Your Cat Has A Cute Reason For Stealing Your Pillow At Night

Widely acknowledged as the superstars of the internet, cats are accustomed to having feline-obsessed netizens analyze everything from why cats sleep with their eyes half shut to subtle ways cats say "I miss you." One question cat owners ponder is why their feline companions so often insist on sharing — and sometimes even hogging — their pillow at night.

The sweetest explanation for this adorable behavior is that your cat loves you and wants to be as close to you as possible. By sharing your pillow all night long, your cat can get eight or so hours of quality snuggle time with you. As a bonus, your head doesn't tend to move around much while you sleep. For a cat, a sleeping human's flailing arms or restless legs can make the other areas of the bed both riskier and less tranquil. The pillow is a safe zone that's also invitingly soft and comfortable.

Cats are drawn to warm, cozy spots. It doesn't get much warmer or cozier than a soft pillow your cat can sink into and drift off to sleep on. Your natural body heat only adds to the appeal. Sharing your pillow might also be a way for your cat to mark its territory, especially if there are other pets in the household.

Any animal is inherently vulnerable when asleep. By cuddling up to you and falling asleep on your pillow, your cat is showing trust in you and your ability to provide protection if necessary throughout the night. As both predator and prey animals, cats have a mix of seemingly contradictory natural instincts. If your cat sleeps on your pillow facing away from you, that could indicate your cat's desire to protect you from potential nighttime threats by keeping its eye pointed at any potential causes of harm.

If your cat often sleeps on your pillow when you're not around, it might be a sign that your cat is seeking comfort from your scent. Your cat could also be trying to strengthen the feline-human bond by intermingling your two scents.

Despite the undeniable appeal of a dozing kitty — as evidenced by these pics of orange cats sleeping in their favorite spots — there are several reasons to consider keeping cats off your pillow or even out of the bedroom entirely. According to a 2018 study published in Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Research, up to 20% of humans are allergic to cats and/or dogs. For anyone with even a mild allergy, keeping pet allergens off your pillow is a sensible idea. Allergy medication simply might not be up to the challenge if you spend every sleeping moment inhaling cat dander.

Though much evidence exists to suggest that animals help us rest better when they sleep with us, some pet owners find that sharing a bed with their beloved animal leads to interrupted sleep. Kittens, in particular, might chew on your hair, pounce on your toes, or climb all over you in the middle of the night, interrupting your slumber. Even older cats can cause problems, especially if they wake you up far too early in the morning and start meowing for breakfast.

Issues of cleanliness are also worth considering. Cats are naturally fastidious creatures, but they still can track kitty litter onto your pillow. And it's not unheard of for a cat to dump a rodent carcass onto a pillow, like a scene straight out of a "Godfather" movie.