It's helpful for cat parents to know as much as possible about their pet, such as how to best care for a cat, and even what their different behaviors mean—for example, why does a cat lie on a person's chest?
Not many people think about why cats love to lie on people. There are many theories worth discussing when it comes to why your cats like to rest on your chest, limbs, or even your face.
While there are many myths about cats and how they simply use you for room and shelter, they are simply not true. Cats are loving and loyal, and they show their affection in different ways. Some of these include your cat bringing you their toys, following you around, or even, you guessed it, lying on top of you.
Let's dive right into some theories as to why your kitty might want to lay on your chest.
Why does a cat lie on a person's sore spot?
The most common domestic “Healers” are cats. Only if the owner manages to establish a trusting relationship with them are cats able to find and treat their owner’s sore spots. They lie down on this place, purr, warm it with their warmth - and the pain goes away. In a serious situation, the cat may not leave the patient for several hours. According to statistics, cat lovers visit doctors almost 5 times less often than those who do not have one.
1. for cardiovascular diseases. There are many stories about how cats saved people from heart attacks and hypertensive crises. The cat can even warn of a possible attack. Cat owners know that their pets sometimes begin to cuddle when their owner is very irritated or under stress. A cat in the house reduces the risk of recurrent myocardial infarction. A person who has recently suffered an attack will have their blood pressure and pulse return to normal after petting their beloved cat for a few minutes.
2. for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Petting cats is also good for digestion. Short-haired or hairless cats (Sphynxes, Siamese, Orientals, Abyssinians, Tonkinese, Korats, Egyptian Mau) are usually better than other breeds in treating diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and genitourinary system.
3. for stress and fatigue. Cats can relieve fatigue, stress, migraines, lower blood pressure, and normalize pulse. Long-haired cats are considered excellent psychotherapists and neurologists - Siberian, Angora, Persian, Burmese, Norwegian forest cats, which help people suffering from insomnia, irritability, and depression.
Black cats take twice as much negative energy from a person than cats of other colors. Red cats themselves give off positive energy. Cream-colored cats tone up our energy, while gray-blue cats calm us down. White cats are unsurpassed healers in terms of performance.
4. to improve immunity. If you listen to a cat's purring every day, performed at a frequency of 4 - 16 Hz, this will have a positive effect on the immune system. Scientists suggest that purring is similar to ultrasound treatment, which accelerates wound healing, bone growth and strengthening. Persian cats can relieve joint pain and symptoms of osteochondrosis.
5. to increase life expectancy. Scientists at the Institute of Gerontology studied the effect of cats on the life expectancy of their owners and came to the conclusion that people who kept a cat in the house all their lives live on average 10.3 years longer than those who did not have a cat. Cat owners had better blood pressure and lower blood cholesterol levels.
6. cats are acupuncturists. Cats can also act as an “Acupuncturist”: when they climb onto their owner and, purring, release their claws, they irritate the reflexogenic zones, just like during a real acupuncture session. This method of treatment has long been used in folk medicine.
7. cats as an energy information device. Bioenergeticists believe that a cat is a real energy-information device. In their opinion, if a cat often lies on its owner's head, he most likely has hypertension or a tendency to headaches. Only if the pet lies on the left shoulder blade or shoulder does this indicate heart problems. The cat lies on its lower back if it “feels” kidney problems, and on its legs if the owner suffers from low blood pressure or often catches colds.
Dictionary of cat sounds
Purring - calmness. Dissatisfied purring is a painful sensation. Rumbling is dissatisfaction. Meowing is a greeting and sometimes a request. An intermittent meow, similar to a squeal, is a response to human treatment. Howling is anger. A short cry is fear. Muffled purring, ending with a dissatisfied rumbling - patience has run out. Hissing is a readiness for defense, a warning about this. The restrained purr of a nursing cat is a warning to kittens about possible danger. The same thing, ending with a raised tone - a warning to a person or other creatures not to approach the kittens.
Why does a cat lie on a person's chest? Why does a cat lie on a person?
Cats are amazing creatures. They delight us with their affection, playfulness and funny antics. In a house where there is a cat, there is positive energy, people get sick less and relationships between them are warmer. With their rumbling they calm, giving a person peace. So why does a cat lie on a person?
Cats are big sleepers. They can spend 15-20 hours sleeping. And sometimes the most inappropriate places are chosen for this. They love to hide in their houses, boxes, radiators, closets. But often they choose a person to lie down with. As very thermophilic creatures, they seek this warmth from humans. They like to lay down and sleep on their legs, arms, stomach or back. Sometimes your favorite cat lies down on his chest. What could this mean?
