Why do cats lay on you and purr

You’re lying in bed, relaxed and ready to go to sleep. Suddenly you hear your cat trill as it jumps up onto your bed. You feel it walk around, searching for a comfy spot to curl up on, and then you feel paws and a heavyweight on your chest.

Your cat has surveyed the area and, for whatever reason, determined that the most comfortable place to lay its head is right on top of your chest. It’s a behavior that can be charming at first, but sometimes it’s inconvenient or even downright uncomfortable.

Claws may dig into your skin and cat breath gets exhaled into your face. Depending on the size of the cat, breathing may become difficult. All that extra weight can prevent your lungs from expanding fully, and with your face so close the risk of inhaling cat fur is all too immediate.

Why has your cat chosen your chest to lay down on? What makes it so much more appealing than all the other spots it investigated? Let’s find out why your cat loves to lay on your chest and learn more about the surprising benefits this behavior can have for everyone involved.

Creature Comforts: How Cats Get Cozy

Heat Seekers

Cats love warmth and tend to seek out the warmest spot in the room, whether they’re about to sleep or just looking for a place to plop down for a bit. You can observe your cat changing locations throughout the day based on the temperature. It favors whichever window lets the most sunlight through and may steal your spot on the couch if you get up – you warmed it up so nicely!

Your body gives off a lot of heat, especially when you’re wearing cozy pajamas and wrapped up in blankets. Even without bedding, beds are a lot warmer than the floor simply because heat rises and they’re higher up.

So your cat is naturally drawn to your bed, and from there to you, because you’re the greatest source of heat it can detect. Your chest is particularly warm (it contains your heart, after all) and perfectly sized to fit a cat on top of it. It might as well be a magnet for felines!

Bodily Rhythms

When they’re young, cats spend much of their time in contact with their mothers. When a kitten curls up next to (or on top of) its mother, it can feel her heartbeat and hear her breathing. Being so close allows the kitten to absorb her warmth and listen to her gentle, soothing purrs and rumbles.

A mother cat’s body seems designed to instill calm and comfort in her kittens. It’s like a feline lullaby, erasing all worries and inducing a state of deep relaxation and, before long, sleep.

Having been conditioned from birth to find immense comfort in these things, cats continue to seek them out throughout the rest of their lives. Bonded cats will often snuggle up next to each other when it’s naptime, but humans make good cuddle partners too.

Curled up on your chest, your cat becomes hypnotized by the rhythms of your breathing and heartbeat. Focused on these repetitive sensations, it’s not long before the cat drifts off to sleep. Perhaps you remind your cat of its mother – large, soft and with a built-in lullaby on repeat all night long.

A Matter of Security: Your Cat Wants to Feel Safe and Secure

Cats maintain some alertness even while they’re sleeping – their ears and noses remain functional in order to detect danger – but bedtime still leaves them vulnerable. Sure, there are no predators in your house, but your cat’s instinct tells it to always sleep in the safest spot it can find.

If this spot happens to be your chest, that’s a sign of deep trust. Not only does your cat know that you won’t hurt it, it considers you to be the safest thing it can find. For cats, who are notoriously timid and wary of anything that could possibly cause harm, this is a compliment of the highest degree.

Everybody Wins: Why You Want Your Cat to Sleep on You

A Slumber Party with Friends

The bond you share with your cat goes deeper than a mere sense of security. Cats may trust that certain people won’t hurt them, but that doesn’t mean they automatically like them. A cat needs to see you as more than a protector in order to sleep on your chest; it needs to see you as a true friend.

Each individual cat has its own criteria for friendships, but there are certain qualities it probably sees in you if it chooses you to curl up on. You smell good – cats have sensitive noses and like themselves to smell a certain way, so if it’s lying on you that means it’s fine with picking up your scent. And you’ve probably proven that you know how to provide a comforting touch, not petting it too roughly or in the wrong spots.

By sleeping on you, the cat is affirming your friendship and showing you that it reciprocates the love and affection you’ve shown it. Even if it’s a little uncomfortable, the intent is pure. You make your cat feel warm and fuzzy both physically and emotionally.

