Why cats sleep at their feet: reasons, how to wean them off

Living side by side with such seemingly ordinary animals as cats, owners never cease to be surprised by their mysterious and sometimes mysterious behavior. Cats are credited with not only mystical properties, but also medicinal properties.

Watching how a furry pet goes to bed, household members make various guesses as to why cats sleep at their feet. Some owners believe that this is a good sign - the animal is healing a person in this way, others tend to think that this is how the pet is trying to free itself from its own negative energy.

Reasons for behavior

Despite the fact that cats love and appreciate comfort and warmth, plentiful food and a calm environment, these creatures are not that close to their owners. Fluffy pets do not always let their household know how they are treated, and can be very stingy in showing love and gratitude.

That is why household members are interested in the behavior of their pet, trying to understand what motivates him, for example, to find an explanation for why cats sleep on their feet.

Fans of these graceful animals know that cats spend two thirds of their lives sleeping. Being predators by nature, in the wild these animals sleep for at least 16 hours, saving energy and hiding from enemies during the daytime.

Cats' hearing and sense of smell make them sleep shallow and sensitive. The slightest rustle or barely perceptible sound can instantly wake up a seemingly serenely sleeping pet.

Living with a person, cats adapt to the lifestyle and routine established by the owner of the house. Being nocturnal hunters, pets nevertheless sleep at night with their owners. Often cats choose the owner's bed to sleep, sitting comfortably at the foot.

Modern zoology does not have any scientifically substantiated explanations for why cats like to sleep on their feet. There are several versions and guesses regarding the unusual behavior of pets:

Energy theory . According to this hypothesis, cats have the ability to transform the negative energy of the biofield of other creatures into neutral. It is believed that during this process the animals do not cause themselves any harm. Most often, pets encounter the energy field of the owner and household members. It is to them that the invisible therapy of furry healers is aimed.

In addition, there is an assumption that a person unconsciously draws energy from space. Being initially positive, after passing through the human body the energy acquires the opposite charge and exits into the ground with a minus sign. Cats, being sensitive to geomagnetic fields, neutralize or transform negative energy.

This theory has many supporters who, not unreasonably, believe that in this way cats prolong the life of their owners.

Zoologists and veterinary specialists tend to believe that the reason why cats like to sleep on their feet is because they love warmth. Experienced breeders and cat lovers have long noticed that furry couch potatoes choose the warmest places in the house. Cats happily sleep near heating radiators, on warm and soft loungers, and if the owner is already in bed, then a soft bed will be their favorite place.

The pet's desire to find a warm and dry place to sleep is due to the fact that the animal is motionless during rest. To prevent hypothermia during sleep, the cat looks for a warm and safe place in advance. Often pets want to lie on the chest or closer to the owner, but a safer and calmer place is still the legs of the household. Compared to the human body, legs are lighter, and they are unlikely to injure a pet.

The reason why cats lie on their feet, many fans of these animals consider the ability of furry pets to feel sick and dysfunctional places in the body. Scientific research does not confirm or refute this version. Many owners have repeatedly noted that pets choose sore spots on the human body.

Scientists explain this phenomenon by the fact that most pathologies are inflammatory in nature, in which local body temperature slightly increases. This is imperceptible to humans, but a hypersensitive cat unmistakably detects a warmer area of the body and strives to lie down closer.

Almost all owners of domestic cats can say with confidence why the cat sleeps at the owner’s feet . Furry pet lovers are unanimous in their opinion that this is how animals show their love and appreciation. Spending most of his life in a state of half-asleep, when else, if not in a dream, to be closer to his beloved owner.

Being cautious by nature and smart creatures, cats do not like to bother with their presence at hand and often choose the most calm and safe place from their point of view - a person’s feet.

Many guesses about the reasons why cats choose a place to sleep near a person’s feet indicate a genuine interest in these unique creatures both by ordinary owners and zoological scientists.

To learn why cats sleep on humans, watch this video:

Why do cats sleep on their feet?

All cats want to be comfortable, warm, well fed, and not disturbed to rest in a calm environment. Due to their mysterious behavior, people try to understand their pets. For example, many people wonder what is the reason that their cat likes to sleep on their feet?

When a cat begins to live with a person, it tries to adapt to his lifestyle. Despite the fact that this animal is considered a nocturnal predator, it sleeps with its owner. Most often, pets lie down on their owner's bed. Having climbed onto it, the cat stomps on the owner’s lap, making itself more comfortable.

No scientist can say with certainty why the animal sleeps in this particular place. There is no scientifically based explanation for this, only speculation.

Why do cats like to sleep at their feet and not next to them?

