Your cat sleeps between your legs, and you can’t figure out why. It doesn’t appear to be comfortable, and it seems like it gets in the way when you’re trying to sleep. But cats do sleep this way.
At the most basic level, sleeping between your legs is your cat’s way of making sure you stay safe. Cats sleep between your legs because they feel safe and secure in this position.
In addition , cats like to be close to their owners. If you are asleep and your cat is awake and moving about, they are safest if they are nearby.
Thus, cats also like to feel close to you while you are asleep. Because of the way your limbs and body size are arranged when lying down, cats can curl up comfortably and safely between your legs.
If your cat is awake and moving about around your feet, they might try to establish a “nest” by curling up somewhere comfortable to sleep.
Why Does My Cat Sleep Between My Legs?
They Want a Deep Sleep
Almost anything, even the arm of the sofa and your own legs, can be a comfortable place to rest for a cat if they feel safe there.
However, cats are animals that prefer deep slumber to a deep sleep.
That is one reason they like to curl themselves around you when you are sleeping or napping during the day.
It is safer for a cat to sleep curled up like this than to be walking around freely in your home while you are fast asleep.
It is also more comfortable for them.
The warmth of your body gives them a feeling of safety and also keeps them warm throughout the night, so they are less likely to wake up to use the litter box or to go outside to do their business.
She Likes the Warmth
Cats adore warmth and may have been the first people to take hot baths and enjoy the warmth of the sun on their bodies.
This preference is what likely led some early humans to domesticate the cat in the first place.
This preference is another reason why your kitty loves to sleep curled up against you while you sleep.
The heat from your body keeps them warm at night but also helps keep them safe when you sleep at night as well.
They’re Bonding With You
If you have many cats, you may be used to them following you around and playing with each other when you’re awake and active but sleeping in separate places when you are sleeping or napping.
When cats are young, they often snuggle up together in the same bed. Once they are older, they may want to be near you while you are sleeping but not snuggled up next to you.
It’s one of the ways they let you know they are still interested in being close to you and still want to be friends with you even though they are not snuggling up next to you or waking you up to play with you when they feel like it.
You Make Them Feel Secure
Cats are predators, yet they also need to be safe when they are at home with their families too.
If they feel unsafe, they will often look for a safe place to go where they know they will be safe until they feel better again. Cats will often hide under the bed or in a closet if they are feeling insecure or if they do not feel particularly safe where they are at the moment.
They might do this because they are frightened by something or someone or are uncomfortable in their current environment.
If they cannot find a place to hide where they are right now, they will probably look for somewhere else to go until they feel more secure or until they are no longer afraid or uncomfortable.
Stress and Anxiety
Unfortunately, a cat lying between your legs isn’t always a positive thing for you, either.
If your kitty is lying there because she doesn’t feel safe and secure where she is, she might stay there until you help her feel comfortable again or until her anxiety has subsided enough that she feels secure enough to leave on her own.
Sometimes this can mean that you stay up with her all night until she feels better and can go to sleep on her own again in her own bed.
This can make you feel tired and less rested the next day than you were the night before because you’ve been up with her all night and gotten very little sleep yourself.
They’re Marking You as Their Territory
Because of the fact that cats are territorial, you might find that your cat prefers to sleep in your bed if you are the only human in the household or if you share your bed with someone else who isn’t your spouse.
This is a sign that the cat feels that it is her territory. If she feels that the area belongs to her, she probably doesn’t want anyone else sleeping in it.
If this happens, your other cats will know to steer clear as well, so you shouldn’t be surprised if they try to stay out of your bed as well unless you make it clear to them that it is okay for them to be there if they want to.
Good Vantage Point
My cat sometimes rests on my chest at night when I am in bed and while sleeping on my side.
Many of the same reasons apply here as they do for grooming behavior: it’s a way for your cat to feel safe and to feel in control or in charge of the situation.
It does, however, have the added bonus of giving your cat some sweet head-bumping action if you fall asleep with your head propped up on a pillow or your arm hanging off the side of the bed.
