We all love when our cats get comfortable with us, especially at night, when they choose to come to sleep with us on their own accord.
While not all cats like to sleep right beside or on their owners, the majority of cats will feel comfortable enough to sleep by the foot of their owner’s bed or on their owner’s feet. But why is that?
As is with most things cat-related, the reasons cats exhibit specific behaviours is because of their innate primal instincts. That said, there are several reasons why cats find it preferable to sleep by their owners at night, and you may be surprised by some of the reasons
Whether your cat sleeps by your head or by your feet, know that it takes a lot of love for a cat to feel comfortable enough to sleep with someone. Though this is true, don’t be surprised if your cat doesn’t sleep with you every night.
At the moment, Beau sleeps with us every couple of days, and Kalista sleeps with us every night. These habits weren’t always the case, and in fact, Beau used to sleep with us while Kalista didn’t.
LET’S PROTECT EACH OTHER!
Cats like to stay in packs and tend to be worried about their surroundings. It’s one of the most common reasons cats headbutt or rub themselves against you and sometimes even why they “make muffins” or knead you.
Your cat may be sleeping at your legs to be able to quickly access you if there is a danger or threat. Cats, being light sleepers, will wake you up to either protect you or at least warn you dependant on the risk.
You may also notice that some cats will choose to sleep under the blankets for added warmth and protection if they are extra scared.
I DON’T WANT TO GET CRUSHED!
Have you ever slept next to someone and they roll over in their sleep? Did they manage to avoid your arm, or were woken up with them crushing you?
Well, if you’re feeling crushed, imagine how much you could hurt your cat if you were to roll over onto them.
Cats are aware of the fact that they are quite a bit smaller than we are, so often they try to avoid being around places we hold more weight (i.e. our torsos and bellies.) That way, if we were to roll over in the middle of the night, there is a higher chance that your cat will wake up and escape. (You can learn more about some cat sleeping habits here.)
Humans rolling over is the top reason cats choose to sleep by their owner’s head. (As there’s a lower risk of their owner crushing them if they were to turn over.)
YOU’RE MY ALARM CLOCK; I’LL FOLLOW YOUR ROUTINE
Ever notice that whenever feeding time is getting close, your cat will go to the kitchen and wait?
Our cats are the same, and they get fed four times a day!
Each time feeding comes around; you’re bound to know because Kalista will be chewing on your leg, and Beau will be standing on his stool as if he owns the place (which I guess he kind of does)
Your cat may want to sleep with you at night because you help them build a stronger routine or schedule. Since cats like to sleep for the majority of the day, they appreciate any time that they can spend relaxing next to their pet parents.
This ties into the first point of “cats feel safer while they are sleeping with their pet parents,” making cats associate certain times of the night/morning as “extra safe” for long hours of higher quality sleep.
Be ready for some rude awakenings if your cat wakes up before you and it’s breakfast time
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YOU’RE MY FAVOURITE!
Now, I don’t want you to start fighting with your partner over the fact that you may be your cat’s favourite, but cats are known to sleep with the person who they feel the closest with.
Lucky for us, our cats tend to sleep with whoever is sleeping, and often I get to sleep in later than my partner, so… that person is me!
Cats are territorial animals and have to know what exactly is happening at all times.
Their need for knowledge is why kittens are always extra curious, and you’ll find them seemingly bumping into objects or pushing their paws against their favourite spots. Cats do this as a way of marking places as “safe” or “secure.”
A recognizable scent is also a big reason cats choose to sleep on their owners, as this is a way of marking someone as their family or “safe.”
Now, this isn’t to say that a cat will only be friends with one member of the family. Cats recognize that a family can have multiple people and will be affectionate with various family members if the cat(s) feel like they are safe.
That said, it is not uncommon for a cat to sleep with multiple members of the family, seek attention from or play with any member of the family. They may, however, show a preference towards one member of the family.
YOU’RE WARM
It’s not hard to guess that cats love to be warm. We have first-hand experience with our cats loving wool cat caves; they love them so much that sometimes they even “fight” over them.
Well, if you’re not a huge fan of cat beds or don’t have one, your little one may just be using you for the same person at night. Cats will most commonly sleep by their owner’s feet at night and by their heads in the morning. Sound familiar?
