# Will anything bad happen if my cat sleeps on my monitor? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 19, 2002, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-anything-bad-happen-if-my-cat-sleeps-on-my-monitor/137430 "2002-11-19T01:21:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![AbsolutelyStark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/278dde/32.png) [@AbsolutelyStark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AbsolutelyStark)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-anything-bad-happen-if-my-cat-sleeps-on-my-monitor/137430/1 "2002-11-19T01:21:25Z")
I got a kitten about a week ago, and she likes to sleep on top of my monitor. It doesn’t seem to do anything bad right now, but I’m worried that when she gets bigger and blocks more of the holes it might make the monitor explode or something. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-anything-bad-happen-if-my-cat-sleeps-on-my-monitor/137430/2 "2002-11-19T01:31:07Z")
Besides blocking the cooling vents, hair can fall into the moniter and there is a very slim chance the hair could cause a short circuit. I would recommend you find kitty a new napping spot. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-anything-bad-happen-if-my-cat-sleeps-on-my-monitor/137430/3 "2002-11-19T01:40:35Z")
You can buy [cat beds for your monitor.](http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2071935924) ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-anything-bad-happen-if-my-cat-sleeps-on-my-monitor/137430/4 "2002-11-19T03:12:43Z")
The amount of static electricity generated by the cat/monitor interface may create a huge arc that sets the house on fire. It’s true; it happened to me twice. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-anything-bad-happen-if-my-cat-sleeps-on-my-monitor/137430/5 "2002-11-19T05:21:26Z")
The only problem my cat and I encountered was as she relaxed, she would slide/fall off… ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-anything-bad-happen-if-my-cat-sleeps-on-my-monitor/137430/6 "2002-11-19T15:49:39Z")
What happens when you are playing a game & it makes a loud BOOOOM & the cat jumps & the monitor falls on the floor, making another loud BOOOOM! ? Kitty prefers that spot cause its warm. ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-anything-bad-happen-if-my-cat-sleeps-on-my-monitor/137430/7 "2002-11-19T16:00:33Z")
I used to have a cat that slept on the television set. After a couple of years I took the back of the set and found a very large quantity of fur had fallen down through the ventilation slots and filled up the back of the set. It could have been a fire hazard but luckily nothing ever happend. ---
**Author:** ![80sHairMetalMaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/8/ed655f/32.png) [@80sHairMetalMaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/80sHairMetalMaven)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-anything-bad-happen-if-my-cat-sleeps-on-my-monitor/137430/8 "2002-11-19T16:40:12Z")
Wow…my cats sleep on the monitor too but I never thought anything could happen.Wow! IDBB ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-anything-bad-happen-if-my-cat-sleeps-on-my-monitor/137430/9 "2002-11-19T16:47:36Z")
There will be an Earthquake in Sumatra, and you will be hounded by vengance-crazed Sumatrans armed with snickersnees for the remainder of your life! FLEE NOW! :eek: (Can I have your stereo? I mean, if you _are_ fleeing now. 'Cause, if you’re _not fleeing_, you’ll like, _need_ it.) ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-anything-bad-happen-if-my-cat-sleeps-on-my-monitor/137430/10 "2002-11-19T16:54:43Z")
They make cat beds that have some sort of heat reflective material in them that are supposed to use kitty’s own body heat to give her a toasty napping spot. A rep of some type brought a bunch of brochures into the clinic once, but I don’t remember the name of the company. ---
**Author:** ![Volta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ce73a5/32.png) [@Volta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Volta)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-anything-bad-happen-if-my-cat-sleeps-on-my-monitor/137430/11 "2002-11-19T21:58:45Z")
When does your cat sleep on the monitor? Could it be that she wants to be near you (her being new and all), or does she just want a warm place to rest? Try getting her to curl up by the refrigerator since there’s a warm air current coming from the vents. Every cat may have different preferences, but my cat loves that spot, and he’s a picky guy. ---
