quirky
Curling the Tail Over the Nose When Sleeping
Warmth & Feeling Secure
A cat curled into a tight ball with its tail wrapped up and over its face like a scarf is doing something practical as well as adorable — conserving heat and shielding its most sensitive features.
A Living Draught Excluder
When a cat tucks its tail across its nose and paws, the first job it is doing is keeping warm. Curling into a tight ball reduces the surface area losing heat, and laying the tail over the face traps a pocket of warmed air around the nose and helps shield the thinly furred nose and ear tips — some of the quickest parts of a cat to get cold. It is the feline equivalent of pulling a blanket over your head on a chilly night, and you will see it far more often in cold weather or a draughty room.
Protecting the Senses
The posture also guards a cat's most delicate equipment. The nose and whiskers are exquisitely sensitive, and draping the tail over them screens out cold air, bright light and stray draughts so the cat can settle into deeper, more restful sleep. Tucking everything in also keeps the vulnerable belly and throat covered.
A Sign of Feeling Safe
There is an emotional side too. A cat that curls up this completely, with its face buried and its guard partly down, is showing that it feels secure enough in its surroundings to switch off properly. A wary cat tends to sleep lighter and more open, ready to spring up; the full tail-over-nose curl is the pose of a cat that trusts its environment.
When You'll See It Most
Expect it in winter, in cooler rooms, and from cats that feel the cold more — kittens, seniors, thin cats and the fine-coated breeds. On a warm day the same cat will sprawl out flat instead, doing the exact opposite to shed heat.
🐾 Most common in
All cats, but especially in cold weather and among kittens, older cats, slender cats and short- or fine-coated breeds that lose heat quickly.