If you’re interested in giving your cat something warm to sleep in when you’re not in bed, I recommend checking out some of our favourite cat beds.
HEY, BUT MY CAT USED TO SLEEP ON MY CHEST AND THEN STOPPED… WHY?
Even though Beau is an older cat, he will still sleep on our chests occasionally.
Sleeping on the chest is a behaviour that is developed from kittenhood, as a cat will feel safer when they hear another heartbeat. Kittens will sleep very close to their mothers, especially while their mother is still nursing them. So, your cat is reminded of this period when they sleep close to your heart.
Some cats will prefer to sleep close to their siblings, especially as they become bonded. So, if you’re ever in a situation where your first cat stops sleeping next to you and chooses to sleep next to their sibling instead, you can breathe out a sigh of relief because it usually means that your cats are getting along.
If a kitten is unhappy with the amount that their owner moves, they may begin sleeping at their owner’s feet.
While your cat loves you, their beauty sleep is more important.
IS THERE ANYTHING TO WORRY ABOUT WHEN MY CAT SLEEPS AT MY FEET?
Not really, you can take it as a “you’re doing a great job, and they trust you a lot.” Your cat feels very safe with you, and there are no negative reasons your cat will do this.
If you don’t want your cat to sleep by your feet anymore, you can try to create a separate bed in the same room as you. You can make this out of blankets and pillows, or you can check out some excellent cat trees or beds for your little ones to sleep in at night.
CONCLUSION
Whether or not your cat is sleeping by your feet daily or is sleeping by your feet every so often, it usually means that they feel safe around you.
If you want to encourage your cat to sleep by your feet nightly, you can try to pet them by your feet before you go to sleep. You can also give them a couple of treats by your bed to get them to associate your bed as a safe space.
So pet parents, I’m curious, do your cats sleep by your feet? Who is their favourite human? Let me know in their comments below!
I have three cats and two of them are so clingy. One of them is sleeping on my feet while I am doing studying/ reading this. I have cold feet so he is keeping me warm in return. The other cat is a jealousy type and he stood up from my bed, and came to the box that is placed next to me, so I can pet him while he sleeps. He also sleeps right next to my head when I sleep. Most of the time, he snuggles with me inside the blanket, and I am lucky to have him whenever I feel sad. Lastly, the third cat is very antisocial and is always on the fluffy bed I got for them. She kneads me and headbutts me, but never sleeps with me unless she feels like it. Cats are very interesting and I found it interesting to read this. The only problem is they wake me up at 5 am… seriously I tune in for the night around 2 am so waking up at 5 am is a disaster.
Oh man, can we ever relate, especially with the early morning wake ups. We personally found that building a routine (if possible) gets them to stop that, though alternatively having an automatic toy next to your bed that you can just boink on also helped us a lot.
Reading this while my cat is laying on my feet keeping them warm 🙂
My cat loves to crush into my chest while im sleeping sideways.
Cats are amazing and I love my Bony the cat 🙂
Aw that’s so sweet <3
My partner and I recently adopted a 10 year old black cat. The shelter said he has some pretty bad anxiety. The first 2 days were pretty rough, but things started to get better after day 3. at least with me, but that’s because I work less so I’m home by noon daily. Our kitty just gets more time with me.
Now he frequently curls up on our laps, chests, heads, and feet. 💛
<3 That's really adorable! I'm glad to hear that he has been doing so well with you.
Hi There, I have a Manx Tabbie who seldom sleeps on our bed, but whenever we sit down, she will sit on (not at) our feet. If my husband and I are sitting close, she will try to sit on one of each of our feet. I suspect this is because she feels safe there and trusts us, am I right? She has even done this to visitors. Thanks!
You should be correct ! 😀
My cat sleeps next to my feet every night but I think that my husband is her favorite. Sense she loves on him all day but at night she sleeps by my feet only. Does that mean she sees me as mom? Mind you I run cold and my husband is always warm it would make sense for her to want to sleep with him? I fostered my fur baby from about 5 days old and she thought of me as mom as a kitten so maybe I’m just familiar?
Hey Rachel, I couldn’t say for certain, but it may just be a behavioural or a pattern thing. Our cats have “regular times” they visit my partner or I and sometimes our cats will come visit us based on where we are in the house. For example, Kalista recently started sleeping with me every time I sit in bed.
