Why cats love to sleep in public: all explanations from logical to superstitious

Most cat lovers know that these furry animals love to sleep on humans. The four-legged purr climbs onto the stomach, chest or legs of the owner and lies there, curled up in a ball. Many people wonder why cats do this. There are a great many answers to this. Among them there are both scientifically based and completely fantastic.

The reasons that can explain this behavior of cats are divided into two groups: those based on scientific facts and those based on speculation. Let's look at each group in more detail.

Reason one: the cat treats the owner

People have long believed that cats have some kind of extraordinary energy that they transmit to people. Also, our four-legged friends are capable of taking on human illnesses. This is what they do when they lay on top of the owner. Every cat lover knows that an animal can come up and lie down in the exact place that is currently hurting. This is how a cat heals a disease by directing flows of energy to the right place.

How can we explain this behavior of the animal? Biologists can confirm that cats are heat-loving animals, so they are always looking for a warmer place. The fact is that the temperature of a diseased organ is always higher than that of a healthy one. This is how heat-loving purrs determine what the owner is currently complaining about. Feeling the warmth, the cat lies down to bask in this place. Answering the question of whether such cat treatment helps, it is worth saying that the animal acts as a heating pad, and for many diseases, heat helps relieve pain. The body begins to gradually recover, feeling warm.

Of course, skeptics may notice that the animal is simply warming itself near a person, but if this leads to the recovery of a diseased organ, the owner should be grateful to the cat.

Why do cats climb into a person's bed?

Many pets choose a human bed as their place to sleep. Moreover, they climb there after the owner goes to bed. Scientists and popular rumor explain this behavior of the animal in different ways.

The table shows the scientific point of view and centuries-old observations of animals by ancestors, explaining the reason for the desire of cats to sleep with their owners.

The cat loves attention. If the owner is absent all day, the animal lacks communication and attention. Cats feel abandoned and may become depressed. At night, furry animals climb into bed with their owner, trying to compensate for the lack of attention.

Reason two: a cat warms itself near a person

It was already mentioned above that cats can simply use a person as a large heating pad. Often the animal lies down at the feet or on the stomach of one of the family members and begins to purr comfortably. Many people think that a furry pet seeks to warm or heal its owner, but the reason may be trivial - the animal only cares about itself, about its comfort. Cats love warmth very much and, lying on the chest or at the feet of the owner, she just wants to warm herself. In winter, the purr often crawls under the blanket with a person. Sometimes a cat can lie on its owner’s head, and there is also an explanation for this. The fact is that the brain, which is the most important and vulnerable organ in the human body, is constantly warmed by the body. During sleep, blood flow increases and radiates the body, which is so attractive to the cat.

On a note

If you are allergic to cat fur, it is better to avoid spending time together with your pet.

Of course, such behavior is very disarming, and it is difficult to refuse a beloved cat who intends to settle comfortably on the body of his owner.

But to ensure that such close physical contact does not cause harm to a person, it is necessary to follow simple recommendations :

• If your cat has access to the street and often walks there, then it is important to thoroughly clean his paws before letting him in.
• The animal must be regularly treated for worms and fleas.
• If you are allergic to cat fur, it is better to avoid spending time together with your pet.
• You should not let your cat get close to small children, and especially not allow them to sleep in a crib.

Reason four: the cat proves its superiority

It is known that a dog worships and serves its owner. But the cat doesn’t recognize anyone and considers itself perfect. Therefore, one of the reasons for lying on the owner’s head or on his pillow may be precisely the manifestation of his superiority. The cat's instinct prompts her to prove her dominance and therefore she lies down on the pillow to leave her scent there. The animal, as it were, marks the person, claiming that he belongs to his pack.

The same impulses can move a cat when it climbs onto the owner’s chest and sits there importantly.
Should you allow your pet to behave this way? If you are sure that the cat will not cross boundaries, then you can let him feel like a king. But if you cannot cope with your pet and he has literally subjugated the entire family, then you should not allow him to behave like this. There can be a great many reasons why a cat sleeps on a person, but now we have looked at the main ones. We can conclude that by going to sleep on the chest or stomach of its owner, the animal pursues its own goals and does not care about you. But you shouldn’t scold the cat for this. After all, animals are driven by instincts that are very difficult to cope with. Therefore, do not scold or drive away your furry pet when he, purring comfortably, lies down on the same pillow with you. After all, you like it too. And if you don’t need such a neighborhood at all, then take care of creating a comfortable place for your cat and she will sleep where you show her.

