You’ve probably come across this sweet sight many times—your furry friend curled into a tight ball and sleeping soundly.
Cats take on many different sleeping positions that often leave us wondering why they would sleep in this way.
While the curled-into-a-ball position is one of the more normal ways to see a cat sleeping, it might still make you wonder. Why do cats sleep in a ball?
Animals in the wild are vulnerable while they’re sleeping. Your cat’s ancestors had to find a way to protect themselves against potential predators while getting valuable sleep.
Even though house cats are long past this type of danger, the instinct remains. By curling into a ball, your domestic feline is subconsciously protecting its most vulnerable areas.
You know your kitty best, so look for any changes in their normal behavior. If your pet never sleeps curled up and then suddenly does so, check for other signs of illness, pain, or stress.
Possible signs of pain and illness can be your cat avoiding its food, its water, or social interactions with you and other cats. If this is the case, you might also see your cat taking shallow breaths while sleeping in a ball.
Another reason why cats sleep curled up into a ball, is to conserve body heat. By curling up tightly until their nose and tail are touching, a cat’s body can retain its heat.