Why Does Your Cat Sleep With You? 6 Reasons You'll Love

You’ve given your cat comfy beds, hiding spots and the whole rest of your house to slumber in. With all those options, why does your cat still sleep with you? Why do they prefer to lie on your head? And is it safe to let your pet sleep in your bed?


It helps them feel safe
Perhaps the most important reason for why cats like to sleep near their owners is security.
Even though cats are small predators, they are also at risk of being hunted by bigger animals. Cats are most vulnerable when they're asleep.
Sleeping with you provides them with security and an extra layer of defense if a predator should launch a nighttime attack. They sleep with you because they trust you.
They’re seeking warmth
Ever notice how your cat seeks out a heat source when they are ready for their afternoon nap?
Cats love warmth. If there’s a warm patch in your home, like a sunny window ledge, it won’t be long before your cat finds and occupies it. A cat's body temperature is several degrees higher than a human's. As such, their desire for warmth is far greater than ours.
When they snuggle up next to you, they're trying to stay warm and comfortable.
During the winter months or if there is otherwise a cold spell, cats are more likely to snuggle up with you to absorb your body heat.
They are marking their territory
Another reason your cat sleeps in your bed next to you is because they don't think of it as your bed at all, instead they think it's their bed.
Cats are very territorial animals. They claim their territory by marking it with their scent. So when they sleep on top of you, they’re actually marking you—and your bed— with their scent. They want other cats and animals to know that you and your bed are their area.
It’s a way for them to say that you’re a part of their tribe. The act of your cat rubbing their heads on you is also a part of this process of marking their scent.
They think you need them
Studies have found that cats can read their owners’ emotions and react better to smiles than frowns. Cats can sense when their owners are sad or anxious, and they will try to comfort us and make us feel better by being present and giving us some affection.
Many cats come in closer proximity when their humans are depressed. Your cat might choose to sleep next to you to ease your worries when you’re in distress, sad, or anxious.
Comfort above all
As you already know, all of those blankets, soft sheets, and fluffy pillows make for an extremely comfortable place to lie down. Your cat knows and understands this too and wants in on the comfort that your bed offers. After all, your bedroom is the coziest.
They are showing you love
Simply put, if your cat is sleeping with you, it means they love you. Your pet feels safe with you, they love your warmth and scent, and they enjoy your companionship.
In the wild, it's common for bonded cats to sleep curled up next to each other or at least in close proximity. This is considered friendly social behavior.
Why do cats prefer to sleep on your head
Humans lose a lot of heat through their heads. Many cats prefer to sleep near your head or pillow because it's the warmest place in your bed. Plus, the rest of us is often covered up while we sleep. That's why sleeping on top of your head makes perfect sense to your feline friend.
Your head is also the safest place for a cat to be as your head moves the least amount during the night.
Why do cats sleep with their backs toward us?
Your cat isn’t being rude when they turn their back to you. In fact, they are showing trust.
A cat, like all predatory animals, attacks from a superior position, from the back or a blind spot. When a cat sleeps with their butt towards you, it is because they trust you to guard their back or are not expecting you to betray them from that angle.
Should you Let your Cat Sleep With you?
If a cat spends a lot of time outside or if you have allergies, then it's not wise to let them sleep in your bed. However, if you have an indoor cat which is dewormed, vaccinated, and has no fleas, parasites, or diseases, it’s safe to let them sleep with you.
Studies have shown that sharing your bed with your pet may actually improve your sleep. Cuddling with your pet also leads to the release of oxytocin, the love hormone that reduces stress and elevates your mood. It can also help lower your heart rate, reduce your blood pressure and result in a higher sleep efficiency score.
Why do cats sleep all day?
Cats are crepuscular animals meaning they are most active at dawn and dusk. They prefer hours with less light to go hunting, feed, and perform other activities. Although some domestic cats have managed to adapt their sleeping hours to those of their human companions, many still retain their natural behavior and are more active at this time of day. To make sure your kitty sleeps through the night, provide them with plenty of things to do during the day.

[Mongoose-besg]

Cats are good natural medicine—our cats are amazing companions and do wonders for my mental and emotional health.

[StephBer]

My husband had a benign but very large brain tumor removed a few years ago. It took a lot of recovery. Our cat must have sensed when he got tired because he would literally come get hubby to "take him to bed", then stay in bed beside him until he fell asleep. They he'd come out again to the Lounge for an hour or two until I went to bed. Even after many months, and hubby went back to work, our kitty would jump up on my husband at exactly 9pm every night and meow at him to go to bed, so he didn't get overtired. It was so amazing. Cats are so loving and cute.

[huuthien]

Always remind me to my first cat. In her last day, she went to sleep with me one last time, despite being weaken a lot. In the morning, i wake up to find her already in eternal sleep. My most memorial night with her. Still move me to tear everytime I recall.

