As of late, our cat Kalista has been spending a lot of her time sitting and sleeping on my backpack.
At first, I assumed Kalista had been sleeping on my backpack because it was a new object that I threw on the floor, but now that’s it’s been a good 3-months of being back-to-school and my bag is always out… I don’t think the fad is going to leave.
Although Kalista still spends a reasonable amount of time sleeping on the couch and her cat tree, it seems her favourite spot has rotated once again and has become my backpack.
Honestly, Kalista changing her favourite spot to sleep is not surprising. Especially given the fact that my cats have rotated through a few sleeping places over the past years. These places include our chests, shoes, feet, cardboard boxes, our bed, our heads or another one of Kalista’s favourites, our laundry baskets.
But if Kalista has all of these different spots to sleep, what makes my bag so exceptional?
Well, truthfully, there can be several reasons why cats like Kalista love sleeping on backpacks, so let’s break down some of the most common reasons she (and your cats) may choose a bag over any other sleeping place.
YOUR CAT LOVES NEW OBJECTS
Have you ever dropped a piece of paper on the floor, and as you turn to pick it up, your cat is already lying on it?
Similarly, have you ever placed a blanket down in another room, and by the time you come back to deal with it, your cat is already snoozing away on it?
Well, this may have to do with the fact that cats love new objects.
Although it may take some getting used to, or it may take your cat a little bit of time before they trust new objects, chances are they are going to warm up to it quickly.
Now, as you could guess, cats who easily find new spots to sleep or gain an obsession with new objects will go back to their old favourite spaces over time.
That is why you will commonly see our cats sleep around the apartment in all sorts of nooks and crannies.
If you want a recommendation for a new sleeping spot for your cat, I highly recommend checking out our favourite cat beds and caves here.
THE CAT SMELLS A STRANGER’S SMELL AND WANTS TO HIDE IT
Cats are territorial creatures that need to mark every place (with scent) that they consider safe or consider their property.
Since cats have scent glands in their head, cheeks, and paws, a cat may rub themselves against you, knead their favourite objects, or headbutt/bunt the couch.
Although scents linger, they are not permanent, and your cat has a neverending quest to make sure that no matter what, everything smells like them.
Backpacks retain an overwhelming amount of scents that we pick up without realizing it.
Scents can include things like other people, grass, dirt, foods, other animals, and the list goes on and on and on.
As you may already know, our cat Kalista is a bit of a scardy cat, so you’ll often see her scenting things that strangers touch or items that have come from the outside world.
The more things that smell like Kalista her, the better.
I swear, other than sleeping, I think scenting is the most popular thing you’ll see Kalista doing, which is interesting because Beau doesn’t scent anything often.
Often when cats are trying to hide the scents on a backpack, they will knead it before sleeping on it.

YOUR CAT SMELLS YOU ON THE BAG
It’s no secret that cats love the smell of their owners, mainly because their owners’ scent makes a cat feel like their owner is near or around them.
Similar to a cat wanting to hide a stranger’s smell, so they feel safe because your scent is familiar, it is considered safe to a cat.
Again, this is why your cat may scent you or may rub themselves against you, so a part of their scent gets onto you and vice versa.
Backpacks can get pretty stinky, especially if they are on a hot summer day, or you were sweating a lot.
In cases like this, cats will often quickly fall asleep on the bag or roll on the bag; however, most commonly do not mask the scent of their owner.
Cats may also refuse to sleep on the front of the backpack and instead may ask for you to flip the bag over so they can get a better whiff of you.
You may ask, well, why doesn’t my cat just sleep with me instead?
Well, dependant on when you last showered, put on deodorant, etc., you may not be as “stinky” as a cat would like.
Remember, cats love our feet and socks because they’re extra pungent… even if we don’t want them to be.
IT’S WARM, AND CATS LOVE WARM!
So remember how cats are on a neverending quest to make everything smell like them? Well, cats are also on a neverending quest to find warmth.
Since cats originate from hotter, desert climates, they prefer warmer temperatures.
Their need for heat is why you may take note of your cat migrating around your place, following the sun and always making sure that they’re as hot as possible.
Whether it be following the sun, climbing into laundry baskets, or sleeping on your chest, cats will do whatever they can do to make sure they are warm.
Backpacks are commonly good insulators, especially if they have a cozy cushiony bottom. So as you can guess, your cat is probably enjoying getting comfortable on your backpack.
It’s interesting because Beau will sleep on my backpack any way it’s oriented because he sleeps on pretty much anything, but Kalista will only sleep on my bag if it’s face down.
CONCLUSION
So while there are a few reasons why your cat likes sleeping on your backpack, they usually come down to the smell of the bag and whether or not the backpack is comfortable.
All-in-all, you may be better off putting your backpack out since they undoubtedly are treating it as a premium cat bed!
So pet parents, I’m curious, does your cat sleep on your backpack?
Does your cat have a favourite bag or article of clothing?
Let me know in the comments below!