Cat complete alert sleeping on the chear

Cats sleep up to 18 hours a day, or sometimes even more as they age. You’ve probably found your cat sleeping in a number of different positions, and some of them may be pretty strange.

What does it mean when your cat sleeps curled up versus right next to your head?

Much of a cat’s sleeping behavior stems from social tendencies. Despite their reputation as aloof, cats can have social connections and form bonds with pet parents and other pets. They also seek out warmth from body heat while sleeping. This is what leads cats to sleep on you or next to you or another pet in the household.

Other cat sleeping positions go back to their wild roots. Cats are both predators and prey animals, so in the wild or while outdoors, their lives depend on paying attention. Because of this, cats are highly observant of their surroundings and protective of their bodies. So that explains why they might sleep curled up in a ball, for instance.

With a little insight, it’s possible to decode your cat’s sleeping positions and what they say about your cat’s state of mind. Here are 20 positions you might find you cat sleeping in and what they mean.