Do Feral Cats Use Cat Bedding?

Feral or stray cats can be found using different kinds of what I will call, outside or natural cat bedding. Although the different types of bedding these cats may choose will not be what the normal inside cat owners will consider comfortable, they do seem to provide a more than adequate place for these outside cats.

Feral cat colonies can be found in rural as well as urban areas. I happen to reside in an urban area. In my neighborhood there is at least one colony of outside cats. As with both inside and outside cats, they are capable of finding the darnd-est places to sleep. Some of these places would probably horrify your inside kitty.

When most cats are resting or napping comfortably they can be found sprawled in all kinds of positions. Feral cats like inside cats are prone to relax, lounge and sleep anywhere that is protected and comfortable for them. These cats don’t get to sleep on what we would call traditional cushy, purchased cat bedding, but they do make good use of their outside environment to find places to relax and sleep.

Some places you may find a feral cat sleeping:

• In abandoned garages or unfinished homes. Many abandoned garages or unfinished homes have planks of wood that have fallen and can be found scattered on the ground. Feral cats use the wood as bedding and will curl up on a nice wood plank. Pieces of the wood may have fallen in such provide a den-like enclosure where they sleep.
• Under a building or porch. Although if you have a cat that spends any amount of time outside you know that the area under a building or porch is not exclusive to feral cats. The concrete under the porch provides the perfect cat bedding. Many cats will lounge comfortably in a corner of the enclosure. This is great for them because the shaded area and the concrete provide a cool place to sleep in hot weather and a little protection from the snow and wind in the winter months.
• Under bushes or trees – Feral cats will often use bushes or the area under a tree as cat bedding. The grass and dirt provide protection from the sun in warm weather and protection from the wind in cooler weather. These two areas are the perfect hiding place for cats to prey on birds and squirrels.

So if I had to answer the question if feral cats sleep on cat bedding I would say YES! It just may not be the familiar bedding that our indoor domesticated cats sleep on. :-)