Why Does My Cat Sleep On My Legs?
Your cat will usually come to you when he needs attention, such as if he is hungry, needs to use the litter box, or simply wants some affection from you.
He’ll also come when he’s looking for companionship and love from you.
He might even follow you around the house from room to room just to be with you, but he won’t be constantly underfoot all the time.
Your cat might occasionally climb up on your lap while you’re watching TV or just sitting on the couch with you while you read a book.
If you lie on your couch with your cat curled up in your lap and fall asleep, then he’ll probably assume you’re asleep too and stay there until you wake up.
Why Does My Cat Lay On My Legs?
Because it is a comfortable, secure, and familiar place for him to sleep.
It also conveys warmth and comfort while helping him feel in control of the situation.
Because cats often groom themselves with their paws, it can also help him relax and de-stress while he sleeps.
It is even a great way for him to get some extra loving attention while he sleeps.
Stressed Kitty
Your cat may be feeling frightened or scared because of something that is happening to him in his current environment that he doesn’t like or find scary.
It might even be happening at this very moment. He could be hiding under your bed because he feels like he’s being stalked by something or someone and he needs help escaping to safety.
It could also be something as simple as your alarm clock going off in the morning scaring him。
Of course, it can also be something that he experienced in the past that he’s having a hard time getting over.
Likes The Warmth
Cats are warm-blooded animals that may have been the first people to domesticate themselves in order to stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
They enjoy the warmth of their humans’ bodies and the feeling of being close to them while they sleep because it makes them feel safe and protected.
They also like being able to snuggle up close to you if they get cold at night.
Keeps Eye On Everything
A cat prefers to sleep in an upright position so that he can keep his eyes and ears open to see what’s going on around him at all times.
If he were to lie down on his back, he’d have to roll over in order to see anything in front of him. This would make it much harder for him to keep an eye on his surroundings if he woke up in the middle of the night.
It would also make it harder for him to spot any threats that might be approaching him while he slept if he kept his eyes shut the whole time.
A cat can keep an eye out for potential dangers by sitting up and looking out of a window or door window.
Sense Of Protection
Your cat prefers to sleep on your legs because it is a familiar and comfortable place for him to do so.
He knows that you’ll protect him and keep him safe there, and it gives him a sense of security and comfort at the same time.
It’s also a great way to get some extra love and attention from you while you’re both sleeping.
I Own You!
The peculiar sleeping arrangements of your feline friend are just another way that cats show that they are in charge, especially in their relationships with humans.
It’s another part of their body language that is hard to understand if you don’t live with a cat yourself.
If you want to understand more about how cats communicate, you should spend some time watching how they act with each other and how other cats act around them so that you can get a better sense of how they think and feel.
She is claiming ownership of you while you are asleep and laying claim to the bed as her own by marking it with her scent.
Safety Zone
She chooses to sleep on your legs because she knows that you’re always there to protect her from danger, which means that she feels safe enough to go to sleep without feeling like she needs to protect herself all the time.
What to Do If Your Cat Sleeps Between Your Legs?
If your pet cat enjoys sleeping between your legs, this is probably a sign of trust and love for you, especially if she is relaxed and calm when she does this.
Just let her be and don’t try to discourage her behavior or she’ll stop doing it altogether.
She marks you as her human property while she’s sleeping in between your legs because she loves you and trusts you to be her protector, which makes you feel special and loved too.
However, you may also provide her a different resting spot from time to time so she can choose where she wants to sleep and so that she gets used to sleeping somewhere else besides between your legs.
Also Read: Why Is Cat Sleeping In Closet?
Conclusion
Consider yourself fortunate if your favorite cat wants to sleep in your bed with you.
She feels secure, cozy, and guarded in your presence.
However, you may provide her with a private sleeping area of her own where she can feel safe and protected so that she can choose where she wants to sleep at night instead of where she’s told to sleep every night.