The Perfect Purr

Some people believe that cat purrs have benefits for humans. Beyond simply sounding neat and providing reassurance that your cat is comfortable with you, purrs may actually have healing powers. They occur at frequencies that have been shown to promote healing and increase bone density.

This special form of healing has obvious benefits for the cat doing the purring, but the effects may carry over to you. When your cat curls up on your chest and purrs itself to sleep, the frequencies travel into your body; that’s why you can feel the purrs deep inside you.

Further studies are needed before this theory of healing is proven, but either way, purring is a comforting sound. Just as the sound of your gentle breathing helps lull your cat to sleep, so too does its purring help you relax and catch some shuteye of your own.

Full Body Contact: Other Sleeping Spots

A Head Start

Chests aren’t the only body parts that cats enjoy sleeping on. Your cat may prefer to curl up on your pillow, wrapping its body around your head.

Nobody knows for sure why cats sleep on their owners’ heads, but some may do so solely for practical reasons. Cats tend to be light sleepers, and someone who tosses and turns all night would not be pleasant to sleep on.

The desire for close contact and warmth remains, though, and the cat determines that the safest place to sleep is on its owner’s head. The head tends to be the most stationary part of the body during sleep, but it still radiates warmth and smells comforting. Waking up with your cat’s tail flicking in your face isn’t ideal, but it’s still a sign of love and a result of the cat’s desire to be close to you.

Lap Cats

If you’re not lying down but your cat still wants to sleep on you, your lap is the prime location. It still provides the warmth that cats crave, even if it’s not quite as comfortable as your chest.

One bonus of sleeping in your lap: it’s the perfect position for receiving a gentle pre-nap petting. Unfortunately, it can be a bit inconvenient as well, since it’s tough to move with a sleeping kitty in your lap. Laps may be great for short naps but anything longer tends to end prematurely, which still doesn’t stop cats from trying anyway!

Product data was last updated on 2022-08-06.

As a cat parent, it’s handy to know as much as you can about your feline, such as how best to care for your cat, and even what their different behaviors mean – like why does my cat lay on my chest?

Not many people have stopped to ponder why cats like to lie on their humans, either. There are plenty of theories to discuss when it comes to why your babies may like to lounge around on your chest, limbs, or even your face.

While there are many myths about cats and how they simply use you for room and lodging, they’re simply not true. Cats are loving and loyal, and they show their affection in many ways.

Some of these include bringing you their cat toys, following you around, or even – you guessed it – laying on you.

Let’s dive right into some of the theories surrounding why your kitty may like to lie on you.

Why Does My Cat Lay on My Chest? 5 Reasons

1. Your Cat Loves You

We’ll start off with the obvious. This may sound simple, but a physical touch from your cat can be as uncomplicated as them showing you they love you. Think of it as their way of giving you a hug or a cuddle. Let’s face it they’ve got a crush on you!

So if your fur-baby curls up on your chest or a limb, you can consider yourself a beloved cat owner.

2. They’re Suckers for Some Warmth

It’s no secret that cats like to sit, lie, and curl up in warm places. Whether that’s on a sunny windowsill or their human’s chest (or any body part for that matter), they’ll be content. Body heat is often the most consistently warm, so who can blame these little opportunists?

However, they don’t seem to put up with any movement from their warm surfaces. So you’ll notice if you don’t sit very still, they’ll quickly move along to the next best toasty spot.

That may be a sunny windowsill or even your spot on the couch when you get up – you warmed it up so nicely after all.

And let’s admit it, having a fluffy little heater curled up on your lap can be equally beneficial. Not only does it make for a very cozy situation, but your kitty companion being in close contact with you can be hugely comforting.

3. Your Heartbeat Soothes Them

This is certainly not a bizarre conclusion to draw. Your kitten may associate it with sleeping close to their mammas and therefore, associate it with feelings of security. After all, is that not how we may have handled them as kittens – snuggling them right under our chins?

These bodily rhythms remind them of the gentle purrs from their parents and can be deeply hypnotizing and calming.

