Mary Allen
Many cats love to lie down on a human’s lap, stomach or chest. Find out why and what it means when your cat does this here.
Many cats have a particular fondness for lying on their human’s lap, chest, or stomach whenever they get the chance. We tell you why that is and what you should definitely not do when the cat is snoozing on top of you.
4 Reasons Why Cats Love to Lie to People
There are four main reasons why cats like to lie down on people or at least snuggle up very closely:
Close Trust
If your cat lies down on them and maybe even falls asleep there, that is a deep vote of confidence. We now know that cats are not loners, but very social animals. They need closeness and social contacts to be happy. In a multi-cat household, two cats like to snuggle together if they are a really good team – with single cats, the human takes over this part.
Search for Warmth
Cats are real sun worshipers and love warmth. You can often find them in the places where it is warmest: on the sunny window sill, on the radiator, or in people’s beds. When they sleep, they cuddle up close together with their tails wrapped around them. Man as a place to sleep serves as natural heating.
Tip: If you want to create a cozy nest for your cat, place a hot-water bottle (not too hot!) under your cat’s favorite blanket in a cozy, quiet spot. The heat is particularly good for older cats.
Safety and Security
The closeness and warmth your cat feels when lying on top of you brings back memories of the cat’s mother’s warm nest. Here all kittens lie tightly together and feel safe. The heartbeat of the mother cat or that of the human also has a calming effect on the cat.
Signs of Love
A cat that lies down and sleeps on top of you shows her trust and deep affection for you. You can feel honored.
But there are also cats that do not allow too close physical contact with humans and would never even think of laying down on humans. Here the socialization phase at the beginning of the cat’s life is formative. If the cat has had absolutely no experience with people here or has learned from the mother cat that it is better not to climb on people, it may be that it will keep doing this for the rest of its life. This too has to be accepted – cats show their love in many other ways.
You Should Avoid This Behavior
If your cat has just snuggled up on you, it’s best not to disturb it. Enjoy the rest time together. Cat purring is calming and lowers blood pressure. Treat yourself and your cat to this close bond.
If you do have to get up, don’t jump up suddenly, but carefully lift the cat to one side. If the cat is repeatedly roused from sleep when it has made itself comfortable on you, it may be that it will look for a quieter place in the future.