If your cat chooses to sleep downstairs, this post will show you why and what you can do about it.
So, why does my cat sleep downstairs? Likely reasons why your cat sleeps downstairs are that it is used to sleeping there, it finds it more comfortable downstairs, or that it thinks you do not want it to sleep with you.
There are a number of possible reasons why your cat sleeps downstairs and it might be due to a combination of them. However, there are some things you can consider to help figure out the main cause and there are some things you can do about it.
Reasons why your cat sleeps downstairs
Below are likely reasons why your cat has been doing it and what would make them more likely.
It is used to sleeping there
The cause could be that it has become accustomed to sleeping downstairs and it feels more secure when it sleeps there. This would be more likely if there is a particular spot that it has always chosen to sleep in.
Your cat finds it more comfortable downstairs
The reason could be that your cat finds it more comfortable downstairs. If you try to get it to sleep in your room, the bed might be that it is too hot for it, the room might be too hot or it might find the floor to be cooler. This would be more likely if it does sleep with you on certain nights such as when it is colder.
It thinks it does not want you to sleep with it
Another cause could be that it thinks that you want it to sleep somewhere else. This would be more likely if you tend to give it things that it wants when it does not sleep with you or if you get annoyed with it when it does sleep with you. Instead, it would help to reward it when it lays down where you want it to sleep.
Things to consider
Below are some things to consider to help figure out the main cause.
If your cat always slept downstairs
If your cat did sleep with you in the past but it suddenly stopped then it would help to consider what else happened when it stopped doing it since there might have been an event that caused it to stop.
If it did sleep with you in the past, it might have stopped due to things such as your room being too hot, not having enough space or it might have chosen to sleep in what it feels like is a safer spot. It would help to consider what else changed when it stopped sleeping with you.
Whereas, if it has always chosen to sleep somewhere else then it would be more likely to be due to things such as those mentioned above.
What else is different when your cat does not sleep downstairs
It would also help to consider whether or not it always sleeps downstairs. If it does sleep with you sometimes then the timing might have something to do with it.
For example, if it does not sleep with you on hot nights then it might choose to sleep downstairs because it is cooler there.
What to do about your cat sleeping downstairs
Below are some options you have when dealing with the behavior.
Reward it for sleeping in your room
One option would be to reward your cat with positive attention when it chooses to come to your room. By doing this, it should help to encourage your cat to sleep there in order to get more rewards.
Make your room more comfortable
If there is not currently a comfortable spot for it in your room, it could also help to make one by putting a cat bed where you want it to sleep.
Be calm with it
As mentioned above, it could be the case that your cat thinks you do not want it to sleep with you. When it does come into your room, it would help to be calm with it and to give it positive attention.
Let it do it
If your cat is choosing to sleep downstairs, it is likely to be because your cat finds it more comfortable there. The easiest option would be to just allow your cat to continue to sleep where it wants to but to give your cat the option to sleep in your room if it wants to.