You may have already noticed that, during naps, your cat has the habit of covering its eyes with one of its paws in a terribly cute way. Does this position allow him to sleep better? Or is he doing this just to make you fall for him? Answers.
1. It’s comfortable
We all have one or more favorite positions to fall asleep. It’s exactly the same for your cat. If he falls asleep with a paw on his face, it’s simply because it’s comfortable for him. A bit like falling asleep with one arm across your chest and the other across your forehead.
2. To protect yourself from light
Even though cats love to bask in the sun, their eyes are nonetheless sensitive to light. So when they fall asleep somewhere and the sun’s rays are directed at them, they use their paws to cover their heads and thus protect their eyes.
A bit like if they had sunglasses or a night mask, in short. It simply allows them to sleep better.
3. To feel safe
It is well known, cats often only sleep with one eye open in order to be able to react immediately to the slightest threat. Indeed, in nature, cats are predators but also prey. So they learned to always stay alert in order to never be surprised and thus increase their chances of survival.
However, the hours of sleep (and there are many since a cat sleeps on average 16 hours a day!) are the times when they are most vulnerable. So, they need to find techniques to feel safe and be able to fall asleep peacefully.
For example, they like to sleep in high places in order to be out of reach of possible enemies or even wrap their tail around their legs in order to feel a little comfort. This is exactly the same principle that applies when they cover their face with their paws. This gesture allows them to feel secure.