While both of the cats are closer to me than my husband, simply because I work from home and am the primary food supplier/caregiver, they will sometimes still sleep by his feet, especially if he is sick. Or if Beau is anxious or nervous, he will often stay by my husband when he sleeps, which we found interesting.
Sometimes it can boil down to whichever partner moves less than the other! But, I still think you might be experiencing the benefits of being the “primary caregiver” or the cat’s main Mama!
Thanks, Jonny,
You were right about her being docile (in fact, amazingly docile!)
She jumped onto the kitchen at the 1st time, I put her down.
At the 2nd time, I put her down again.
At the 3rd time, I told her gently “No No No No. No jump here”, then I put her down.
To my amazement, ever since then, she just stayed by my feet and looked up at me for a short while, until her neck muscles probably got tense, then she lay right down onto my feet…… Such a beautiful personality she had.
Jen, I’m really glad you got to have that connection with a cat because many people who don’t have pets or haven’t interacted with animals don’t even know that there’s that potential of bonding/sweetness! I hope that if your circumstances change and there’s a kitty in the future, you’ll bond with them just as much. <3 It's shocking to think about how much my life changed when these little guys entered my life, but I'm glad I was in a more self-sufficient and stable part of my life before they were in it.
Hi Johnny,
A stray kitten (about 4 months old) came into my place as I opened the door to enter.
I took care of her for 2 days before handed her into a Shelter.
During those 2 days:
She kept climbing onto me EVERY TIME I sat on the floor;
She slept on my feet or lay right next to my feet EVERY TIME when I stood long enough in the kitchen preparing food or washing dishes.
She climbed into my lap EVERY TIME when I ate or worked by the table. She kneads her front paws non-stop while in my lap.
She ran to me like a flying rocket EVERY TIME when I returned home.
And on the 3rd day, I drove her to the Shelter, she climbed onto my lap.(80% of the time) or tucked herself behind my feet (20% of the time).during that 30-minutes drive.
I handed her in. Then I cried nearly all the way driving back home, feeling that I had abandoned her.
Do all kittens from the street behave like that (bear in mind that she was under care for only 2 days? Should I have kept her? I am saying to myself that if in a month time, no one adopts her yet, I may adopt her (but deep down, I am really hoping that a very loving and financially sound family will adopt her).
I handed her in because I know I can’t provide her the best of life, given my current situation.
Thanks for reading.
Jen.
Hi Jen, I want to start off by saying, you should never feel bad about choosing not adopt an animal, especially if you do not feel like you can provide them with a good enough life. As someone who has a history of adopting strays, there have been moments in my life where I’ve had to say, “no, I, unfortunately, do not have space or the resources to provide.” So in that, I’m thankful that you knew this was the decision you needed to make.
Now, as for the behaviour. No, the majority of street cats do not behave like that. Though, my cat Beau did. There isn’t a whole lot of writing on why certain cats are immediately human people or why some of them immediately become docile, however, a docile cat tends to remain docile with future owners. For example: Beau gets along with absolutely every human he meets.
Our second cat, Kalista, was also a stray cat, though she got very different qualities. While she is now cuddly, at first she was evasive and scared because of the history she had on the street. So, in saying such, maybe the little one did take an affinity to you, but the reality is, the little one will probably also take an affinity to their future owner because they’ve probably had less negative experiences with humans.
Every cat has their own personality, whether they are stray or homebred and from my understanding, it takes some time before a cat is “bonded” to their owner.
I hope that helps you out and I truly appreciate the hard decision you had to make.
Yay!! Now I know I’m differntly the favorite person I always wondered why my kitten slept by my feet i thought it was because he was coping my dog lol
Hahaha! Congrats on being your cat’s favourite person! <3
Yes!! Only recently though. For the past three years bluebell has slept in her own bed in my bedroom in the window. Then recently my other cat Casper had an accident and I put him on the end of my bed every night to make him feel safe. Sadly, Casper passed away on the 23rd December however for the past two weeks Bluebell has come to bed with me and sleeps by my feet. All night! I think she’s doing a great job. I definitely feel more protected and hopefully she does too.
