Why do kittens sleep around your neck?

I was wondering why kittens always seem to want to sleep around your neck. My new kitten would not lie down and rest in my lap, she had to be right under my chin. I moved her several times and she always came back to the same place. Right under my chin...my allergies don't have a chance.

Can anyone explain this behavior?

Being closer to your face probably comforts her, or maybe it could be because she hears your heartbeat better?

Does she like to give you little kitten kisses too while snuggling?

Yeah a lot of cats like to do this. I think they like the warmth and the coziness of your neck it makes them feel safe and snuggly like when they are with their cat mommies. Just try to be patient and slowly and gently train your kitty to sleep curled in the crook of your arm or maybe on a pillow just for him next to you. It's all I can think of right now.

yeah, its the warmth and beating of your heart.....snuggle up with mom.....

i always wondered about that aswell as boots didnt do that she hid first lil while when i got her but socks was out from under the chair in 10 minutes after i got her and on my lap and then curled up on my neck affectionate lil souls xx

kevin sleeps in bed with me and he alway has to be sleeping at the top of my head, arched around it.

honestly, i have a different take on why they do this. i think it is insecurity. it's not unsual for a cat to crawl up on your bed at night (and they'll usually plop themselves right iin the middle of your bed, so you end up waking up with a back-ache), but when they insist on sleeping on you (usually right near your face or neck) i think there's more to it.

I think it has to do with age that a kitten is weaned from its mom. I adopted a two week old kitten that was found abandoned and he was all about sleeping in my hair. he would lay in my hair, drool and make sucking noises. When I had my hair put up, he would try to remove it from the holder. He wanted to live in my hair, and as he grew I would find my head pinned to the pillow at night, unable to turn. When he was four weeks we had a vet visit, the vet was like "Where is your kitten?" I reached into my hair and pulled him out. The vet said "I guess you're his mom now."

Ashley does this she is 7 weeks old.I was wondering the same thing.Interesting answers though .I love it when she curls up right like that, she loves her mommy

Hammie did that when he was a kitten (adopted at 12 wks). He quit after a few weeks though; he had a better place to sleep (curled up next to Zorro, his new best friend).

I thought it was SO sweet. He liked to lay right on the crook of my underarm and curl his head into my neck. Only problem was, he'd reach out in the middle of the night and feel my nose (to feel me breathing, I am guessing???) and unsheathe his claws on me!!!! He was trying to be sweet but owwie! Nose pain!!!

Mine does that too...When I am sleeping, I know its cute but she is kind of cutting off air supply! Only my kitten does this! She likes to sleep in my face, wrapped around my neck, or likes to cuddle with my head lol! Its cuz she loves you!

Originally Posted by darkeyedgirl

Hammie did that when he was a kitten (adopted at 12 wks). He quit after a few weeks though; he had a better place to sleep (curled up next to Zorro, his new best friend).

I thought it was SO sweet. He liked to lay right on the crook of my underarm and curl his head into my neck. Only problem was, he'd reach out in the middle of the night and feel my nose (to feel me breathing, I am guessing???) and unsheathe his claws on me!!!! He was trying to be sweet but owwie! Nose pain!!!

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hehe! yup, that's what would happen to me too, only worse. if i woke up and moved suddenly, sweet little kitty would not only unsheathe her claws on me, but her teeth too sometimes! ouch!!!! that's pretty scary when they're right on your neck and near your face! it's funny, but then again not. after some time (actually about 4 months) she finally felt secure enough and starting sleeping away from me. i miss her "cuddling" in a way since, but i know that wasn't normal. she's a happy, secure cat now. occassionally she still will jump up on my chest while i'm sleeping, but now it really is just "affection", not insecurity, and i don't worry about possibly losing an eye if i happen to move suddenly... :-) i agree with the poster who mentioned it may have to do with been weened too soon also.....

I have 5 week old kittens, they were born here and I have there mom. Both kittens are sleeping on me and their mom keeps calling them. This is the first time this has happrned, any ideas.

Puuuurrrr at them and cuddle them close? Take LOTS of pictures? Kittens grow up so quickly. In my experience they are clingy and cuddly ... then wee fearless ninja kitties climbing up curtains and wiggling behind everything ..... then cool bold confident cats that don't really want to snuggle much but they love to play .... then finally nice grown up cats .... to somewhat cranky senior cats who are very wise

The point is the neck sleeping is probably temporary so you just put up with ... just like you do with teething babies or toddlers throwing fits

I got my little girl as a 6 year old in the fall and she does it to me all the time. She’s pretty big too so it’s very uncomfortable but I almost always let her do it unless I have to get up to use the bathroom. A lot of the time I’ll wake up to her climbing up my body and situating herself on my throat, with her face turning towards and watching the tv and her back IN my mouth. I usually grab a tissue from the nightstand and put it between her back and my mouth and nose so I don’t get hair in my mouth or up my nose. She sits there watching tv and I usually just fall asleep since my only view is of her little gray back. I’ve noticed she hasn’t been doing it quite as much since it’s gotten warm, now she wakes me up purring like a lawnmower in my face and her paws kneading my chest. This leads me to believe its for comfort and stability, as well as warmth.

Here’s Arabella cutting off my air supply:

My adult cat Casey was adopted at 7 weeks old. He loved to sleep on my hubby's shoulders or nuzzled under hubby's chin. He is too big now to sleep on shoulders anymore. Once in a while he still nuzzles his head under hubby's chin to take a nap on the bed. He only does this for a little while now and then moves on to the bottom of the bed.

My 12 year old Starbuck was adopted at 6 weeks old. When she was a kitten she used to sleep under the blankets between us every night. She has not slept in the bed for years now. She still comes to bed but she sleeps on her pillow in a cubby hole in my head board. She will sometimes sleep next to my head on my pillow when I am sick. When she does sleep on my pillow she makes sure one of her paws is touching me.

I think Casey wanting to nuzzle us in bed could have been it made him feel more secure. He is a people cat and his siblings had been adopted so he was alone in his cage crying the day we adopted him. It could also have been that he was used to being around his siblings and missed them.

Starbuck was abandoned out a car window at 4 weeks old. She was adopted at 6 weeks old during the winter. I think she slept in the bed with us because it made her feel warm and secure. She also used to wake us up a lot grooming us when she was a baby. It was almost like she needed to realize she was not going to be abandoned again. She would also cry if she could not find us in the house when she was a kitten. The few times I traveled when she was young I either had a friend stay at my house or had multiple friends stop by multiple times a day to spend time with her. Now when I travel she hides the entire from my cat sitter. She will not let my cat sitter who is a good friend see her when we are home even. She hides from any guests we have.