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May 18, 2021

Why pets turn in circles before lying down

Why pets turn in circles before lying down
Dr. Chris Brown
by DR. CHRIS BROWN

That pre-sleep circle work seems almost compulsory for dogs and even some cats. And now we finally know why they do it...and often nudge you off the bed in the process!

The existing theories that pets either instinctively used the circle work to scan the horizon for predators or scare away rats and other vermin in their bedding didn’t quite wash with those among us who've watched this pre-sleep spin for years!

And thankfully, animal psychologist Professor Stanley Coren was happy to investigate. And soon found something remarkable. An uneven bedding surface tripled the likelihood of the pre-sleep spin above all other factors!

So there it is. That adorable circling is used by the furry family to essentially make their own bed. Its goal back when their ancestors lived a wilder life would have been to flatten any bumps or long grass to form a makeshift mattress. Yet now, even if those modern day bumps only include cushions...or your legs, it's a habit not worth breaking!

Especially when it clears even more room on your mattress and pushes you to the very edge of the abyss. Maybe the safest spot for us is on the floor! 

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