Why Does Your Cat Sleep With You? - What Your Cat's Sleep Spot Reveals About Your Connection

you lay out the coziest cat beds you give them free rain of the couch the carpet and every cushion in the home yet for some reason when it's time for your fur baby to settle down for a snooze their sleeping space of choice is usually your bed what is that all about is it more than just comfort and have you ever noticed where they like to sleep on your chest by your feet or maybe curled up by your head what does it say about the bond you share in this video we're diving into all the

reasons your cat insists on sleeping with you and what each of their favorite sleeping spots reveals about your relationship why does your cat sleep near you first let's have a look at six of the reasons why your fur baby might feel like you are their best sleeping buddy number one emotional support human yep that's right this is a role that you absolutely play for your kitty you are the person that they love most in the world after all and the person that they rely on to meet all their needs you provide them with food Water

Shelter and Veterinary Care why wouldn't they expect you to provide them with a safe space to sleep as well sleeping next to you gives your kitty a much needed sense of security as they settle down for a snooze being able to smell your scent while they're drifting off to sleep helps relax and reassure for them number two for your own protection your cat doesn't just expect to be able to lay around all night while you stand guard Duty however which is a good thing because you're probably not that great of a guard at 5: in

the morning sleeping in your bed is also a way for your cat to help protect you from dangerous predators sleeping next to you gives your kitty a chance to Mark you with their scent ensuring that any strange other cats who might be skullking around will know that you've been claimed already they'll also be able to warn you if a wolf or a bear or something comes into your room in the middle of the night you know that common nighttime Hazard that we all face however it's worth remembering just because you're unlikely to be eaten by

a leopard while you're snoozing unless you happen to live in a country where leopards are common or near a zoo with very lack security and have a tendency to sleep with the windows open that doesn't mean you're always safe while you're sleep One Night in the year 2000 Animal Welfare volunteer Gwen Cooper was woken up by the hissing of her blind rescue cat Homer to her horror she realized that her Kitty had caught something a bit bigger than a rat a home Intruder but before she could even finish calling the police Homer had launched himself

at the man's face in Cooper's words like a banshee and started lashing out with his claws the Intruder unprepared to find the Home guarded by a security cat quickly fled number three human hot water bottle this one is a bit less flattering than the others sometimes your cat's decision to sleep next to you isn't about you at all sometimes it's just about your kitty wanting a warm body to sleep beside cats evolved in a very hot arid environment and even now they're less able to handle cooler temperatures than we humans are fortunately however we humans

more than pick up the slack not only does our body heat help our kitties warm themselves when they snuggle up with us but we've also helpfully invented all kinds of devices to help us warm ourselves and them including hot water bottles radiators and toasty warm blankets number four Creature Comforts on a similar note you'll probably have noticed that your own bed is more comfy than your cat's bed there's a reason why you don't sleep in a giant basket after all human beds are more spacious we have comfy blankets and pillows and crucially for your kitty

human beds are usually off the ground being off the ground means that unlike when they're sleeping in a cat bed on the floor your fur baby is much less likely to be troubled by any cold drafts but even without that element most cats will still prefer a high bed to a low one like us our Fe line friends evolved to live in the trees but unlike us they never quite came down sleeping up high makes your cat feel safe from predators and reassures them that when they wake up they'll be in a good position to

survey the area for potential prey to have for breakfast number five bedtime routine cats love routines they make them feel safe and like they're in control of their lives so as the person they spend the most of their time with and who has the most influence over their life your daily routines quickly become very important to them and for a lot of people one of the most consistent routines that they have is the one that precedes them getting into bed you probably at least try to go to bed at the same time every night and

probably do roughly the same activities making yourself a hot drink changing into your PJs brushing your teeth putting on some relaxing white noise to prepare your fur baby can see you doing all these things and will know that you're about to go to bed it's a comforting sign that everything is all right with the world and so of course they take the opportunity to join you for a little nap number six feline friendship of course your Kitty's reasons for wanting to sleep in your bed aren't all selfish just like humans cats also sleep next to

their friends and family to show that they love them cats will often sleep next to other cats if they consider them to be part of their social group and sleeping next to you is the same thing cats know that they're vulnerable when they sleep and they believe that you are also vulnerable when you're asleep the two of you sleeping next to each other therefore allows you to take this major risk together when you get into bed and your fur baby jumps in beside you therefore it's their way of letting you know that it's the two

of you against the world all day and all night which position do they sleep in okay now you've got your cat in your bed where in the bed are they going to sleep humans are pretty restricted when it comes to sleeping positions with most of us opting for the traditional head on the pillow slightly elevated body stretched out behind with a blanket over it it's a classic for a reason but your fur baby being a lot smaller and a lot more Flex ible has a lot more options and where they sleep in your bed can

actually provide you with some valuable insight into the feline mind here are seven common examples number one by your head there are a few reasons why your kitty might want to sleep by your head firstly because it's likely one of the more comfortable places on your bed after all it's where your nice soft pillow is and if you thought that that explanation sounded a bit bit self- serving of your kitty then you won't like the next one sleeping by your head also allows them the opportunity to easily wake you up whenever they want to need

a snack fancy some cuddles see a threatening looking Shadow a simple yowl in the human's ear will usually be enough to get them on their feet aren't cats wonderful but there's another more heartwarming explanation for your fur baby wanting to sleep by your head sleeping right next to your head allows your cat to be as close to you as possible and especially close to the soothing sound of your breathing maybe your kitty isn't sleeping on your pillow because they want an easy way to summon you when they fancy a snack maybe it's enough for them