[natsizzle]

And all the cat people scroll through the comments and relate, cats are such special creatures 😊😊

[jenniferbeyer]

I have had cats all my life 57 years. I let them sleep with me and I get the benefit of a purr to put me to sleep. Also I am very aware of what's going on around me at all times. And having a cat or dog sleep with me, they can hear more than I ever could.
I have heard stories of a cat literally attacking an intruder to defend their owner. One of my girls will growl if they hear or see anyone outside my house.
Lucky I haven't had one of my cats defend me, but knowing they will tell me if someone is around makes me rest better.
One of my girls is a real therapy cat, she helps with my anxiety and depression. They will keep me grounded and calm.
They are great friends.

[darthcrowley]

I don't care If I don't get any rest, as long as my kitty is confortable 😂😂😂😂

[Amy_Price]

My cat practically always like to sleep with me under the blanket(especially in winter), and yes - she is totally domestic cat😸

[managingarkreactors]

I adopted my cat when he was a kitten, and the first night he found that laying across my neck was a comfortable spot for him, so I continued to let him. Now he is like 4 times the size and he still does it, needless to say it's getting a bit hard to breathe lol. I love my cat.

[atilashefik]

I love my cat sleeping with me after hard days work because he relaxes me

[jnelsoninjax]

All 4 of our cats are strictly indoors, so it is common for at least two of them to sleep with me every night, and I love it. A year and a half ago I was diagnosed with cancer. My kitty would not leave my side the day I got the diagnosis. She could sense something was wrong and wanted to comfort me. After undergoing surgery and recovery at the hospital, I came home and was told off for leaving my fur baby all alone, despite the fact she had 3 others to play with, plus other humans!

[paulinesoares]

Had surgery Thursday, came home Friday. Cat been staying by me in bed and following me every where I go in the house. He is like my shadow.

[funkymoped]

My cat, Wilson is quite feral during the day and prefers to stay outside hunting but when it comes to bedtime she always comes inside to sleep with me. She has two this endearing habits, she either puts a paw in my hand or wraps her forelegs around my arm as I sleep.

[pex]

My cat always waits until I’ve been lying in bed for at least 5 minutes before she lays on my legs. Keeps me warm at night. The only one that can tolerate my snoring 😅

[princessirulancorrino]

I’m typing this is in my bed with my three babies sleeping with me. One is on my legs, other in cuddling my left arm and the other one is with her paws on my head. I’m blessed 🐈❤

[YungWetto]

My kitty loves to sleep on my pillow. Right above my head. He curls up and hugs my head and digs his face into my hair. I love him so much 😭❤️

[cinderella]

I loved my cat sleeping with me. His purring would lower my anxiety, lick my tears and I would fall asleep holding him🐈💖

[catalinafang]

I have a cat that waits for me by my bedroom door while watching me brush my teeth before bedtime. She will wait patiently, counting her jellybeans till she hears the water stop, towel dry and then she looks at me like get in bed already. Every night.

[cdc]

It helps them feel safe

My Juni has always been protected by me and she knows this. Often we play at attacking each other and I can run at full speed (for a 72 yo) and she often won't move at all because she knows I'd never really try to hurt her.

They’re seeking warmth

Juni prefers sleeping under the covers with her fur up against my bare legs. It is an incredibly comforting, soothing feeling for me and she stays there all night long.

They think you need them

She's right, you know. My wife and I had a huge Siamese born in our house (22 lbs) who was incredible. If he thought you were down, he'd hop up in your lap, stare with those huge blue eyes in to yours, reach out a paw and literally pat your cheek to comfort you.

Should you Let your Cat Sleep With you?

It's not even a choice on my part, it's a way of making sure that I am there in the night and haven't floated away. It is in fact a demonstration of her ownership of me, not just trust. As she's never in contact with other animals, for 5 years there have been no problems that way. Juni helps me when I cook, especially when I butcher chicken thighs into separated meat and bones for freezing, demanding sacrificial portions on the counter as I work. Not sanitary? LOL, I'll guarantee that I already have every germ she has in her in me already. In fact, I credit her with helping to keep my immune system working well with such constant exposure, although I have wondered if someone would get a cat infection if I decided to bite them...

I'm convinced that the more an animal has almost exclusive access to a human, the more "humanlike" they become, understanding moods and even words quite well. Juni replaced my wife of 45 years 5 years ago and we have become mutually dependent on each other in some amazing ways. She travels with me (can't imagine going anywhere over night without her) and is well behaved in the car (other than when she goes crazy, jumps up on my headrest and attacks my hair with gusto, sometimes leading to a loving CHOMP on the back of my head at 70mph for which I am prepared). The downside is that she becomes very withdrawn and depressed if I'm gone for too long.

Juni is not human, but she's as close to being a mate for me these days as is possible in reality. The love of an animal can reflect in a small way the love of God Himself...

[skylineXpert]

Cat: I like to sleep with my hooman non fur pet who does what I want.

[kevins]

Our cats got me through two rounds of Covid. They’re amazing creatures.