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Cats are such little-studied animals that there is no consensus among people and scientists on this matter. And there are several theories.
- Theory No. 1. The most common theory is that this is how cats heal their owners. They lie down exactly on the sore spot of their beloved owner and begin to purr. With its warmth and vibration, a cat heals a sick human organ. Since a cat’s body temperature is higher than a person’s (38-39°C), this makes an excellent heating pad. The cat easily finds the place where it hurts. Owners of furry pets have repeatedly noted that the pain goes away after such warming up. Most often, cats treat headaches, heart pain, stomach pain, or pain in muscles and joints.
- Theory No. 2. According to this theory, a cat's desire to sleep on a person is explained by the desire to dominate and control the person. By jumping onto its knees and caressing, the cat marks the person with its scent. And when sleeping on a person, a cat always keeps him in sight to be sure of its safety.
- Theory No. 3. It says that this is how a cat expresses its love and devotion to its owner. However, opponents of this theory say that pussies are very selfish animals, so there can be no talk of any devotion.
- Theory No. 4. The most common among zoologists. In their opinion, the reason for this behavior is that the human temperature is higher than the objects surrounding the cat. And the cat is a very heat-loving animal. That's why she warms up in this way. When a person is sick, the temperature of his diseased organs rises, which attracts the pet. Often in winter, when the batteries are working, the cat moves there. In addition to humans, cats can sleep on other animals - dogs, cats and even cows.
What Science Says
A much more logical explanation for such cat behavior from a scientific point of view:
- Felines' body temperatures are slightly higher than humans (2–2.5 °C), so it is more difficult for them to stay warm. Trying to choose a warmer place to sleep, the animal chooses a person, since its temperature is much higher than that of surrounding objects. And the owner’s belly is also soft.
It is no coincidence that cats nest near heating appliances in winter, and sometimes simply lie down on the radiators. This explains their healing abilities. Since the diseased organ is often inflamed, its temperature is increased, which cats sense sensitively and move closer to this place. The head, through which the greatest heat transfer occurs, attracts furry, heat-loving pets for the same reason. Cats use humans as big hot water bottles - Having settled comfortably on the body of its owner, the pet feels a certain superiority. After all, having been domesticated, he did not cease to be a predator and always feels like a member of the pack. This especially applies to large cats, who consider themselves the head of the pride and feel obligated to keep under control the entire territory entrusted to them.
- Cats are driven by safety considerations. Being under the protection of a large and strong owner, you can sleep peacefully and completely relax.
Lying on the owner's leg, the cat feels completely safe - Having been alone all day, the animal stubbornly lays on the person in an effort to get its share of attention. From the same series there is a very dubious reason, which speaks of the devotion and selfless love of a cat for its owner. After all, everyone knows the fact that cats get used to the house, and not to the person.
- Some individuals are partial to the smell of the human body; they fall asleep buried in the armpit of the owner.
- Little kittens, recently weaned from their mother cat, tend to lie down on the chest because they are soothed by the sound of a beating heart.
Sometimes such a need remains for life. Little kittens are soothed by the beating of the human heart
There are a number of scientific studies confirmed by experiments and proving the healing abilities of some representatives of the cat tribe. This is quite possible to believe, since there is treatment with dolphins or horses. This method is called pet therapy, zootherapy or animal therapy.
Our cat loves to sleep in bed, and none of the household members may be there anymore. Apparently, she is attracted to some special smell, because she will not leave until the bedding is removed or a blanket appears. At night she can sleep just next to her, without touching her body, but in close proximity.
Why does a cat lie on a person and purr? Why or why do cats purr?
We believe that cats make this velvety sound when they experience pleasant emotions... This is true, but only partly.
It turns out that an animal can purr for many reasons, and not only when it feels good. That's what we thought!
A way to calm down
In stressful situations, cats begin to purr. This happens due to the fact that in childhood, when the mother was nearby, she would certainly purr songs to the kittens and thereby calm the tailed baby. In this way, small, adult and old cats try to calm themselves down in difficult life situations.
Have you noticed that these sounds appear at the most inopportune moment? For example, during unloved combing or, in general, at that moment when the cat is angry and bites! It turns out he does this in order to pull himself together. The sounds produced have a calming effect on them.
Advice!
Next time you pet your pet, think about it! Or maybe at this moment he doesn’t like your stroking at all?
