Your cute feline friend has strange behaviors like resting his head on your legs, licking your nose, standing with his mouth wide open, and covering his face while sleeping. All of these behaviors have their reasons, and it is essential that you, as their guardian, know and understand those reasons. In this article, let’s explore why cats cover their face when they sleep, whether it’s normal behavior, and what you should do when you see it.
What is the reason cats cover their face when they sleep
Cats have a variety of sleeping positions, including curling up from nose to tail to help retain body heat, sleeping on their chest, fun Sleeping in the litter box, and sleeping with the face covered with hands are some of the main postures. Next, discover why cats sleep covering their faces among those postures.
Cats are similar to humans in some aspects, and they fall into deep sleep through REM. Cats dream like humans, and now let’s explore what causes this cute gesture of cats to cover their faces when they sleep.
1. To protect sensitive eyes
Cats are attracted to heat, and the problem with sleeping in sunny areas is that they use their paws or tails to cover their faces to block bright light from their eyes. Cats’ retinas have more rod receptors than human eyes, which help with peripheral vision and vision in the dark. On top of this, their eyes can be sensitive to bright light, which is one of the main reasons cats cover their face when they sleep.
2. A sense of security
Cats have the instinct to protect themselves from predators and can become prey to other animals. Due to this fact, they try hard to sleep in a safe place and look for a safe home with a high advantage before going to sleep. Especially since the face of cats is the most vulnerable center, they cover it and protect it while they sleep. Accordingly, cats sleep with brief awakenings instead of long, deep sleep like humans.
3. Comfort
You may have noticed that your feline pet has different sleeping positions. Sleeping is a risky activity for them, so it is a challenge to stay comfortable all the time. One of the best reasons cats cover their face when they sleep is because they cover their faces as a “don’t disturb me” signal to show them that they need rest.
4. To get the nose warm
Maintaining proper body heat is essential for all animals. Although a human can tolerate cold and heat, a cat’s body temperature is higher than a human, so they always sleep in warm places. Because cats always lie down, the body temperature decreases during sleep, and the body parts such as the nose, ears, and paws lose more heat. In response to this problem, cats cover their face when they sleep. Covering the face thus reduces the amount of heat lost while sleeping; all they want is to be warm and comfortable.
5. Falling asleep between activities
Cats constantly strive to keep their coats clean and typically spend 30-50% of their day grooming. However, this constant grooming does not leave them much time to sleep, resulting in fatigue. If cats cover their face when they sleep, they may be too tired to fall asleep alone. When they use their feet to clean their face and ears, they suddenly fall on their face while falling asleep.
Is it normal for cats to cover their face when they sleep?
Cats covering their face is a typical behavior of all cats, so you don’t need to worry about it. Many people think that cats are nocturnal. But they are most active at dawn and dusk, during which time they take a short nap of a few minutes. The reason for such a short sleep is that they are always on constant alert and should be ready to stalk, ambush, and attack if a predator appears.
But if you see your cat awake, with his eyes open and his face covered, he may be under a bit of stress, so if you notice such behavior, take your pet to a vet.
What do when cats cover their face when they sleep?
If cats cover their face when sleeping, once you notice it, you can follow the steps below to give the cat the most comfortable sleep possible.
- Do not interrupt – When your cat is sleeping with their face covered, the best thing to do is leave them alone. The fact that they sleep with their feet covering their face may indicate “do not disturb sleep.” Cats need their sleep, and providing a suitable relaxing environment is something you, as their guardian, should do.
- Cover with curtains – Cats like to be exposed to sunlight, and it is common to sleep near windows. While sleeping in a bright place like this, the sunlight falling on his face causes pain in the eyes and disturbs sleep. So when you find your pet sleeping in such a position, cover the curtains to block the sunlight.
- Raise the temperature – Your pet may need warmth if cats sleep with their faces covered, especially in winter. During such times you have seen the cat curled up to get the heat it needs. So raising the temperature in the house is an excellent solution to make cats feel more comfortable.
- Change their bed – If your cat’s bed is in a sunny area or near a cold window, move it to a warmer and slightly darker place. And don’t forget to add a blanket to the bed for extra warmth.
Conclusion
Now you know why cats cover their face when they sleep. Cats sleep with their faces covered when they feel a sense of security, to block out light, to feel comfortable, so don’t disturb them. You should not panic if you see cats sleeping like this, as this is normal behavior. Follow the methods discussed above to help your cat sleep more comfortably.
