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Why Does My Cat Sit On My Face? (Love or More?)

If your cat keeps sitting on your face you may be getting annoyed, or wondering why this is happeing…

Why does my cat sit on my face?

A cat may sit on your face for several reasons such as getting your attention, because its warm there, to rub its scent and mark you, or just to get your attention. If its the latter, you may need to spend some more time with your cat.

So, now you know. But, why does it do this when you are trying to sleep? What can you do to prevent this? Why is my cat obbsessed with my face? Keep reading for these answwers, and much more…

4 top reasons why a cat may sit on your face:

Why does my cat sit on my face?

A black cat being cuddled.

Earlier, I explained why your cat may sit on your face. So, in this section I will explain each reason in more detail:

a. It’s Warm

A cat’s internal body temperature is higher than a human’s, about 102 degrees Fahrenheit (humans run between 97 and 99 degrees Fahrenheit). Cats can more easily maintain their body temperature while sleeping by choosing a warm spot, or by choosing a small space that will hold their heat well.

Human heads are very warm and constantly giving off heat. That makes your head a great spot for your cat to have a nice toasty snooze.

b. To get your attention

Cats love attention from their owners (contrary to popular beliefs of non-cat-owners!).

Sometimes the only way to get the attention of a busy housemate is to sit on their laptop while they’re using it! Or on their head or other conveniently in-the-way spots.

c. It loves you

Along with seeking affection your kitty may be showing love and exhibiting bonding behavior by sitting on your face. Cats love to cuddle and groom one another and their human companions.

d. Marking you with its scent

Cats are territorial creatures and rely heavily on their sense of smell to interpret their environment. Cats mark both their territory and their family members with scent glands on various parts of their bodies. Notably with their cheeks, chins, and paws.

Cats feel more comfortable and safe when they smell like you and you smell like them.

Why does my cat sit on my face while I sleep?

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Here are a few reasosn why your cat may interupt your sleep like this:

01. Less movement than your arms

Besides being a lovely warm spot to sleep because of all the heat released from the top of your head this spot may also be a great one for your cat because of your nighttime movement habits.

If you are a restless sleeper, moving your arms and legs often, or constantly rolling over, your cat may have discovered that sleeping by your head is the spot to be for the least amount of disturbance to their own slumber.

02. Warmth

As stated earlier, a human head provides some desired heat and this can be appealing to your cat, especially when you are sleeping.

03. It can’t sleep

Sometimes your cat will lie or sit on your face, or rub his head on your face or tap you with his paws because he doesn’t think it’s time to sleep yet.

If your kitty is restless and in your face at bedtime, you might try having a good long play session before bed. Give up to an hour of playtime (depending on your cat and how active he is).

Leave time enough to feed him after playtime is done, right before you go to bed. Hopefully, he’ll be happily tired from playing, have a nice full tummy, and be ready to snooze instead of begging for attention.

How can I prevent my cat from sitting on my face?

Here are some suggestions to stop yiur cat doiing this:

01. Ban your cat from your bedroom

If your cat sleeping on your head or sitting on your face is bothering you and preventing you from resting well you may want to ban the cat from your bedroom altogether. If you keep your cat out of your bedroom all the time it will minimize the amount of meowing to get back in your cat will do.

02. Train your cat by using rewards

Giving your cat rewards (Click here to see the reviews, on Amazon #Ad) for sitting on things other than your face may help to limit the behavior. If your cat is busy sitting on your lap because he’s learned that that’s where he gets a treat or attention then he won’t be sitting on your face.

03. Spend more quality time with it

A long playtime before bed may keep your cat from getting in your face to ask for attention at bedtime.

If you notice other times where your cat seems to be asking for attention by being in your face, try to give the kitty more attention overall (before he gets in your face, so you don’t encourage unwanted behavior) and see if it minimizes the cat’s need to be right in your face.

Why is my cat obsessed with my face?

Your cat is obsessed with your face for a few reasons, most of them having to do with bonding. A cat’s face is where many of its scent glands are. Cats like to mark both territory and family members with scent and to receive scent markings in return.

A cat’s paws also have scent glands, so this could be a reason for them to put their paws on your face.

Cats lick one another to show affection and create social bonds. If your cat is licking your face he is showing how much he cares. Gently petting your kitty in return for licks can be a good return gesture.

If your cat kneads your face this is another gesture of affection and she is showing that she trusts you and feels secure. Try redirecting your cat to knead a piece of cloth (such as a lap blanket or towel) that has your scent on it.

Could a cat try to sit on a baby’s face?

A cat could sit or lie on or near a baby’s face. It’s very warm and soft and a great place (from the cat’s point of view) for a nap. While the cat is not intentionally trying to harm the baby, it’s best to never leave the kitty and baby unsupervised together.

Why does my cat sit on my dog’s face?

A small dog.

A small dog.

Your cat may sit on your dog’s face for the same reasons cats sit on our faces. The cat is seeking warmth or companionship. Watch your cat’s behavior and see if this seems to be the case.

Why is my cat touching my face in the morning?

If your cat is touching your face in the morning It depends on the type of touch. If your cat gently nuzzles your face or places a soft paw on you while purring this could be simply a sign of affection.

If you are sleeping in it could be the cat trying to wake you up near your normal rising time. She could be asking for food if it’s breakfast time, or attention if she missed you while you slept.

Do cats try to suffocate you in your sleep?

Its unlikely that a cat would try to suffocate you in your sleep. If you wake up with your furry friend stifling your breathing know that it’s only by chance. Your cat is just trying to be close to you and share your warmth.

If you observe cats sleeping with one another you’ll see that they sometimes sleep right on top of each other’s heads. This is not to suffocate one another, but just to be as close and as warm as possible.

Do cats know when you’re sleeping?

It’s likely that our cats do know when we’re sleeping. Changes in our breathing are probably very obvious to them, given what loud creatures humans are and how sensitive cat ears are.

There may be other clues your cat picks up on too. Everything from a sudden decrease in activity on your part to something very subtle like a change in smell as our bodies put off sleep hormones.

Lindsey Browlingdon