Desire to find a safe place

Some owners buy their pets a separate bed, but they often climb onto the bed and lie down on them. Most likely, they do this out of a desire to find a secluded place.

Since many cats associate their owners with their mother, they go to bed closer to them in order to sleep peacefully and feel safe.

What can be dangerous about sleeping with a cat?

Sleeping together with pets can pose a certain danger to humans. The disadvantages of this phenomenon are the following:

1. A person's sleep suffers.
2. The quality of comfort decreases.
3. There is a violation of hygiene standards.

An animal can accidentally wake a person during sleep or infect him with an infectious disease. Therefore, it is best to refrain from such experiments. Ideally, the cat should have its own place in the house where it can rest peacefully. In such conditions, both he and the person will be provided with a comfortable and complete sleep.

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But it’s warmer in a pair

Many veterinarians and zoologists note that the animal instinctively reaches out to sleep with you, because they are warm-blooded animals and when there is no warm and comfortable heating pad nearby, the most pleasant thing for them is to dive under the blanket with their owner.

“So a person’s body temperature is higher than that of surrounding, inanimate objects, and therefore the answer here is self-evident - the cat is simply warm and comfortable with you.”

But in this case, there is one point, a “But” - not all owners can calmly tolerate being next to their furry in bed, and this largely affects the hygienic aspect of the issue. But we will look at this a little later - is it worth letting an animal into your bed?

Objective explanation of cat behavior

No matter how fantastic it may sound, a cat is often the first to know that its owner is pregnant, even before the woman takes a test. Science cannot substantiate this, there are only assumptions:

• the animal feels hormonal changes (here it is appropriate to remember that other pets - dogs - recognize cancer patients even at the initial stage);
• the cat sensitively notices the slightest changes in the owner’s habitual behavior, her way of life (for example, the woman began to pay a little less attention to her, focusing more on herself, the owner’s movements became more careful);
• the pet directly feels the birth of a new life in a way incomprehensible to science.

The cat feels the slightest changes in the behavior of its owner, and possibly changes in her hormonal levels

In general, many cats love to sleep and just lie next to a person. Naturally, for this they choose the warmest and softest places, and for women this is the stomach. However, there are also unsociable furry beauties, but when even an unfamiliar pregnant woman comes into the house, they try to jump on her lap and settle down near her belly.

Many people know that cute furry animals are able to “heal” their owners: tactile contact with them can eliminate headaches, arrhythmia, sciatica, depression and other ailments. The pet has the mysterious ability to absorb negative energy. Most likely, the same mechanism also works during a woman’s pregnancy: the cat not only senses the “interesting” position of the owner, but tries to help her and protect the unborn baby.

Is there any danger?

According to signs, if a pregnant woman steps on or kicks a cat, the child will have nervous disorders.

If the expectant mother is allergic to a pet, then she should refrain from such contact.
Veterinarians believe that the presence of a cat near the stomach will have a healing effect on the body and will not cause harm to health, but the following nuances must be taken into account:

• A cat that suddenly jumps can cause fear and unwanted sudden movements. In the long term, doctors advise expectant mothers to perform all actions smoothly so as not to harm the child’s nervous system.
• During pregnancy, the risk of allergic reactions, for example to wool, increases. If a woman starts sneezing when a cat is sitting nearby, it is better to temporarily maintain distance.
• Due to contact with an animal, infection with worms is possible, especially in cases where the pet washes its face close to the person’s face or kisses. However, the danger will disappear if your pet is regularly treated for parasites.
• There is a risk of infection from an unvaccinated pet. If your cat lies on its stomach, it needs to be vaccinated by a veterinarian.
• The likelihood of contracting toxoplasmosis during pregnancy increases, and representatives of the cat family are the main carriers. However, studies have proven that if a cat has lived in a family for a long time, then the owners develop antibodies to the disease.

There will be no harm from a cat stepping on its stomach if the owners monitor the pet’s health. Veterinarians insist on the need to regularly carry out prophylaxis with anthelmintic drugs. Animals that are often outdoors should be given medications every 2 months, and domestic cats - 2 times a year. Pets should be vaccinated only after preliminary cleaning of parasites.