If you’re a cat lover, chances are your phone is full of photos of your feline catching zzz’s in all sorts of funny or odd sleeping positions.
Cats are natural snoozers, often sleeping up to 15 hours a day to fuel their nighttime adventures. You’ve probably noticed your cat covering its face with a paw or tail while sleeping.
But why do they do this? If you’ve ever wondered, read on to find out the reasons behind this charming behavior!
1. A Sense Of Security
When a cat is ready to sleep, it instinctively seeks out the safest, coziest spot where it won’t be disturbed. This behavior is deeply rooted in their ancestry.
Domestic cats descended from wild cats, who had to protect themselves by finding secure sleeping places to avoid predators. Even in the comfort of your home, this natural instinct remains strong.
The most vulnerable part of a cat’s body is its face, so it makes sense that they try to shield it while they snooze. You might notice your cat covering its face with a paw or tail, but they have other ways of protecting themselves too.
Some cats curl up tightly into a fur ball to safeguard their entire body, while others bury their face in a pillow, comforter, or the plush softness of their favorite cat bed. Each of these habits reflects their innate need for security and comfort while they rest.
These hidden areas mimic the safe, enclosed spaces their ancestors sought out in the wild, allowing them to fully relax and enjoy their sleep.
2. Warmth And Coziness
Cats have a well-known love for warm and cozy spots. You’ve probably noticed your own feline curling up by the fireplace, lounging on a sunlit carpet, or snuggling into a blanket.
This preference for warmth isn’t just about comfort – it’s a way for cats to maintain their body temperature. When they’re active, they generate enough heat to stay warm, but during sleep, their bodies lose heat more easily.
One of the most common reasons cats hide their faces while sleeping is to conserve that precious warmth. By covering their face with a paw or tail, they create a little pocket of warmth that helps retain heat, keeping them cozy for longer periods.
This technique also keeps their most sensitive areas, like their nose and paws, warm and snug.
To ensure your furry friend stays comfortable, make sure the temperature in your home is warm enough, especially during colder months. Providing soft blankets, a heated bed, or even a sunny perch can make all the difference.
With the perfect cozy environment, your cat can snooze peacefully, feeling safe, warm, and completely at ease.
3. Out Of Comfort
Just like humans have their favorite sleeping positions, cats also have their preferred ways to curl up and rest. These positions aren’t random; they reflect each individual cat’s personality, preferences, and need for comfort.
Some cats stretch out luxuriously, while others curl tightly into a little ball, and each choice seems to help them feel more at ease. When it comes to sleep, the key for both humans and cats is finding a position that ensures comfort and a peaceful rest.
For cats, covering their face while sleeping might simply be their version of this – it’s the position that feels most natural and cozy for them. It’s also a way for them to completely relax and drift off without distractions.
This sleeping posture does more than just provide comfort. As mentioned earlier, it keeps cats warm, snug, and secure, which plays a big role in how long and deeply they sleep.
A cat that feels warm and safe is more likely to enjoy uninterrupted, restorative rest, leaving them ready to be their playful, energetic selves once they wake up.
Whether it’s instinct or simply personal preference, covering their face seems to be one of the many adorable ways cats make sure they get the most out of their nap time.
4. Out Of Tiredness
Sometimes, your cat might doze off right in the middle of an activity. It’s not unusual to catch your feline mid-motion, paws frozen in place as they drift off to dreamland.
While it may seem funny, this behavior makes perfect sense when you consider just how much energy cats expend when they’re awake.
Cats are natural multitaskers. Whether it’s chasing toys, darting around the house, or zooming from one room to the next, their bursts of activity can be exhausting.
Add to that the fact that cats are meticulous groomers, it’s no wonder they sometimes fall asleep in the middle of the action.
When you take a closer look, grooming is no small task for your feline friend. It’s a constant cycle of licking, stretching, and reaching every corner of their fur, which can be surprisingly tiring.
It’s during one of these moments that a cat might suddenly nod off, leaving their paw resting over their face mid-lick. This adorable scene is not only entertaining but also a reminder how much effort your cat puts into staying clean and active.
5. Blocking The Light
Cats are usually more active during the night, which means that they sleep a lot during the day. As a result, they spend much of their daytime napping to recharge.
While they sleep, they prefer to create the perfect environment for rest, which includes shielding their eyes from anything that might disturb them – especially sunlight.
You’ve likely heard about cats’ remarkable eyesight, particularly their ability to see well in low-light conditions. However, this heightened sensitivity to light doesn’t work in their favor during sleep.
Bright sunlight can make it difficult for cats to fully relax, as their eyes are more sensitive than ours. This is why many cats instinctively cover their eyes with a paw or tail while they sleep – it’s their way of blocking out the light and finding a bit of shade.
Interestingly, even though sunlight can disturb their sleep, cats are often drawn to sunny spots for their warmth. Sunbathing helps them maintain their body temperature and provides a cozy, soothing environment for a nap.
So, while it might seem like a dark, quiet corner would be their ideal resting spot, cats prioritize warmth over darkness. By covering their eyes, they create the best of both worlds: a warm, sunny spot to curl up in while keeping the light from bothering them.
6. Blocking The Noise
Sunlight is not the only thing that can disturb a cat’s comfortable sleep. In the same way cats cover their eyes to block the sun rays, cats may also hide their face or head as a means of blocking out any noise.
Having a heightened sense of hearing means that even a small noise can alert your cat’s interest and ruin a good sleep.
Cats, as opposed to humans, do not engage in a lot of deep sleep. Most of the time they spend half-asleep or in a really light sleep (also called a catnap) before moving to the deeper rem stage.
This is due to the cat’s natural instinct to protect itself. The slightest sound may wake them up because they always have to be prepared to escape in case they find themselves in danger.
A domestic cat may not be threatened with the kind of danger that they might be faced with in the wild, and so these cats might try to block out the noise because they are annoyed by it and feel secure enough to block it out.
Since they are usually napping, and even a slight sound may wake them up, they try to cancel out all unwanted noises by covering their faces in order to have a normal sleep.
7. Do Not Disturb Mode
Even though cats are animals that love to cuddle and typically seek attention by purring or meowing, there are times when they just want to be left alone. Just like us, they sometimes need their personal space to relax and recharge.
If your cat is covering its face while sleeping, it might be a signal that they don’t want to be disturbed. This behavior ties into their independent nature; while they enjoy your company, cats are inherently self-reliant animals that like to do things on their own terms.
Respecting their quiet time is essential for maintaining their trust and comfort. As tempting as it may be to nudge or pet them when they look irresistibly cute, doing so might result in a less-than-warm reaction.
Cats have a way of setting boundaries, and this is one of their ways of communicating them. Rest assured, your cat will seek you out when they’re ready for affection, probably with a meow and a nuzzle, especially if it’s close to mealtime.
Until then, letting them rest undisturbed will make those purr-filled cuddle sessions even more rewarding when they decide it’s time for attention.