<3 I'm glad you get to share that connection with your little ones and I'm so sorry to hear about Casper. I hope she continues to protect you as you protect her <3
My cat, Sirius, does this every day. It doesnt matter where I am. If im sitting at the table, he is either within close proximity, or at my feet. When im sitting on the couch, hes laying on my feet, when I’m on the computer, hes on my feet, and when I’m sleeping, hes always curled up against my feet/legs. Hes had a tough life, 3 legs, many urinary related surgeries…. it’s comforting to know hes safe around me after all that we have been through
This comment made me grab Beau to cuddle with him. I love when cats are extremely cuddly or “emotional” with their owners. I also feel like our cats who go through the worst are the ones who become the most bonded with you. After Beau got his Urinary Surgery he got even closer to us and you could tell he knew we helped keep him alive.
My Bruno sleeps by my feet every night. And he even goes under the covers and sleeps with my too.
He used to be my partners cat but now he is definitely more my cat ☺️
I remember when Walker used to do that when I lived with him.
My cat stormie sleeps on his bed every night. And gets mad when I’m even on the bed nevermind his girlfriend. No one is really allowed on the bed besides him. Granted it’s a new house and he’s trying to figure out where he is now but he still gets mad if anyone is on the bed. Ears back evil eyes cringed lips. Or how ever you want to say it. But when he sleeps he sleeps. All day. In our room or my sons room. But I just don’t understand why you walk to him and he runs away like your supposed to chase him but when you make the cat noises he stops and you can just go pick him up… I don’t get it?
Hey Nick, this post may be able to help you out with him running away from you.
It sounds like he may be excited or still a bit nervous about you, but that should go away!
My Cleopatra is my first cat. So I’m learning a lot still. I move a lot in my sleep & she used to sleep on my head but now she often sleeps by feet & now I understand why.
Also my boyfriend works third shift & when he’s not home, she sleeps next to me. I also suffer from anxiety & depression & I have 2 young children as well. She’s just recently began to lay with the kids & mark them. I also noticed that when my anxiety is high, she’ll sleep with her head on my shoulder & purr until I got to sleep. I’m glad I came across this article. Thank you so much for this information!
I’m glad you found this article helpful and I’m glad that you share that connection with Cleopatra! Cats are such magnificent beings and I’m grateful each night that my cats choose to sleep with us. They’re really the best <3
Fauda my rescue sleeps either at my feet around 80% of the time or by my stomach with his paws always on me. He cries when he knows I am home but can’t see me…… my other cat Lula, not a rescue, is a Diva and loves her belly stroked. She loves to sleep on my Bathroom mat. During the day she will ly on anything,, bags, clothes ect but not directly on my bed or with me
That’s really interesting! I have to admit Beau, who we rescued from the street tends to be more cuddly than Kalista. I’m not really sure how Kalista was found, since we got her from a rescue. But I should really look into that. I know Walker, who’s my mom’s cat, isn’t cuddly at all and he was born into a home.
Mozart always used to sleep by my feet, but only on my side of the bed, not the boyfriend’s. That’s how I ended up sleeping diagonally most of the time. He definitely had a favourite person 😉
I completely feel you on the sleeping in weird positions. My back hurts some mornings because of the awkward positions the cats and the boy make me sleep in so they’re comfy.
I’m so tired of sleeping diagonally lol..I be so uncomfortable .That’s why I wanted to know why they only sleep on my side
Nutmeg sleeps beside/on my feet. Ginger likes to sleep mixed in with the clean towels or fuzzy blankets in the linen closet.
Cats certainly have their own personalities. In our case though I’m the preferred pet parent even though my husband is retired and home with them all day.
That’s adorable! I love it when they come to sleep with us, especially when I wake up thinking it’s one but it’s the other. Reminds me that they both love us, you know?
That’s really interesting! Are you their main “food person” or is he?
And my spouse feeds them .I mean I bring the food home from the store .but she feeds them all day every day.They should sleep on her side instead of mind.lol
Hahaha, the kitties always have to be the most comfy!
Very interesting!! My cat starts the night at my husband’s feet. Around 4am, he gets up to sleep on my pillow. Sometimes he stares at me and wants me to put my arm out on the pillow so he can sleep on top of it. Some of this makes more sense after reading your blog today. Thanks!!
Glad I could give you some extra insight! 😀