My Cat Sleeps on Me... Why?

Do you wonder why your cat prefers to sleep on you when most of the time they are independent? Let's try to figure this out. 

According to a recent survey of pet owners by the American Pet Products Association, 62% of cats sleep with their adult owners, and another 13% of cats sleep with children. 

Felines have a fantastic sense of smell, so they know their owner's scent. Perhaps your cat snuggles with you because the familiar scent of you provides them with a sense of contentment.  

Could it be warmth? Cats prefer to sleep in warm places. Maybe your body heat is an attraction. This might explain why cats sleep on their owner's heads. Most of the heat escapes from our heads.

Maybe it's a sense of security. Typically cats sleep up to 16 hours a day. They are most vulnerable during sleep so the place your cat opts to take a nap must be a secure and trusted location. It's a compliment when a cat has several choices of places to sleep and they choose you as their favorite sleep spot.

Comfort is a possible reason. Cats seem to understand when someone is ill or in pain. Therefore, they want to be close to their owner if they sense they are sick or in pain.

In the end, cats can and do bond with their favorite human. Perhaps it is love and companionship that brings your kitty to sleep on you.  

Source: Vetstreet.com, Pets.webmd.com, Cats.about.com 

Does Your Pet Dream?

For humans, we climb into bed each night knowing we’re off to dreamland. Dreams are a result of REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep, the most important and deepest stage of our sleep cycle. But do our dogs and cats also travel to a dream world in their sleep, too?

Many pet owners are adamant that their pets do dream. We’ve all watched our pets while they’re fast asleep, and often gush over their cute twitches and muffled woofs during a nap. It turns out that these subtle body movements may tell us a lot about what goes on in our pet’s heads while they slumber.

A recent article in Parade Magazine discussed pets traveling into dreamland. For humans, according to Veterinary Relief Solutions, Inc. owner Lisa Boyer, DVM, the purpose of dreaming may be to help maintain a sense of self. Since we cannot ask our pets, we can’t know for sure, but what we can observe suggests that pets do dream while asleep.

Studies have shows that dogs and cats, while sleeping, exhibit REM sleep actions like eye twitching, lip movements and vocalizations. These signs, along with fast breathing, confirm that our pets do dream, but what they dream about is still a mystery. We hope that these are all signs of good dreams!

So next time your dog mumbles a woof or your cat’s whiskers twitch while they are asleep, take a guess at what might be going on inside their heads. Maybe your dog is running across a grassy field, or your cat is tossing around their favorite toy. No matter what our pets envision while asleep, we can make their good dreams come true by giving them plenty of love and attention when they wake up.

What do you think? Does YOUR pet show signs of dreaming while they sleep?

Why does my dog sleep like that?

It’s bedtime and your dog curls up in a tight ball on their bed. Or maybe they sprawl out belly-up on your bed. What makes them choose these strange positions for snoozing? Vetstreet dove into the dog mind when it comes to bedtime and found that a dog’s chosen sleeping position says a lot about their comfort levels, and not just by how fluffy their bed is.

The first reason for curling up is a very logical one – your dog is trying to stay cozy! From their wild ancestors, dogs have a tendency to curl up into a ball in order to stay warm. Wild dogs also tend to burrow into the ground first, creating a nest to further protect them from the cold. This is why you often see your dog circling and digging at the floor, couch or bed before they settle in for a nap.

Dogs in the wild also curl up to protect the weakest middle part of their bodies from any potential predators, offering them a position in which they can feel secure. Being balled-up head to toe allows your dog to feel as safe as they can be.

Does this mean that a curled-up dog feels insecure in their surroundings? Not necessarily. Although a dog who is nervous or in unfamiliar territory will often follow their instincts to curl up, a family pet who always slumbers in this position may just have a stronger connection to their wild cousins.

Dogs who sleep belly-up, on the other hand, are expressing a deep sense of security. Not only are these dogs often relaxed and easy-going breeds that may be more distanced from their wild ancestors, but they are frequently well-socialized and confident in their surroundings.

It’s safe to say that if your pooch is passed out with legs in the air, they have complete trust in you. A sprawled out dog may also be trying to cool down, as the circled position keeps in body heat.

In any position, a slumbering pup is a great companion when nighttime comes around. That is, unless they snore…