**Author:** ![AbsolutelyStark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/278dde/32.png) [@AbsolutelyStark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AbsolutelyStark)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-anything-bad-happen-if-my-cat-sleeps-on-my-monitor/137430/12 "2002-11-20T01:20:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by handy \* > \*\*What happens when you are playing a game & it makes a loud BOOOOM & the cat jumps & the monitor falls on the floor, making another loud BOOOOM! ? > \*\* Actually, she prefers to sit on the keyboard when I’m playing games… Thanks for all the responses, I’ll try to find one of those cat beds. ---
**Author:** ![KellyM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/57b2e6/32.png) [@KellyM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KellyM)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-anything-bad-happen-if-my-cat-sleeps-on-my-monitor/137430/13 "2002-11-20T03:34:29Z")
I had a cat who would sit on top of my monitor and **try to catch the mouse pointer**. That lasted until she fell off the monitor while making a dive for the mouse pointer. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-anything-bad-happen-if-my-cat-sleeps-on-my-monitor/137430/14 "2002-11-20T17:35:59Z")
Do not put anything on top of your monitor to use as a cat bed. The monitor needs a lot of air flow to keep cool. Given the relative importance of the cat being toasty and the hazard of damaging an appliance that has kilovolts inside, it’s obvious that the cat’s comfort comes last. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-anything-bad-happen-if-my-cat-sleeps-on-my-monitor/137430/15 "2002-11-20T18:23:22Z")
My cat sleeps on our tv and now, it cuts out periodically and won’t come back on until it has cooled off. I bet there is a pound of cat hair inside it. It cut out right during a big scene in the Soprano’s. That cat is lucky I like her. ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-anything-bad-happen-if-my-cat-sleeps-on-my-monitor/137430/16 "2002-11-20T18:36:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ftg \* > \*\*Do not put anything on top of your monitor to use as a cat bed. The monitor needs a lot of air flow to keep cool. Given the relative importance of the cat being toasty and the hazard of damaging an appliance that has kilovolts inside, it’s obvious that the cat’s comfort comes last. \*\* You obviously haven’t spoke to many cats. 🙂 Seriously, fluffy’s going to have to find a new spot. High voltage and shedding/fluffy animals don’t mix. ---
**Author:** ![Jayrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Jayrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayrot)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-anything-bad-happen-if-my-cat-sleeps-on-my-monitor/137430/17 "2002-11-20T19:26:51Z")
True story: My roommate in college had a pet iguana that used to sleep/spend all day on top of the computer monitor. One day, all of a sudden, the monitor dies, there was a huge plume of smoke and there was a real distinct smell of urine… FWIW ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-anything-bad-happen-if-my-cat-sleeps-on-my-monitor/137430/18 "2002-11-20T21:41:18Z")
I once (briefly) worked at a tv/video sales shop. When someone would bring in a VCR for repair (back in the days that it was worth repairing), the first question the repairman asked was, “Do you have a cat?” The surprised customer would say, “yes.” “Then it will cost you an additional $20 for me to open it and see what is wrong.” After some screaming by the customer, the repairman showed them why. Inside was the most disgusting mess of cat hair and the stench of urine. It sometimes made repair impossible, and often could cause a fire. In any case, it was not a pretty picture to look at. It seems older cats (especially) like the warmth of the machine and being that their bladders were not as good as when they were a kitty… To make a digusting long story shorter - he sold them a cat protector, which was nothing more than a plastic cover they would put on the VCR whenever they were not playing it. I can imagine a monitor used as a cat bed would probably not look so good either, but could be far more expensive to replace. ---
**Author:** ![KellyM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/57b2e6/32.png) [@KellyM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KellyM)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2002, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-anything-bad-happen-if-my-cat-sleeps-on-my-monitor/137430/19 "2002-11-21T01:04:24Z")
If you wanna know just how bad it can be, follow [this link](http://www.rinkworks.com/stupid/cs_calls.shtml) and search downward for “chicken”. ---
**Author:** ![dogbutler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dogbutler/32/428_2.png) [@dogbutler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dogbutler)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2002, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-anything-bad-happen-if-my-cat-sleeps-on-my-monitor/137430/20 "2002-11-21T01:34:39Z")
My cat threw up on my monitor last month,without any ill effects. Yet.