Cats like to sleep at their feet, not next to them, or do not approach their faces, often due to the hierarchical nature of the relationships between animals, both among themselves and with humans. A cat or cat, which, due to its temperament and disposition, does not claim a leading role in the community, most often chooses a place to sleep at the feet of the owner. With this behavior, the pet shows that it views the person as a leader and leader, recognizing its secondary role.

According to experienced breeders, the location of a cat in the blood is influenced by the character of the pet and its sense of security. If the animal is calm about human movements during sleep and is not bothered by changes in position, then the cat sleeps with pleasure next to the person. However, a shy, fearful pet prefers a safer place - at the feet, since compared to the human body, the legs have less weight and do not frighten the domestic couch potato as much.

A cat who loves comfort and does not tolerate a familiar attitude towards him will never choose human feet for rest.

Love for warmth

In fact, cats cannot imagine their life without warmth. They happily lie in the sun, climb on stoves, and lie next to fireplaces and radiators. Any sources of heat are dear to the mysterious cat's soul. This is why a cat likes to sleep next to a person so much, because his body temperature is significantly higher than the temperature of any, even the softest bed. Why exactly in the legs? Elementary! Not everyone likes to sleep next to a cat, and therefore she lies down where it is most difficult to drive her away.

For what diseases does a cat lie down on its feet?

Even eminent scientists in the field of zoopsychology cannot determine exactly what diseases cause a cat to lie down. It is believed that mustachioed healers occupy this position in case of diseases of an inflammatory nature - arthritis, myositis. Pathological processes accompanied by inflammation are characterized by an increase in local temperature in the affected area (joints).

Cats very sensitively sense the slightest change in the environment and react even to a slight increase in temperature, choosing a warmer place to rest. And if the owner often notices that the cat goes to sleep on his feet, the health of the joints should be checked.

Felinotherapy

Some scientists believe that the human body is an analogue of an electric battery, in which the head is the positive pole, and the charge with a minus sign is located in the legs. Pets sensitive to electromagnetic fields prefer to sleep at the feet of a person, thereby, as it were, removing negative energy. This theory appealed to cat lovers who consider these animals to be natural healers.

Why did the cat start sleeping between her legs?

Some pets suddenly start sleeping in their legs. Superstitious people believe that in this way the animal heals a person, taking away illnesses from itself. Some esotericists think that the choice of such a place to sleep is not accidental. The human body is charged with energy from space. At the same time, it begins to resemble a battery. The positive charge is on top and the negative charge is on the bottom. It is the latter that is not very good for health. Lying between their legs or on their legs, cats absorb negative energy, stabilizing biological processes in the human body.

Sitting between their owner's legs, cats absorb negative energy.

Previously, people believed that if a pet slept in bed with its owner, then the latter would have frogs in his head. Of course, for a modern person such a statement is delusional. However, it is not so absurd and is based on the rules of hygiene. Previously, cats were not particularly bathed or vaccinated, so they were not encouraged to stay in bed. You could easily become infected with something.

If we consider the real reasons why a cat can sleep between its owner’s legs, then there is nothing supernatural in the fact that the pet seeks to settle on or next to a person. The animal loves warmth. It's no secret that cats can periodically lie on hot radiators without feeling discomfort. A person is also a kind of heater for a fluffy, which is why they tend to lie down between their legs, where they are much warmer.

Pets are always warmer between their legs or on their feet, so they often prefer this place to sleep

Breeders also believe that the reasons are as follows:

the pet thereby shows that the owner occupies a leading position;
the animal shows its love.

Another reason why cats love this particular place is the need for protection. Sitting between the legs, the pet feels completely safe.

When I had a cat, she loved to sleep in a variety of places. I often noticed that she settled between her legs. I never attached much meaning to this choice of favorite. But she always slept with me. I think this is how animals show their love. They want to be closer to the owner.

If a cat comes to your feet and licks itself

If a cat comes to your feet and licks itself, this behavior usually indicates the animal’s trust and affection for the person. Licking fur is considered by zoologists as a ritual of “shedding” one’s scent. Manipulation helps the pet find a common language with its relatives.

In relation to a person, a cat acts in the same way, considering him a member of his family. Therefore, if a pet climbs into the legs and begins to lick itself, then this behavior indicates that the cat trusts and feels gratitude and love for the family member.

How cats choose who to sleep with

A cat’s choice of whom to sleep with is influenced by the animal’s individual characteristics, its morals, and attachment to a particular family member. Some pets happily relax with the head of the family, climbing on the man’s head or chest, or prefer to sleep at the feet. Other cats choose only their owner to sleep and categorically do not want to sleep next to their husband.

