Last Updated on April 13, 2020
I have seen this all over the web and while it should be taken very seriously with dogs, it’s not so straightforward for cats. Cats are known for sleeping in weird positions, from sideways to upside down. Knowing the difference between head pressing and normal cat behavior will help you better care for your cat.
What Is Head Pressing?
Let’s touch on this for a minute if you don’t know.
“Head pressing is a condition characterized by the compulsive act of pressing the head against a wall or other object for no apparent reason“ – petMD
There are many conditions that can cause this to happen but the most widely recognized is hepatic encephalopathy. This is the result of the liver not functioning correctly so toxins are left in the bloodstream causing nerve damage.
Other causes of head pressing include:
Hepatic encephalopathy is the most common cause
What’s the Difference?
Cats who are sleeping with their face down, this is normal cat behavior. Some cats are just most comfortable like this.
When it comes to head pressing, you will see your cat doing this against walls while sitting, and while awake. They will press their head up against something, unrelaxed.
You must know your cat’s behavior and when to have cause for concern, and be aware that this can happen at any age. Seek medical help for your cat if it is sleeping/sitting like this with diet changes (eating less/more), disoriented behavior, walking in circles, walking into walls, sudden drooling, crying when being picked up, and depression.
When to see a Vet
If you see your cat sleeping with their head pressing down and they are relaxed, there is likely no cause for concern. However, if they are awake and sitting or standing with their head against a wall (or other objects) then they must see a vet asap.
Examples of differences
Below are five pictures of my cat, Joey, sleeping in a “head pressing” position. This is considered “normal cat behavior“ and you can see that he is relaxed.
Now here are some pictures of actual head pressing, you can see the difference! These cats are not relaxed at all, this is when to be concerned.
I hope this clears up any confusion and concerns you may have had. If you have a question about your cat head pressing, leave a comment below!
hi
my cat was doing this a while ago but i only just learnt about the problems with it now so am getting super worried.
it only happened once and i believe it was caused by a very stressful situation for her. she was in the corner with her head in a very uncomfortable position for hours. is this even head pressing or something else? should i take her to the vet? it’s been almost a year since it’s happened and she hasn’t done it again
Thanks for your comment dil. Since it happened almost a year ago, there is likely no cause for concern there. As for her facing the corner, was she physically resting her head on the wall whilst being awake? When cats are forcing their heads against objects and are unrelaxed and alert/awake, then they should be taken to the vet. I don’t think you have anything to worry about at all but if she does do it again, it couldn’t hurt to get her checked out.
Is this wepsite reliable?
We are not a source for professional medical advice, but we are cat owners for almost 30 years. This website documents our knowledge and findings, and also combines other sources of information.
Thank you
Sorry for asking but this is important
are you one of the wepsite owners ?
Yes, 1 of 2.
Okay
Thank you
I need to know fast plz
My cat Gizmo just sits facing the wall. She doesn’t put her head on it, just faces it. Should I be concerned?
Thanks for your comment Roxy. A lot of cats do this when napping or relaxing. I don’t think you have anything to worry about.
I have a 8 year old Tuxedo cat who likes to sleep with his head in the palm of my hand. I always thought his behaviour was cute, but this has me a little concerned. He never appears to be in discomfort and purrs until he falls asleep, so not sure if I should be worried.
Thanks for your comment JeffK. As mentioned above, if your kitty is relaxed and/or sleeping while pressing their head against you are any surface, there is no cause for concern.
Hello! I recently rescued a stray cat that presses his head to me really hard but only when I pet him. When he walks away from me he doesn’t do it against any other objects or walls. If I’m not petting him he does the normal stuff of just rubbing up against corners of furniture or my laptop and he doesn’t sleep with his head pressed anywhere. Should I be concerned if it’s only when I pet him? I have zero reference of past behavior because I just rescued him but I do know he’s an older cat.
Thanks for your comment Claudia. What you are explaining is normal cat behavior, you have no reason to worry. Many cats do this to mark their scent using several glands around the face/body. You can read more about that here: https://purrfectlove.net/scent-glands-on-cats/
How interesting! I now realize that a friend’s cat from years and years ago must have had this.. poor kitty =( Is this particular or more common to certain breeds? I have a Himalayan that I rescued 4 years ago, I don’t know much about his medical history before we got him, he seems to have a thing for sleeping with his face flat against the side of his scratching post… and if I scratch him between his eyes on the bridge of his nose he really leans into it like “more! scratch harder!” He has no other behaviours tho.. ..well, apart from the vocalizing but I always figured that was the Siamese in him.
