Cats are extremely affectionate once they have bonded with you, and love cuddling. By sleeping pressed up against you, your cat is telling you they want to stay near you. This behaviour is similar to that of kittens, who often use each other as a pillow – known as pillowing.
Is it Good To Sleep With Your Cat? What are the Upsides and Downsides of Sleeping With Your Cat?
- It can be problematic to sleep with your cat, especially if you are a light sleeper.
- Due to their nocturnal nature, cats spend the majority of the day sleeping and the nighttime hours “hunting.” Cats typically don’t get a full night’s sleep like people do. Rather, they nap, wake up, and spend the rest of the night going about their business.
- Your cat jumping on and off the bed during the night is not ideal and will disrupt your sleep if you are a light sleeper. To prevent your cat from making a “thud” noise when it jumps on and off of your bed, get a set of pet stairs.
- If your cat is allowed outside, they will inevitably ruin your bed linens when they come inside, especially if it’s raining and muddy outside.
- Your cat will definitely leave hair on your bed if you have allergies, so make sure to change your sheets frequently.
But fear not—there are many excellent justifications for bringing your cat to bed with you.
Some Reasons Why Cats Like To Sleep With Their Owners
You may have noticed that your kitty likes to stretch out in sunspots or curl up in your freshly dried laundry. What’s the obsession with warm napping spots? Well, your cat’s average body temperature is 102 degrees Fahrenheit, 3-4 degrees higher than yours, and kitties are constantly trying to maintain that temperature, especially while they sleep. That makes them more tolerant of heat and more attracted to warm places. One of the reasons your fur baby wants to crawl into bed with you is to take advantage of your internal warmth, especially if she can snuggle up against your hands or feet–or even better, curl up on your head–where most of your body heat escapes from.
Being wild animals, your cat’s great-great-(and many more greats) grandparents had to gather at night to protect themselves from invading predators. One reason is that there is power in numbers, and another is that if danger seemed imminent, it was likely that one of them would wake up and warn the others. Cats today still need to feel safe while they sleep, so if your pet likes to spend the night with you, it might be because he’s depending on you to fend off any monsters that could be hiding under the bed.
It’s true that your bed is most likely the coziest spot in your house. Cats are the biggest fans of creature comforts, and you can be sure they’ve tested out every location in your house for a nap, from the ledge of the sunny window to the secret hiding place behind the couch. Can you blame them, then, if they decide that your bed—complete with cozy blankets and plush pillows—is the greatest spot to sleep?
How Do Cats Pick Their Favorite Person To Sleep With?
Like people, cats form lifelong bonds with those who love and take care of them. In their first few weeks of life, kittens form strong bonds with the people who look after them because they are highly impressionable. Cats, even in their later years, are drawn to those who try to spend time with them and, yes, sometimes even just those who feed them. But it’s also about personality. Similar to people, cats can have distinct personalities and get along better with certain people than others.
FAQ
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