Mary Allen
On their backs, on all fours, or with their eyes half-open, cats look insanely cute and sometimes incredibly funny when they’re sleeping. You can read here what your cat’s sleeping position reveals about its state of mind and its health.
Cats sleep and doze about 16 hours a day. So, as a human, you have plenty of time to study your loved ones and find out what their sleep reveals about them.
Sleep is Not Just Sleeping: Relaxing, Dozing, Waking
Not everything that looks like sleep to humans actually means that your cat is in the realm of dreams. Some postures that appear like sleep are just a “disguise”. In reality, the cats are often on guard duty or just enjoying their idleness. Open eyes, on the other hand, do not necessarily mean that your fur nose is really awake.
How your cat settles into bed says a lot about how safe she feels. In addition, the weather has a major influence on the sleeping behavior of the animals: on cold days, they tend to curl up tightly to store heat. On hot days, they like to stretch out on the warm ground.
Age also plays a role in a cat’s sleeping position: young kittens tend to fall over where they were just playing, completely exhausted and end up in the strangest positions. Since they have not yet had any negative experiences, they are usually completely deeply relaxed.
This is different for adult animals. The respective sleeping position of a cat and its importance at a glance:
Cat Sleeping Position “Crescent”
The classic sleeping position for cats: rolled up in a crescent shape. Only when no immediate danger is to be suspected do the animals lie down like this. In cold weather, a lot of heat is also stored in this way.
There is also an extended version of the crescent moon: the cat buries its face under one paw and pulls the other paws close to its body. The meaning is usually unmistakable: a cat that curls up like this is trying to shut out the world and wants to be left alone.
Sleeping Position on Four Paws
In this cat sleeping position, the abdomen and chest are on the floor and the legs are pulled tightly under the body so that the animal can rest its head on both front paws. In this position, the cat looks almost rectangular, like a loaf of bread.
From such a sleeping position, the cat can quickly jump up and flee. In addition, the lungs are relieved in this position. So when cats choose this sleeping position, it can mean two things: either they are in a covert position and feeling unsafe, or they are having breathing problems.
Eyes Half-Closed While Sleeping
The eyes are almost closed and the cat only looks through a very small gap: Especially during the first half-hour of falling asleep, the furry friends are on extreme alert. Even if they appear completely dozed off from the outside, the slightest stimulus is enough to startle them.
Does your cat cover one eye with its paw while the other is open? Then it may still be that she is sleeping. Like dolphins or some bird species, cats master what is known as hemispheric sleep. This means that only one side of the brain sleeps while the other keeps vigil. So one eye remains open.
“Cuddle Pile” as a Cat Sleeping Position
Two or more fur noses snuggle up close together. This phenomenon can only be observed in cats that are very familiar with each other, which is why it usually occurs in cats that have known each other from an early age. This cuddle orgy is an expression of deep relaxation and also says that they consider their cuddle partner as family.
Sleep Belly Up
Stretching out on all fours on the back – when cats sleep in this position, it is, so to speak, the accolade for every cat owner. Because: Nothing shows as much confidence as this sleeping position. Finally, your loved one will fearlessly expose their most vulnerable side. While tempting, don’t take this as an invitation to belly rub most cats.
Incidentally, you will rarely see this position in households with several animals, because the cat will not present itself unprotected.
“Leave Me Alone!”: Defense Sleep
What appears to be sleep is actually an annoying gesture: the cat curls up and turns its back on what is happening. However, she does not put her head down as she would to sleep. Instead, one or both ears are cocked alertly backward. In this situation, cats prefer to look for an elevated place.
This behavior can be triggered by stress or pain. If your cat often settles in this position, you should consult a vet as a precaution.