But our pets do not always purr when they are in a bad mood. When you come home and the cat greets you with a purr and a joyful “purr”, affectionately rubbing itself and walking with its tail, it means that it is glad to see you. Often, along with purring, cats like to hug and poke their noses in our faces. This is how they show us their love (by the way, sometimes animals can make half-meow, half-murmur sounds). Well, isn't it nice?
Sound therapy
It turns out that the sound of purring is pleasant not only for humans! By using their vibration, kittens are able to recover faster and also help us in this. The low timbre of this sound improves metabolic processes, promotes the healing of wounds and abrasions, and reduces pain. It’s not for nothing that they say that a cat lies down on a sore spot to heal it! So take your furbaby and get some relaxing sound therapy!
Charger
Cats get a lot of rest (which is why it is so important to provide a decent home for them). Of course, they also like to be awake, but they spend more time sleeping. It is believed that “purring” is a kind of exercise to keep their muscles and bones in good shape.
Important! Vibration prevents muscles and joints from atrophying from prolonged inactivity.
A way to demand something or an appeal
Also, by purring, cats are able to ask for something or even demand it! A cat may lie down next to you and start purring not at all from pleasure. Thus, she attracts attention and asks the person for a little affection. Give your pet a little love and the volume of sounds emanating from it will increase significantly.
Why does a cat trample and move its paws and purr loudly when you stroke them?
And sometimes they can climb on you and lie on your stomach. So why do they do this? When your furry pet climbs on you, this is the highest point of trust and one of the ways of greeting. But in theory, fingering with their paws should disappear over time, because this is the behavior of kittens in the first place - thus, they “milked” their mother in childhood. Most often, cats are taken away from their mother too early and they do not have time to grow up. Again, this behavior is a demonstration of joy and trust in you.
Looking for ways to reduce cat-to-breast communication time?
For some it may be a dream to open their eyes in the morning and see a cat's face or butt, but for others it is less ideal. And let's be honest: having a cat sleep on you all night may not be the most restful sleep.
Luckily, there is a compromise to be made that is sure to leave both parties happy and well-rested in the end. That trade-off is a good cat bed.
It is best to choose something comfortable, soft and preferably with a heating function, so that your kitten gets maximum pleasure. Add that old sweater that smells like you and you've got a winning combination.
And if you put it next to your bed at night, they'll have the next best thing to your breasts. This way, you can breathe deeply and freely, and your poor kitten won't get crushed by accidental rolling over on your part.
Why does a cat lie on its chest? Cat home doctor
Cats seem to be aware of their role and know who needs attention or affection - it's their sixth sense.
Our furry pets have the wonderful ability to normalize human energy metabolism. They love warmth very much and are good at distinguishing temperature differences of even half a degree, so if, for example, your knee is inflamed and painful, she will gladly lie with her warm belly on the inflamed joint. Living warmth is very effective in soothing this type of pain, and both you and your cat will be happy. So we can say about any cat that it is a “medicinal breed”.
If you want to always be healthy, then take a close look at your cat’s behavior. If your cat often clings to you, lies on your chest or legs, then you may be at risk of exacerbation of a chronic disease.
The cat treats you when it pulls or licks your ear - after all, there are many acupuncture points on the auricle. By acting on them, a cat can even prevent a heart attack or a nervous breakdown.
If you feel tired and lacking vital energy, then you definitely need to get a cat and take it into your arms more often. Moreover, it is better to do this after the cat has slept and gained strength.
If you often experience irritability and cannot calm down, then this indicates an excess of energy. And this leads to neurasthenia, kidney and heart failure, arthritis and hypotension. In this case, a sleepy cat will help you - keep it on your lap more often and you will forget about such problems.
For those who are bothered by hypertension and osteochondrosis, a “cat collar” will come to the rescue - place the cat on your neck and let it stay on it for 3-4 minutes. Do this often and you will immediately feel relief.
Pets have a harmonizing property, they put their owner’s psycho-emotional state in order, but their main effect is unnoticeable, delicate and vital for a person in modern conditions.
The pet is “switched on” to the energy field of the owner and his family and acts in several forms at once: “battery”, energy shield and “fuse”.
There is a constant and powerful exchange of subtle energies between living organisms. The result is almost always positive and very beneficial to the person. Unfortunately, the animals themselves often fall ill with approximately the same ailments that their owners suffer.
Feeling of protection
Cats are predators by nature, and they try to protect themselves while sleeping. Perched on the owner's chest, the cat feels completely safe. In this position they can completely relax. Of course, one should not exclude the tender feelings of animals. They get bored when their owners leave for a long time, and when they meet, they want to show how much they love them. The fluffies are located on the chest and begin to purr loudly with pleasure.
