Cats sleep between your legs for warmth and security.
Reasons
- Warmth.
- Security: protected between your legs.
- Bonding and trust.
- Cats sleep 12 to 16 hours a day and look for cozy spots.
Is it safe
Yes. Be careful not to roll over on the cat.
If you don’t like it
Offer a heated bed next to you.
Note
Sudden changes in sleeping spots may signal illness.
Warmth and security
Cats love warm, enclosed spaces. The space between your legs provides warmth, protection on both sides and a stable surface. Cats prefer temperatures of 86 to 97 degrees F.
Trust
A cat sleeping against or between your legs is demonstrating trust, since sleep is a vulnerable state.
Bonding and scent
Contact with you transfers scent between you and your cat, strengthening social bonds and a sense of group identity.
Kitten instincts
Kittens huddle with their mother and littermates for warmth. Cats may continue to seek this closeness as adults.
Pregnancy and health
Some cats become more clingy when their owners are unwell or pregnant, though the idea that cats know a person is pregnant is anecdotal.
Is it safe
For healthy people, usually yes. Consider:
- Allergies.
- Keep the cat free of fleas, ticks and parasites.
- People who are pregnant should avoid litter box handling. Sleeping with a cat is not a risk for toxoplasmosis in itself.
- Weak immune systems: ask a doctor.
- A heavy cat on legs may disturb sleep or cause discomfort.
If you don’t like it
- Provide a comfortable cat bed with a heating pad next to yours.
- Use a closed bedroom door if you need to.
- Reward the cat for using its own bed.
- Don’t punish.
- Give play and attention before bedtime.
Sleep disruption
Cats are most active at dawn and dusk (crepuscular), and so may wake you. Feeding a meal before bed and playing in the evening may help.
Health
Check cat behavior changes with a veterinarian.
Cat behavior explained
Cats seek warm, enclosed spots, and the space between legs offers warmth and protection. Sleeping close indicates trust. Kittens sleep in piles with littermates, and adult cats retain the habit with people they feel bonded to. A cat’s normal body temperature is 38 to 39 C.
Health and household notes
If you dislike the habit, provide a heated cat bed near the sleeping spot and keep a regular routine. Sleeping with cats is generally safe, though people with allergies, asthma or weakened immune systems should be cautious. Pregnant women should avoid cleaning litter boxes because of toxoplasmosis risk, according to the CDC. Keep cats treated for fleas.
Based on data from the American Veterinary Medical Association and the CDC