just to know that you're there number two on your chest but if being right next to your face isn't enough to make your kitty feel close to you then they might try another place sleeping right on your chest allows your cat to be as close to you as possible not only will they be able to hear your heartbeat but the rise and fall of your chest as you breathe in and out will help Rock them to sleep of course the problem with this position is that the rise and fall of your chest as you breathe

is something that might be a bit more difficult to achieve with a cat on your chest particularly if they're a large breed and especially if the cat feels like moving around a bit before settling down to sleep still at least one of you will be getting a good night's sleep perhaps the risk of Suffocation is worth it number three between your legs oh God you get into bed after a long and tiring day and where has your kitty chosen to sleep right in the middle of it obviously you can't move the cat off the bed

you're not a monster but sleeping on the floor isn't really an option either even we aren't that fanatical about our felines so your options are either a use only the top half of the bed and sleep curled up in the fetal position B sleep on your side with your legs awkwardly bent sideways around your cat and spend the rest of the night feeling your back muscles protest about being frozen in such a weird position or C your fur baby's personal favorite sleeping on your back with your legs either side of the cat sleeping between your

legs means that your kitty is completely surrounded by your body heat but that's not the only reason why they prefer it as you'll know if you've ever left a cardboard box unattended for more than 5 Seconds cats love to sleep in places where they are surrounded on all sides because it makes them feel protected from potential Predators inside a box is the best but if a box isn't around then your legs can also act as barriers against the dangers of the night number four under the covers is there anything cuter than seeing your fur baby

poking their little face out from under the covers cats love hiding underneath the dve in part for the same reason that you like sleeping beneath it it's warm under there but the duvet on your bed also likely has your scent which for your kitty is associated with Safety and Security this is why you might sometimes see them having a snooze under the bed covers when you're not even in the bed finally just like sleeping in a box or between your legs sleeping under your bed covers helps your cat feel hidden and protected just like you

when you were a little kid your fur baby is of the firm opinion that Monsters can't get you if you pull the blankets over your head number five buy your feet having a cat sleep at your feet is a great thing if you tend to get cold toes in the night your fur baby can act as a big hot water bottle helping to keep them toasty warm the human tendency to get cold feet is probably why your cat is so Keen to sleep next to them surprising as that might be to hear your feet are

likely to be where you keep your actual hot water bottle and since cats are more attracted to sources of heat than some heat seeking missiles your fur baby will find that a very comfortable place to settle but there is another reason why your kitty might want to sleep by your feet although cats sleep a lot more than humans up to 16 hours a day as opposed to the human eight hour hours they don't sleep nearly as long as we do they prefer quantity over quality having lots of little naps throughout the day rather than doing

all their sleeping in one long block as a result although your kitty might like to snuggle up in your bed when you first settle down to sleep they're likely to get up a lot in the night sleeping by your feet allows them to come and go whenever they please without waking you up sometimes our cats can be thoughtful number six facing away from you when your cat chooses to sleep facing away from you it can feel a bit insulting and confusing why are they choosing to sleep in your bed at all if they don't want

to look at your face are you that bad to look at or horror of Horrors do you secretly have terrible breath and this is the only way that your cat can stand to sleep near you at all maybe you assume that your kitty is mad at you for some reason and is trying to make a point by sleeping with their butt in your face well you'll be relieved to know that this isn't the case in fact quite the opposite if your cat sleeps beside you but facing away then that's their way of letting you know

that they trust you enough that they feel able to turn their back on you not only that but if they sleep against your back while they're facing away then they're ensuring that if anything sneaks up on the two of you at night they'll be literally watching your back and you can do the same for them far from rejecting you your fur baby is showing that they're willing to defend you with their life while you're sleeping and that they trust that you feel the same way about them number seven in your arms sometimes you just need

a little comfort and who better to provide that Comfort after a long tiring day than your cat snuggling up with your fur baby wrapped in your arms like a big fluffy teddy bear is the perfect antidote to stress for your cat this isn't exactly a natural position for them to sleep in and a cat who doesn't know you very well might end up feeling a bit uncomfortable being confined in a human's arms like that at a time when they're already pretty vulnerable but a cat who loves and trusts you will soon not only get used

to snuggling up in your arms when it's time for bed but will probably even enjoy it being enclosed in your arms gives them all the benefits of your body heat your heartbeat your breathing and your scent for a cat who knows you well enough it can be the most comforting sleep position of all not least because they can settle down to sleep feeling safe in the knowledge that their human friend is happy and relaxed is it safe for them but is it actually safe for your fur baby to sleep next to you you're a lot

bigger than them after all what if you roll over in the night and squash them flat Everyone is always warning new parents about the dangers of co-sleeping with their newborn babies why is it different with cats well you'll be pleased to know that you're not the only person who's worried about this in an interview with inverse magazine cat expert Mel Delgado from feline Minds cat behavioral Consultants was asked about the possibility of people rolling over onto their cats in bed he said I have never heard of anyone crushing their cat while while sleeping most cats

will move the second they feel uncomfortable to be safe however he recommended not co-sleeping with very young kittens but as long as your kitty is an adult or an older kitten there's no risk in letting them cuddle up in your bed is it safe for you okay but what about your safety you're probably not too worried about your cat rolling on top of you unless you happen to be unusually short and the owner of an absolutely massive Main but you might be worried about how your fur baby will affect your sleep well you can rest

assured that the effect will probably be positive experts generally agree that sleeping next to a cat helps people relax and thus fall asleep faster this doesn't mean that they can't be disruptive as well but a 2018 study indicated that they probably aren't much more disruptive than a human sleeping partner and loads of people manage with one of them every night climbing into our beds at night is just one of the many ways that our cats show us that they love us but how can we make sure that they know that we love them as well

check out this video to find out sh prooof ways that you can tell your cat that you love them in a language that they can understand