“Good morning, sunshine!” your alarm goes off, making you rethink every decision you ever made that led to this moment. Maybe you’re better off quitting your career and focusing on your fluffy friend. Maybe you’re better off protecting her. “Oh, but do cats protect you while you sleep?”
A giggle escapes your mouth as the thought crosses your mind. “Come on, how could such an adorable, little munchkin protect me? What would you protect me from? Butterflies?” you tease her, knowing she won’t hear a thing you’re saying because she’s deep in dreamland.
“Oh, how adorable can you get!?” you cry out loud, smooching her little face with cuddles and kisses. Her paws start to twitch, her ears perk up as they’re trying to discern the commotion that’s going on outside of her slumber, and her eyes slowly open up towards the real world. “Good morning, sunshine!”
How can humans go about that “man’s best friend” thing when these charming creatures grace our lives with their presence? And we can give them the benefit of the doubt. Dogs are known to protect and serve their humans to the best of their abilities. But, who’s to say that cats can’t do the same thing?
And sure, cats have amassed a reputation for being cold, cruel, and standoffish. But, humans who prefer dogs to cats are the ones responsible for that reputation. Trust me, they prefer dogs only because they’re looking for fluffy, little zealots that don’t have a single thought running through their heads.
Do cats protect you while you sleep?
Circling back to whether cats protect you while you sleep – cats don’t. Or at least, cats don’t do it the way you might expect them to. Trust me, your cat doesn’t stay by your side throughout the night because she’s preparing to attack anyone who dares disturb you.
Maybe she doesn’t want to sleep anywhere other than your room. Maybe she doesn’t want to move after she makes herself comfortable at your feet. Or, maybe she doesn’t want to sleep AT ALL before she makes sure you’re sleeping (that’s what my cat does!)
And, as pet parents, we can’t help but feel loved and protected whenever our precious purrincess shows such affectionate behaviors. But, most cats (we emphasize most because cats are individual creatures and can do whatever they want) don’t do these things because they’re protecting their humans.
As a matter of fact, most cats run away the moment they sense danger. You must have seen videos of cats heading for the hills moments before an earthquake strikes, or hitting the road the second that they hear someone trying to break through the door.
“They’re vulnerable, they’re protecting themselves!” And, we agree with you! Actually, most cats prefer sleeping at their humans’ feet because they’re protecting themselves.
Sleeping at the foot of the bed provides them with the opportunity to take a good view of the room to better sense anything strange. And it’s a convenient pathway to get their little butts out the door.
But, no need to feel disappointed knowing that your fluffy friend wouldn’t take a bullet for you. Fluffs are different from humans. They don’t think the same way, and they don’t understand the “protecting your human” concept the same way.
Why do cats sleep with you, then?
Now that you’ve gotten your answer to whether or not cats protect you while you sleep, you might be wondering why cats sleep with you AT ALL. They have nothing to gain from you while you’re fast asleep, and yet they tend to choose the foot of your bed as their sleeping spot every single night.
“She’s got her own bed, but she refuses to sleep there at night. She uses her bed for lounging during the day. Then as soon as night falls, she heads off to my room and positions herself at the foot of my bed. Why?” Sounds like something you might be wondering right about now.
And, we’ve got your back, keeping our fingers crossed that you won’t turn this question into another one of your “Does she love me, does she love me not?” moments. Cats love sleeping with their humans for a bunch of reasons, and here are some you might particularly enjoy.
First things first, your fluffy friend might prefer sleeping with you because she’s looking out for both of you. She might seek your presence during the nighttime because that’s when she’s vulnerable. She sees things this way – both of you can protect each other should somebody or something try to attack.
On the other hand (you’re going to LOVE this one), your cat might be more attached to you than you think. Cats may be considered solitary creatures. But they can get very, very attached to their humans and prefer sleeping with them (rather than alone).
And, we can’t forget about the fact that cats need emotional support! Your fluff might prefer sleeping with you because she feels safer that way or because she wants you to feel safe, too! It’s a win-win!
Conclusion
Cats don’t protect you while you sleep. But that’s not to say that cats don’t absolutely adore sleeping with you. Your floofball might not bark in the middle of the night to scare off a burglar or hop at the first opportunity to save your life – she’s not a dog (and there’s nothing wrong with that!)
However, your cat has her reasons for preferring to sleep at your feet. Not only that, she has her reasons that you are her favorite person to sleep with. You provide her with food, which makes you some sort of a God to her (maybe not God, but you get the picture).
She makes you feel warm, welcomed, and taken care of whenever she’s meowing and purring at your feet. And, you make her feel safe because you’re the one that protects her while she’s vulnerable (aka, while she’s sleeping).
Come on, the two of you compliment each other purrfectly – and that’s what matters!