Scientists explain the choice of a pet not only by its attachment to a specific person, but also by the theory of smells. Long-term observations of mustachioed friends have shown that it is the smell of a person that is decisive for a cat in matters of friendship and love. If an animal considers him “one of its own,” then it recognizes this person as a leader, leader, and gladly chooses him as a companion during sleep.

Why do cats like to sleep on their feet?

When living with humans, cats love to sleep next to their owners. You may notice that cats at an early age preferred to sleep on a person’s chest, and when they grew up, they moved to their feet.

The fact is that kittens love to sleep on their owner’s chest, as they can feel his heartbeat, thereby they feel protected, remembering their mother cat. But as humans move in their sleep, cats learn and adapt. If a cat does not want to move around in the middle of the night and is concerned about its safety, it will prefer to sleep at the feet.

Kittens love to sleep on their owner's chest, but as they age they move to their feet.

Why does a cat sleep near a child?

According to experts, there are several reasons why a cat sleeps near a child:

first of all, the animal is not afraid of the small size of the child, it feels safe, as if on equal terms;
cat lovers believe that they sleep with children also because in this way they show their affection and love for all family members;
Scientists believe that animals choose the company of young children because the temperature of a child’s body is higher than the body temperature of an adult.

Why does a cat sleep on a person?

So far, scientists have not proven whether a cat goes to sleep on a person’s bed in order to cure his ailments or for any other reason, but science cannot explain a lot of things. There are only a few assumptions explaining the reason for cat behavior:

Cats are attracted to warmth. The place to sleep must be dry and warm, which is why kitties love to sleep on radiators, televisions, cabinets, window sills, radiators and, of course, in the owner’s bed. Scientists also explain this phenomenon that cats lie down and knead sore spots on the human body: the temperature rises in the inflamed area of the body, this is imperceptible to people, but cats are much more sensitive and accurately detect pockets of heat.
Its own smell. Cats are endowed by nature with an excellent sense of smell and can distinguish aromas that are elusive to humans. But the strong ones are also tolerated, since the smell of a loved one is calming - the animal feels safe and sleeps soundly. But not every person will become one for the cat, but only the one in whom he feels the leader, the leader of the pack.
Adoration. Tailed purrs tend to become attached to any family member, and therefore they happily sleep with their pet.
Fears. Cats usually sleep soundly, so they intuitively try to choose the safest place - next to the person, but at the feet, so as not to inadvertently crush them.
Jealous. If the kitty did not fall asleep in the owner's bed before, and when a small child, kitten or other family member appeared, the animal began to do this, then the reason is jealousy. By leaving its scent on the owner, the pet shows the stranger that this is his person.

Scientists neither confirm nor refute the assumption that cats can take away negative energy and give out positive energy, draw out all the bad things from people and cure diseases.

Why does a cat sleep at his feet?

According to folk signs and superstitions, if a cat sleeps at his feet, this means that he cleanses the owner’s energy from negativity and tries to draw out all the negative energy accumulated by a person during the day.

Psychics confirm that it is in the legs that negativity accumulates, and when an animal lies down there, it makes you aware of the problem. Perhaps a hidden pathology is developing that requires medical attention. Mustachioed purrs, according to ancient legends, know how to treat joints and diseases associated with them.

If everything is in order with health, it means that the cat is trying to relax the owner, feeling his fatigue and tension. And when a cat sits at the feet and begins to lick itself, it thereby expresses its love and affection for a person. By licking their fur, cats are not just carrying out a hygienic procedure - it is a kind of ritual of “shedding” their scent in order to find a common language with their brothers.

Around the head

A folk superstition says that cats most often go to sleep next to a person’s head when that person suffers from nervous exhaustion and has too many unnecessary thoughts. Thus, cats indicate the urgent need to rest.

And the cat lies next to its head because it completely trusts and feels safe next to this person.

By laying down near the uncovered parts, near the neck or face, cats also warm up, because a person loses at least 10% of heat through the head.

On the stomach

According to ancient beliefs, if a cat lies on a girl’s stomach, then she needs to see a doctor as soon as possible; she is most likely expecting a child. Cats are very sensitive to the energy of conception and instantly pick up on it, curling up on their owner’s stomach.

But it happens that a cat comes up, lies on its stomach, kneads with its paws and soon leaves - which means there is no pregnancy. Perhaps a woman has health problems in this area, with the gastrointestinal tract, for example. Then it would be a good idea to seek advice from a specialist and undergo a full examination.

If neither pregnancy nor illness is observed, most likely the animal is simply comfortable and warm to sleep on the owner’s stomach.

