Cats' 'sleep strategy' may have a deeper meaning. Research results are surprising

A new international study shows that most cats prefer to sleep on their left side, and the reason for this asymmetry may have something to do with survival.

Sleep – a key element of a cat's life

Cats are the "masters" of sleep. They can sleep from 12 to even 16 hours a day, which means that most of their lives are spent in a state of rest. What's more, they choose their sleeping places very carefully. They prefer higher locations, with less access for potential predators, which results from their natural defensive instincts.

Although our domesticated pets no longer have to fear threats in the same way as their wild counterparts, remnants of evolutionary mechanisms still govern their everyday behavior.

As emphasized by Prof. Onur Gunturkun from the Ruhr University in Bochum, one of the authors of the latest study, the asymmetry in choosing a specific side for sleeping results from the fact that "each hemisphere of the brain specializes in different tasks."

Left Side, Right Hemisphere – The Secret of Cat Vigilance

What is this mechanism? When a cat sleeps on its left side , its left eye and the left part of its field of vision are directed towards the surroundings. This part of the field of vision is the first to be registered after waking up. Information from this side goes to the right hemisphere of the brain, which – as we know – is responsible for analyzing threats, spatial orientation and quick reactions. Thanks to this, the cat can react faster to danger or the chance of prey.

This is a specific vigilance strategy – after waking up, the cat's body automatically focuses on a potential threat. Sleep, although necessary and regenerative, is a moment of particular sensitivity, which is why immediate readiness for action becomes so important. And it is the right hemisphere that gives cats this advantage.

Observations from the web – YouTube as a data mine

To verify whether choosing a sleeping side is indeed a preference for most cats, the researchers decided on an unusual approach. Instead of creating lab experiments, they analyzed real cat behavior captured in videos posted by owners on the Internet.

A total of 408 videos were viewed publicly on YouTube. Each video showed one cat lying on its side for at least 10 seconds. It was also important that the entire body of the cat – from head to hind legs – was clearly visible.

As indicated in a press release published by the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI), "The results were clear: two-thirds of the videos showed the cat sleeping on its left side."

Instinct or Chance? Scientists Are Unsure

For the researchers, the result was not a surprise, but rather a confirmation of earlier hypotheses. In their opinion, the fact that so many owners caught their cats sleeping on their left side is not a coincidence. It is the result of long-standing evolutionary mechanisms that reward individuals that are more alert, react faster and are better adapted to unpredictable environmental conditions.

Sleeping on your left side is not just about comfort – it is an adaptive advantage. Better spatial orientation after waking up, greater readiness to flee or attack, and quick recognition of stimuli can be crucial to survival.

Cat Asymmetry – A Natural Ally

The phenomenon of asymmetry in the functioning of the cerebral hemispheres is not new – in both humans and animals, the right and left sides of the brain are responsible for different cognitive processes. However, in the case of cats, this mechanism seems to be particularly clear and developed.

This also explains why even pets, free from threats, still sleep in certain positions and places. Instinct does not disappear with comfort – it remains a factor that guides the animal's behavior in everyday, seemingly trivial situations.

For behaviorists and veterinarians, this is also a valuable clue. Sleeping positions can be an element of not only comfort analysis, but also anxiety, a sense of threat, or the need to control the environment. What seems like an everyday, banal sight may actually hide fascinating adaptive mechanisms.

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