Research has found that cats prefer to sleep on their left side. The researchers view this bias as an evolutionary advantage, as it favors hunting and escape behaviors upon waking. Cats sleep around 12 to 16 hours a day, preferably in elevated places where their predators can only access them from below. Cats that sleep on their left side perceive their surroundings upon awakening with their left visual field, which is processed in the right hemisphere of the brain. This hemisphere is specialized in spatial awareness, the processing of threats, and the coordination of rapid escape movements. If a cat sleeps on its left shoulder and wakes up, visual information about predators or prey goes directly to the right hemisphere of the brain, which is best at processing it. Sleeping on the left side can therefore be a survival strategy, the researchers conclude.
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Thursday, June 26, 2025