On the owner's chest they can relax and fall asleep peacefully, showing that they trust him infinitely.
This behavior makes cat people soft and unable to refuse their pet. Kittens especially love to sleep on humans. They are used to sleeping in a large company. Now they are owned by both their mother and brothers and sisters. They sleep better near their owner, lying comfortably on the chest.
In addition, fluffies know very well how their owners smell. This is the smell of stability for them. Some people like the owner's perfume, the smell of shampoo or deodorant. Therefore, sleeping on a person is comfortable, warm, safe, and even “aromatherapy” to boot.
Why does a cat lie down next to a person? Why cats love to sleep in public
Many have noticed that as soon as you lie down in bed, the cat always comes and lies down next to you. At the same time, she tries to position herself so that she can at least somehow come into contact with you. And especially persistent creatures will certainly lie down on the owner, purr for a long time and move their paws.
Why does a cat go to sleep next to its owner?
Perhaps your pet has her own idea about your sleep, and she knows exactly why cats sleep on humans. And we can only guess about its reasons.
The most plausible version is that cats like to sleep in warm places, so they choose beds near switched-on light bulbs, heating devices, and laptops. And at night they happily go to bed with their owner. Moreover, the cat’s desire to lie on a person is explained by the desire to find the warmest place.
Interesting! Some pets not only prefer to sleep on their owner, but also require to be covered with a blanket.
Many animals show love and care in this way. You've probably noticed that a cat often climbs into the bed of small children and lies down on or near the child. If you catch your pet at such a moment, you will see that her sleep is quite sensitive. Perhaps parental instinct compels us to take care of a human child.
Interesting! There is a biblical legend about a cat that soothed the baby Jesus by nestling in his cradle. For this, the Virgin Mary left the letter “M” on the cat’s forehead.
Laying down on a person, the cat begins to purr a lullaby, apparently suggesting that you will not be able to sleep without it. The only negative is that the cat, when choosing a place to sleep on you, does not always take into account the convenience for the owner, so it can settle down absolutely anywhere.
Some felinologists, explaining why cats love to sleep in public, argue that this is how the animal realizes its desire to control a person. Perhaps at this moment she thinks that she herself put you to sleep and will decide when to wake up, because quite often cats wake up their owners by touching them and meowing, and sometimes scratching and biting their legs.
Treatment for a cat
Many people believe that cats heal. In some mysterious way, they feel a sore spot and try to lie on it. Oddly enough, after such cat therapy the pain subsides.
Doctors, of course, unanimously say that a cat cannot be cured, but it will be quite possible to relieve a headache or relieve a spasm. The fact is that the cat acts like a heating pad, and the vibrations it creates by purring relax you.
Interesting! Cat owners claim that their pets treat headaches, joint pain and even toothache, restore heart rhythm, and normalize blood pressure.
Cats are able to sense a person’s mood and often lay on their owner precisely when he is depressed or excited. Moreover, the animal behaves very delicately: first it will lie down next to it, then it will gradually move towards the owner until it takes the place that it considers necessary. Surprisingly, communicating with a cat helps you calm down and lifts your spirits.
The cat sees its owner as a protector
Another reason why a cat goes to bed with a person is the desire to be protected. Oddly enough, cats sometimes experience fear and anxiety. If the animal sleeps poorly when alone, often wakes up and even meows, offer her a place near you.
Sometimes mother cats drag their babies into bed with their owner precisely because they consider the place next to the person the most comfortable and safe. Be careful around furry babies, don't crush them.
If your cat sleeps on you or in your bed, do not forget about animal hygiene. Unfortunately, many cat diseases can be dangerous to humans.
Extra warmth
This reason is one of the main ones. Cats sleep on humans, and thus additionally warm themselves, and do not care about the owner at all. Domestic purrs are rather selfish creatures, directing their actions to increase their own comfort and create better conditions. It's just how nature designed them.
Purrs can lie down with their owner, climbing under the blanket and warming themselves against his body. Cats often sleep on a person's head. This is also due to the fact that they are looking for additional warmth. The fact is that a person sleeps with his head open and the body directs energy to warm the brain. The blood flow increases, and the owner’s head becomes an excellent “heater”. For the same reason, purrs can nest comfortably on their owner’s belly. This is a soft and comfortable place for the cat to rest.
There is an opinion that cats heal because they can easily find the place where the owner or mistress is in pain. In reality, everything is more prosaic: the temperature of the diseased organ is higher, so the sore spot is the warmest, for this reason cats lie there.