While these felines are very independent creatures, reverting back to ‘childish’ kitty behavior is a common occurrence and possibly a place of safety for them.

Cats certainly have a playful, child-like side that often manifests in the way they feel or show love.

So if you sense your kitty being vulnerable and anxious, treat them with an embrace you would give a human child. Give them a snuggle and hold them close to your heart.

4. Your Cat is Trying to Claim You

If you think about it, your cat trying to claim you is rather cute. They are known to lie on everything from their cat toys, beds, and even your clothes. This is because cats are very much territorial creatures.

They mark their territory by spreading their scent or simply sitting and claiming ownership over a particular spot. So next time your kitty plops itself on you, you can assume they’ve said the equivalent of “mine”.

5. They Seek Security or Comfort

As mentioned previously, cats have a strong connection to smells and our chests certainly smell strongly of us. Familiar scents go a long way toward making your kitty feel reassured.

So finding them on piles of your worn clothing is not uncommon. In fact, you may find yourself ‘donating’ your favorite sweater to your kitty for permanent use.

Cat’s also have natural born instincts to constantly be alert for predators. This can often be distressing for them if they don’t feel safe.

So when your kitty curls up on you, it is in fact a compliment of the highest degree as they’ve deemed you to be the safest spot of all.

⇒ How long do cats live? How to get a cat to eat? How to train a cat not to bite? How often do cats pee? and How to Pet a Cat.

Looking for Ways to Cut Down on the Cat-to-Chest Time?

Opening your eyes first thing in the morning and seeing a cat face or butt may be the dream for some, but for others, it’s less ideal. And let’s be real, a sleeping feline on top of you all night long may not make for the most restful slumber either.

Luckily, there is a compromise to be made, which is sure to leave both parties cozy, happy, and well-rested at the end. This compromise comes in the form of a good cat bed.

⇒ Maine Coon Personality Profile, 13 Things to Know about the Skookum Cat, Siberian Cat Personality Profile, 13 Things to Know About the Dwelf Cat, Key Characteristics of the Kinkalow Cat, 13 Things you Need to Know About Minskin Cats, All you need to know about the Toyger Cat, Tabby Cat Personality Profile, 13 Bambino Cat Characteristics, All about the Khao Manee Cat, 12 Characteristics of the Ragdoll Cat Personality, All about the Lykoi Cat, 13 Things to know about the Raas Cat, 10 things to know about the Genetta Cat, All About the Sokoke Cat, 67 Best Quotes about Cat Lovers, what you need to know about the British Shorthair Chinchilla, 13 Characteristics of the Napoleon Cat and Siamese Cat Personality Profile.

Your best bet would be something comfortable, soft, and preferably with a heating feature for your kitty’s maximum pleasure. Throw in that old sweater that smells like you, and you’ve got a winning combo.

And if you put it next to your bed at night, they’ll have the next best thing after your chest. This way, you’ll be able to breathe deeply and freely, and your poor kitty won’t be crushed by an accidental roll-over from you. 

Final Thoughts on Why Your Cat Lays on You

It’s no secret that cats have a whole host of quirky behaviors (like eating your hair), but we love them all the more for it. So the short answer when it comes to your fur-babies settling themselves on top of you, is that you’re comfortable, warm, and familiar. It might not be normal human behavior to sit on top of someone you love but our kitties are different.

They’re also strengthening your bond by doing so and expressing that you’re their treasured human.

It seems cats are more affectionate than some have claimed them to be after all. And let’s not forget, these felines are highly intelligent creatures.

It’s, therefore, no wonder they’d jump at the opportunity for a soft, comforting, heat-generating human form over a regular old cat tree.

So let’s give credit where credit is due. And perhaps embrace these chest moments as good old-fashioned quality time with our little fur-babies. 

Please Note: This why does my cat lay on my chest post contains affiliate links. That means if you click through on most of the links and end up making a purchase I will receive a small commission. This will not affect the price that you pay. I wanted to make sure that you were aware of this.

Watch my Web Story

Like this why does my cat lay on my chest Post? Why Not Pin It?