Why Is My Cat Sleeping Between My Legs? 7 Causes


Final Up to date on: September 5, 2023 by Crystal Uys

a fluffy grey cat sleeping between its owner's legs

Greater than 50% of cats are believed to sleep for 12 to 18 hours out of every 24-hour day, and virtually 40% of them sleep greater than 18 hours! So, it shouldn’t come as a shock {that a} cat would discover all types of various methods to spend their time sleeping, since they accomplish that a lot of it.

They may discover a cardboard field to snooze in, they might sleep on the sofa whereas sitting upright, they usually might even resolve to sleep in your mattress. Generally, they sleep in humorous positions simply because! Nevertheless, there are typically causes that they sleep the way in which that they do, like once they snuggle between your legs. It’s primarily for heat, however there are different attention-grabbing causes that your cat may resolve to sleep between your legs at any given time.


The 7 Causes Cats Sleep Between Your Legs:

1. The House Is Heat and Secure

The house between your legs has a pleasant steadiness of physique warmth {that a} cat is certain to get pleasure from in the midst of the evening or throughout a cold weekend afternoon. Cats are inclined to gravitate to heat locations when they’re prepared for a nap or lengthy sleep. Not solely is the house between your legs good and heat, however it could possibly additionally present a way of security and safety to your cat once they’re mendacity there. They know that they’ll belief you, in order that they understand that your legs are offering a barrier of safety in opposition to attainable predators and different risks.


2. It Helps Create a Deeper Bond

Sleeping between your legs could also be a manner to your kitty to create a deeper bond with you, particularly should you lead a busy way of life and aren’t house a lot all through the day. Having the ability to spend time shut collectively may also help construct extra belief and affection, which ought to make interacting throughout different instances extra gratifying and personable total.


3. It Provides an Alternative for Deep Sleep

Snuggling up between your legs affords a terrific alternative to your cat to get deep sleep. By intuition, cats are inclined to really feel susceptible once they sleep. Subsequently, they attempt to discover locations to snooze the place they are going to have a vantage level and straightforward escape if a predator have been to get shut. Many instances, a cat received’t go right into a deep sleep exactly to allow them to keep on alert—that is partly why they sleep a lot all through the day.

Nevertheless, when they’re sleeping in a spot the place they really feel protected, cozy, and guarded, they’re extra more likely to fall right into a deep sleep and re-energize themselves. You may discover that your cat has quite a lot of vitality and acts fairly frisky once they get up from a deep, lengthy nap between your legs.

cat sleeping in between a person's feet
Picture Credit score: Vova Shevchuk, Shutterstock

4. The Place Is Snug

Your cat may sleep between your legs for no different purpose than the truth that they discover it snug. If the house is as snug as some other to them and there may be the good thing about spending time collectively, chances are high that your kitty will select to sleep between your legs over different choices.


5. It Supplies a Nice Vantage Level

Cats wish to sleep in locations the place they really feel they’ve a great vantage level over their environment. Sleeping between your legs might not give them the very best view of all the pieces that is occurring round them, nevertheless it does assist them cover whereas they spy on their fast atmosphere. Your legs act like a protect, which helps make your cat really feel like they’re hidden from the world round them.


6. It’s a Strategy to Declare Territory

One more reason that your cat may sleep between your legs is to say that you’re their territory. Of their thoughts, they’re passing their scent to your physique by way of contact whereas they sleep, which different cats and animals will odor and perceive. It’s a manner for them to determine themselves as enjoying a dominant position of their atmosphere, which is your family. If a brand new cat comes into your own home, it’s possible you’ll discover that your present kitty tries to put declare by rubbing on you and sleeping on or close to you as typically as attainable. This might proceed till they get used to the brand new cat’s presence.


7. It Can Assist Relieve Stress

Sleeping between your legs may also help relieve your feline buddy’s stress ranges. Whether or not it’s attributable to a brand new pet or child getting into the house, a transfer to a brand new place, or an sickness, stress can grasp your cat identical to it could possibly for a human. Having the ability to snuggle up the place they really feel snug and cared for may also help relieve that stress and allow them to get pleasure from extra peace of thoughts total.

grey cat sleeping in bed beside a person's foot
Picture Credit score: Zhuravlev Andrey, Shutterstock

How You Can Cease Your Cat From Sleeping Between Your Legs

If you’re not snug together with your feline sleeping between your legs, you shouldn’t really feel obligated to let it occur. There are some things that you are able to do to cease your cat from doing this habits with out sacrificing their consolation and sense of security. Listed below are the choices to think about:

  • Attempt inserting a heating pad in a cat mattress close to the place you sleep to imitate the heat that your legs present. Place your cat within the mattress proper earlier than you hit the sack your self, and lay in a manner that they’ll’t get between your legs till they quiet down elsewhere.
  • Put a t-shirt that you just’ve just lately worn in your mattress close to you, and encourage your cat to sleep there. Your scent on the shirt may assist them really feel like they’re being enveloped by you as they might in the event that they have been sleeping between your legs.
  • Use a clicker or treats to coach your cat to sleep close to you, not on you or between your legs. The method can value you a little bit of sleep at first, however the outcomes must be price your effort.

Abstract

The commonest purpose {that a} cat would sleep between their human companion’s legs is for heat and luxury. If you happen to don’t benefit from the expertise, although, you don’t have to fret about hurting your kitty’s emotions. If they’ve a protected and comfy place to sleep elsewhere, they need to be blissful to take action with route and encouragement from you.


Featured Picture Credit score: I.Ok.Media, Shutterstock

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