חיית המחמד ישנה בכלוב ליד המלונה.

חיית המחמד is the normal Hebrew way to say the pet. It is a construct chain (called סמיכות), literally something like the animal of affection/fondness. In modern Hebrew, this whole expression simply means pet.

Using just חיה would mean animal, not specifically pet.

Because חיית is the construct form of חיה.

A very common pattern in Hebrew is that a feminine noun ending in ־ה changes to ־ת when it comes before another noun in a construct chain:

• חיה = animal
• חיית = animal of ...

So חיית המחמד = the pet.

In a Hebrew construct chain, the definiteness of the whole phrase is usually determined by the second noun.

So:

• חיית מחמד = a pet
• חיית המחמד = the pet

You normally do not put ה־ on the first noun in this structure.

Because it agrees with חיית המחמד, whose head noun is חיה, and חיה is grammatically feminine singular.

In Hebrew present tense, forms often agree with the subject in gender and number:

• ישן = sleeping, masculine singular
• ישנה = sleeping, feminine singular

So with חיית המחמד, ישנה is the correct form.

It can mean either one, depending on context.

Hebrew present tense often does not make a strict distinction between:

• sleeps
• is sleeping

So חיית המחמד ישנה can mean either the pet sleeps or the pet is sleeping. The intended meaning usually comes from context.

Hebrew normally does not use a present-tense auxiliary like English is in this kind of sentence.

English says:

• The pet is sleeping

Hebrew simply uses the present form:

• חיית המחמד ישנה

So the idea of is sleeping is built into the Hebrew present-tense form itself.

Yes. In unpointed Hebrew spelling, ישנה can also be read as a form meaning old (feminine), depending on vowels.

But in this sentence, the context makes sleeping the natural reading:

• animal subject
• location phrases like in the cage / near the kennel

In pointed text, the vowel marks would make the meaning clearer.

It is the preposition ב־ (in) attached to כלוב (cage).

So it means:

• in a cage or
• in the cage

The exact meaning depends on context and pronunciation, because unpointed Hebrew spelling can look the same in both cases.

In unpointed Hebrew, you often need context to know.

That is because:

• ב + כלוב = in a cage
• ב + ה + כלוב = in the cage

When ה־ combines with certain prepositions like ב־, it does not appear as a separate letter. So both can be written בכלוב without vowel marks.

If the text is pointed, or if you hear it spoken, the distinction is clearer.

ליד means near, beside, or next to.

So:

• ליד המלונה = near the kennel / beside the kennel

It usually describes physical closeness.

המלונה means the kennel or the doghouse.

The base noun is:

• מלונה = kennel, doghouse

And ה־ makes it definite:

• המלונה = the kennel

No, this is a very normal Hebrew word order.

The sentence is:

• חיית המחמד = subject
• ישנה = verb/predicate
• בכלוב ליד המלונה = location information

So the structure is basically:

The pet + is sleeping + in the cage/kennel area

Hebrew word order is somewhat flexible, but this version sounds neutral and natural.