warm and committed, perhaps overly-enthusiastic little balls of fluff, Siamese cats are not for everyone. They do ask for an awful lot of time and affection, but they also give a lot in turn. That may, of course, be a minus for those wanting a more independent pet, which is perfectly fine. But for all of us who desire a longtime furry friend, there’s no replacing a Siamese.

 

Oh, sure, they may be a handful when they don’t get their way, and they’ll certainly often make us wonder, Why does my Siamese cat lay on me all the time? but for me, that is a small price to pay. Just like the royalty they see themselves as Siamese cats need to feel like the center of our world. That is, in fact, a reasonable request because from where they are standing, we are the center of theirs.