On the back

There are several reasons why a cat lies on a person’s back at night, and they are the same as when positioned near the head:

she is warm there;
feeling of security;
out of love for the owner;
found the source of inflammation (heart, kidneys, blood pressure);
takes away the negativity.

Cat owners with many years of experience in breeding animals unanimously claim that thanks to their pets they have recovered from illnesses and lost unpleasant symptoms.

The sign that millions of people believe in has its own name - felinotherapy. This is the name for the ability of cats to treat various ailments, although the healing side of cats is unknown to scientists today and has not been fully proven.

Features of cat sleep

Watching how your furry pet sleeps serenely, you can notice interesting features of its behavior:

Even a cat that seems to be deeply asleep at first glance does not stop reacting to environmental stimuli. Watching carefully, you can see how the whiskers, tips of the ears, eyelids and paws of the animal twitch.

Foreign neurophysiologists claim that cats dream. Scientists believe that most often they dream of hunting or skirmishes with enemies.

Furry pets have two stages of sleep: napping and deep sleep. During the first, the animal's muscles remain tense and the metabolism slows down. During this phase, the animal wakes up very quickly at the slightest external stimulus.

Deep sleep is characterized by complete relaxation of the animal's muscles (cats often fall during this process if they fall asleep on a hill). A cat emerges from such sleep much more slowly than from a nap.

Cats have approximately three times more REM sleep than humans.

Newborn babies sleep only in deep sleep; their drowsiness phase is not developed.

Spending most of their lives sleeping, pets sometimes choose the most unexpected places to rest: washing machines, closet shelves, carelessly left bags or baskets, etc.

We recommend reading about how to stop a cat from scratching wallpaper and furniture. You will learn about the causes of property damage, methods aimed at eliminating this problem, cutting nails, and eliminating stress factors.

Here's more information on how to trim a cat's claws.

Favorite places to sleep and their organization

Having gained fame as lovers of sleep, cats are nevertheless scrupulous when choosing a place to sleep. First of all, the overnight shelter or nest for daytime rest should be warm, dry, and calm. That is why the pet often chooses the owner’s bed, a place near the radiator, or a shelf in a cabinet. For the same reason, cats often prefer to sleep on a sunny windowsill, which is warm even in winter thanks to the heating system.

Many animals like to rest and sleep in an elevated place, believing that it is safer. In the wild, this habit is due to the fact that it is easier to see the enemy from a high place. Often cats try to choose a dark and quiet place, for example, in a closet, in a box, etc. As a rule, the pet changes its sleeping place during the day.

The fact that a cat sleeps at their feet does not please every owner. Some people are advised not to sleep in the same bed with a furry couch potato:

pregnant women;

children under 3 years old;

for allergy sufferers;

people suffering from somnambulism (walking in their sleep).

If for some reason the owner cannot or does not want the pet to sleep at his feet, he should purchase or independently build a special bed for him. Teaching an animal to sleep in a specially designated place is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance.

Noticing how a cat sleeps at his feet, what this means interests every curious owner of a furry homebody. Despite the variety of versions explaining this phenomenon, a caring owner will choose the one that, in his opinion, best characterizes his beloved pet.

Useful video

Watch this video about what diseases cats can treat:

The cat sleeps at the feet, not nearby

The reasons why a cat lies down at a person’s feet to sleep may be the most banal:

it is difficult to drive her away from this place if the owner does not like her neighborhood;
the owner will not wake up the sleeping cat when he gets out of bed;
the owner's feet are warm and there is no risk of being accidentally hit by a hand or foot when turning over from side to side of a sleeping person.

Most cat owners are not at all opposed to the fact that their pet sleeps with them in bed, curled up comfortably at their feet, believing that by doing so it removes negative energy, transforming it into positive energy, relieving illnesses and illnesses. There is some truth in this. Both cats and male cats mark not only the territory, but also the owner, by going to sleep at your feet, they show their love for him, demonstrate recognition and trust.

Veterinarians have their own opinion on this matter. They explain the desire of the purr to sleep at the feet of the owner by the desire for comfort and warmth. Bioenergetics specialists consider such desires of cats to be a desire to rid the owner of negative energy that accumulates in his lower legs due to its passage through the entire body.

The answer to the question of why a cat sleeps at a person’s feet, according to scientists, lies in the hierarchical nature of the animals’ relationships with each other and with the owner. Cats do not claim leadership positions in the family and therefore are content with a place at the feet of the owner, which serves as a kind of recognition of him as a leader and leader. They are not bothered by a person's tossing about in their sleep, changing positions, or turning over on their side.