Why Do Cats Sleep At The Foot Of The Bed? Should You Let Them?

Cats have been estimated to sleep at the foot of the bed at least 15 hours a day where it is in the most uncomfortable spot- not for them but their human!

Even though your cat sits on top and judges everyone in the house, these creatures love to cuddle up with their human on the same bed for hours as their way of showing affection for them. Our feline friends love to be close to the owners that give them maximum affection and provide the most for them.

Most people notice that the cat owners that feed, water, and clean their litter-sand the most, are the ones whose feet these animals may choose to sleep on. Albeit either waking them up or leaving no room to stretch the legs for the human.

Sleeping and being near their owners gives the kitty a sense of security and safety. Cats also have a knack for sleeping next to their humans to protect them from any harm that may come and wake them up of any threat, thanks to their superior survival instincts.

All this increases the love in the bond between the cat and the cat owner.

The cat owner's feet become the permanent bed for a cat to get all the affection and warmth they crave from their human. However, is this the only reason why cats sleep near your feet or the foot of your bed?

Let’s find out by reading the remaining article! To know more about feline instinct, please read about why cats fight and why cats eat plants.

Should you let your cat sleep on your bed?

Every cat lover out there loves to spend every waking (or sleeping) moment of their lives with their feline friend. However, when your pet starts to disturb you in the middle of the night, there could be some factors that you must take notice of; like if you should share your bed with your cat.

Letting your cat sleep at the foot of the bed or on your feet can arguably help build a stronger relationship between a cat owner and their feline friend.

It can help develop a healthy owner-pet relationship. Letting your cat sleep on your bed shows them how much affection you have for them and increases their trust in you.

It has been noticed that this helps them live a better quality of life as these animals feel less lonely, emotionally stable with their cat next to them, more mentally and physically active and just cuddling with their cat can help improve the cat owner’s sleep.

Unfortunately, there are also some negative aspects to sleeping with your pet. They can pass on potential diseases to their owner, which is commonly known as zoonotic diseases.

While it is uncommon for a cat owner to acquire this, it is important to take your cat to the vet for regular checkups to prevent this. Allergies are also a major concern in this.

Those that have even a slight allergy to their pet, must avoid letting them sleep on the same bed.

Cats are also notorious for playing with your feet or meowing while you are sound asleep and can cause a disturbance to them. If the behavior becomes too much for you, get in touch with a cat behavior consultant.

Do cats need beds?

Cats require a space where they can relax and take multiple cat-naps throughout the day. Cats are known to sleep a lot.

But most of the time, they aren’t really in deep sleep and just dozed off. They conserve their primal energy during their naps for hunting prey, even though they don’t have to as they are domesticated. These traits are still adopted by domesticated cats to this day.

As we discussed earlier, there are a lot of pros and cons in letting your cat share the same bed as you.

However, those who are more in favor of the cons can opt to get their feline friend a bed of its own as there are multiple benefits to this.

This animal needs a comfortable space of its own which is much softer and cooler than sleeping on the floor. They also help your cat understand that there is a designated place for it to sleep so it will avoid sleeping on its owner’s bed.

A cat bed can help understand how a cat feels regarding the temperature.

It’s also a great way to keep your feline friend close to you, but on separate beds, so a cat owner can still form a deep connection with their pet without dealing with any of the cons that come with it.

Do most indoor cats sleep on the bed?

Most indoor cats like sleeping on beds as it is more comfortable and snuggly than the floor. They are also closer to their owner which helps them feel safe.

Cats are known to be territorial creatures and sleeping on the same bed as you or on you means that they are marking you as there. This behavior of theirs is supposed to be flattering for cat owners.

Since their owner is the safest place for them, cats are extremely protective of their owner. This may not seem like it as cats are usually stereotyped to be aloof and distant but in reality, they are just as protective of their owners.

They pay close attention to what you’re doing and where you are and use their strong sense of hearing and smelling abilities to protect their humans.

This is another reason why indoor cats sleep on the foot of their owner’s bed, to protect them from any harm that may come to them. Often, cats are very protective of their humans when it comes to other people they may see as dangerous.

They have strong territorial instincts that kick in to protect themselves and their owner. By staying close to you at night, the cat can easily wake you up when they sense any danger or threats.

They are like your own personal bodyguards, keeping a watch over their humans and making sure no harm comes to them. Because of their territorial nature, they tend to investigate every corner of the house, the minute they are brought to their home for the first time.