As for the healing abilities of furry cats, there is no scientific evidence for this phenomenon, but many cat lovers claim that if the cat sits on the disturbing place, the pain subsides and the spasms go away.
Why does a cat lie on its stomach? The cat lies on its stomach: signs
In the old days, the presence of a furry pet in the master's bed was not welcomed. Various ridiculous beliefs were even invented about this, which served the only purpose - to protect foolish cat lovers from too close contact with animals. After all, they walked through garbage dumps and ate rodents in huge quantities. It was never possible to foresee what kind of infection a freely roaming purr would bring into the house.
However, nowadays, owners are more concerned about the health of their pets, regularly giving them vaccinations and other medical and hygienic procedures. In addition, many cats have become completely domesticated and only see trash containers from the window. Therefore, the cat’s habit of sleeping with its owner is no longer a rarity. At the same time, you should be wary if your pet suddenly changes its preferences, for example, moves from the head or foot to the stomach.
- The most obvious interpretation warns that it is in this area that you may have health problems. After all, sensitive animals sense changes in the functioning of our body much earlier than we ourselves or diagnosticians. So if your pet suddenly gets into the habit of resting on your stomach, then you should undergo a medical examination just in case.
- Another reason for this addiction is much more pleasant. It is believed that the cat thus predicts pregnancy for a woman. She feels the birth of a new life even before this information can be confirmed by doctors or the pregnant woman herself.
- For women expecting a baby, the cat's habit of lying on its stomach can warn of abnormal fetal development or the threat of miscarriage. This is how the purr tries to help its owner cope with the “emergency situation”, using its healing capabilities.
Bed made from improvised materials
- Wicker basket bed. If you have a large wicker basket made from wooden rods at home, it is perfect for a cat bed. It is necessary to put a soft filler in the form of a synthetic padding pillow. Cats love to climb into boxes; your pet will love this bed.
- A sleeping place made from an old suitcase will help your pet feel comfortable. Its bottom should be covered with a large pillow filled with synthetic padding. If the bed has a lot of space, is warm and cozy, the cat will not want to climb onto the owner’s bed.
Feather pillows are not recommended to be placed in a cat's bed. It is necessary to use materials that are easy to wash.
Conclusions, generalizations
Many people believe omens to this day, because they were compiled over the years, through observation and collection of information. Some of the popular beliefs are current, while others are on the verge of insanity. Quite a large number of signs are associated with pregnancy and childbirth. The basis of any popular belief was fear of the unknown, and the process of pregnancy and childbirth has not been fully studied to this day.
Scientists and doctors support many signs associated with contacts between cats and pregnant women. There is no clear certainty about what our ancestors were thinking when they said that a pregnant woman should not play with cats, have less contact with them and not clean up their waste products. But it is better to observe all these provisions, because cats are carriers of such a serious disease as toxoplasmosis. This disease in an adult is asymptomatic and does not threaten him in any way, but it poses a very strong threat to the body of a pregnant woman. Its ability to penetrate the placenta can provoke the appearance of various pathologies in the development of organ systems in the unborn child.
Other signs that say that you should not stroke cats with your feet, because this is fraught with nervous disorders, frankly, look like nonsense. In defense of cats, I would still like to note that a woman develops immunity to toxoplasmosis if she has an animal living in her house for several years. And then, not every individual survives the disease. If this is a domestic cat that has been provided with the necessary care, does not walk outside, has received all the necessary vaccinations and is regularly prevented from helminthic infestations, then there is nothing to worry about, such an animal does not pose any danger at all and there is no need to throw it out into the street.
Allergies are a completely different matter. For example, if you consider the sign that you cannot kick a calico cat out of the house if the woman is pregnant, otherwise the baby will not survive. Very often, pregnant women become allergic to the fur and epidermis of their own pet, who has lived with her in the apartment for a long time. This is due to hormonal changes, many years of sensitization of the body to allergens and a decrease in the body’s protective functions. In this case, no matter what the cat is, it must be given away as soon as possible, otherwise the risk that the child will be born with an allergy increases.
There is only one conclusion: if you want to be able to believe in omens, no one forbids you from doing so. But first of all, you need to think about whether this really shouldn’t be done or whether someone came up with such a belief so that a person would not try to find out what he is not supposed to. For example, in order to intimidate expectant mothers, they said that they should not determine the gender of children in advance and buy things for children. But, if you think about it, what will a woman dress her baby in after giving birth if she doesn’t buy him clothes? Every person believes in what it is convenient for him to believe.