They may end up thinking that they own their owners!

But, this isn’t a bad thing as it is the cat’s way of showing affection towards their human. Sleeping on the foot of the bed marks the territory of their caregiver.

Training your cat to not sleep on your bed

Survival instincts and the need for body heat aside, the various cons that come with the affection of wanting to cuddle with our cat every night can be a near handful. While cat owners love having their cats around them and giving them all the affection in the world, everyone requires a little space.

There are various ways you can train your cat to not sleep on the same bed as you.

The first step a cat owner can take is getting their kitty a bed of its own. We have already discussed the benefits of this earlier above.

To make them get into the habit of sleeping on their bed, an owner can start by understanding how their cats prefer sleeping. Some like to sleep somewhere secure, some like sleeping near a source of heat, other cats enjoy sleeping in different corners of the house.

Anyone that has a cat must be aware of how meows can melt your heart. When you start training your cat to sleep outside your room, they will meow… a lot.

No matter how much they hassle or scratch, do not let them in. It will take a lot of patience, but in the long run, it will benefit. Get a pair of earplugs to avoid getting disturbed while this goes on.

Give your cat a lot of love and attention when they are in their bed. Feed them their favorite treats so they will see the bed as a positive place to be. Get some blankets to keep them warm and cozy.

A great way to make your cat feel safe is by placing something of yours or a toy in their bed. Having something familiar with them can help the cat get used to sleeping in their bed.

Have some play-time with your cat before going to sleep. It can be 15-20 mins and will be more than enough to make them feel good.

Keep some treats on the side before you part ways for the night. Also, make sure the lights in the area they are sleeping in are dim or off. This can help them drift away to sleep faster.

Why do cats walk on you while you sleep?

Our feline friends love to walk on their cat owners for one primary reason: to keep warm. Kittens search for the substitute of their mom and often find much-needed warmth in their human caregivers who make them feel safe.

As these domestic kittens grow up into cats, they still retain a lot of their kitten instincts and tend to seek the safest territory that gives them the most security, near the legs of their owner as he or she sleeps in the room.

A cat walks over their human as they see them as a giant cushion. To find the perfect spot to take one of their many cat naps, these pets like walking over the cat owner for this.

The act of walking on their human is also related to kneading. From kitten-hood to cat-hood, cats are said to knead instinctively. While there is no factual reason for it, they do this to get the attention of their cat-mother.

A cat is also said to walk or stand on their human when these pets want their attention. It doesn’t matter to them what time of the day it is or what else you are doing, the cat will look directly into your eyes as a tactic to get the attention these pets desire.

If you are busy at the moment and don’t have time to coddle your cat, place it gently on the floor or beside you. This will help reduce the behavior gently.

Remember that your cat walks on you because it loves you. It can help you gain a better understanding of how your cat shows affection.

Why do cats always sleep at the foot of the bed?

Cats have a strong sense of security and protection towards themselves and their humans. They tend to watch a human as he or she sleeps.

They are also territorial and may be tempted to think that the bed is their territory and they are sharing the bed with you! They are also known to keep tabs on the room.

Their fight or flight instincts are very strong and they like staying closer to the entry and exit of the room where they feel less vulnerable.

In most houses, the bed is the closest place to the door, so they like sitting on the foot of it. They also prefer sitting on your feet or the foot of the bed as there isn’t much disturbance down there.

Humans are known to toss and turn when they are sleeping so these pets find the foot of the bed with the least disturbance.

A cat may also be comfortable sleeping on the foot of the bed as it is much cooler down there. Humans are known to produce a lot of body heat and while cats love the warm cuddles of their humans, they don’t like to be overheated.

Cats also like being close to their humans while sleeping as this is when they both are in their most vulnerable form. This helps increase the affection and trust of the cat towards their caregiver.

They also sleep at the foot of the bed as it is usually much tidier than the rest of the bed that is filled with pillows and blankets.

They are known to be active during nighttime. While most cats doze off when their humans sleep, many don’t sleep through the entire night.

Cats are known to be light sleepers as their security instincts are always present. They like sleeping at the foot of the bed as they can move around in peace without much disturbance. Cats are smart and know at the foot of the bed, they can get their maximum comfort and space.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for why cats sleep at the foot of the bed then why not read about why cats get the zoomies and Pallas' Cat facts.