Thanks for your comment Andrea. True head pressing has one or more underlining medical conditions that are not breed specific. It sounds like your cat just likes to sleep in this position. There shouldn’t be anything to worry about.
I dont know if it is considered head pressing but I have an old cat, and she goes in our window seal, sits up, and puts her nose against the wood, pointed up. She continues to do this for hours on end but seems to be fine. When we call her when she’s like that, she comes. (And so on) my mom started getting concerned and we aren’t sure why she does that. If anyone has any idea why a cat would do this, please contact me at the given email below. This may be her way of getting or being comfortable, I don’t know, none of my other cats do this.
Thank you,
Barbara k. ♥
Thanks for your comment Barbara. Is she awake while doing this? Does she have a history of sinus issues?
My 16 year old diabetic cat sleeps in the bathroom with her nose up against the bathtub or the laundry baskets. I don’t think it’s her forehead I’m pretty sure it’s just her nose. she does cry sometimes when she wakes up but that is only when she’s in the bathroom. Could this be a bad thing?
Thanks for your comment Charlene. If she is sleeping, there is likely no cause for concern. She is older and diabetic so it may be worth mentioning to your vet just to be sure and to ease your mind.
Head pressing looks so sad! Thank you for this informational post – I honestly had never heard of this before! 😮
My cat likes to lay in the “normal” position with her head down. It’s really helpful to know, if she starts going this head pressing, I know now what it can mean and not just to brush it off as a funny action. I’m sure most people do think it’s just a bit strange but may not think anything else of it – I had no idea it could mean such serious things.
Thanks for spreading this knowledge! (Your cat is very cute, by the way!)
Thanks for your comment Jaimee. Yes, while most cases it is just a position some cats like to lay in, it could be more serious for others. You have to know your cat’s behavior as well as look out for changes. Joey (pictured above) lays in this position almost every day but he is 16 and I reckon it just helps him sleep better by blocking out the light. I will reposition him sometimes just to make sure he is getting enough air. If you have any concerns, it doesn’t hurt getting your cat a checkup. Joey had one last year and checked out as very healthy, especially for his age.
My cat is named Angelica. We got her since 2012. I love to hold and cuddle up to her. She sometimes presses her head. And she sometimes gets hot spots which kinda Worries me. Last year my mom took her to the vet where they gave her A cast for her hot spot and it went away 4 days. So if your cat gets hot spots. Take them to the vet and they’ll help your cats hot spot go away as soon as it can
What I should do is know why my cat is head pressing and call find medical help for your cat
My cat, after seeming totally fine and normal, today after snacks, which is just wet food for cats…. She came and bonded with me as I was in conversation with another… then she moved to her spot on the bed that happens to be the corner edge, between the wall and tv stand…. I saw her head pressed. She never had done this before, I panicked immediently. I found this post… and after my last few moths, feeling like the only meaning in my life is in extreme danger… I broke down. … I need to be educated please so I’m not so confused, or have to many in certain feelings that cause more panic.
I noticed a slight change in her persona, enough to guarantee it was bad… my friend said it was nothing but my terror. I knew, I spend all my days with this cat, because I’m disabled… I know her every thought. She was laying funny, looking at me funny…. She was sloppy and wanted to return to her spot when I embraced her on me…. She never passes up a chance for cuddles…..
My friend left…. and I laid beside my baby… She blinded her cloudy dissorientated hopeful eyes at me, and rested her head on my arm. Reached her arm out to hold me as usual, but more, needingly. I brought her extreme comfort. She acted high,… Like I was aiding her through a trip out… I laid there for over an hour, watching her breathing, which was irregular, and at one point I believed even stopped… at leased long enough for me to panic and I jolted, she woke… and dissorientstedly attempted to get into my side… one of her favorite spots… She leaned back, drunk like… as if she were unknowing there is a huge drop on the other side of me. She understand English very perceptivly, so I told her to get down and rest where she’s not a danger to herself, so she returned to my arm, and held me tighter,… every once and again shed open her eyes to look at me, and she honestly seemed retarded. Totally no intelligence behind her. I told bar nice things, to keep her content… She purred herself back to a sleep… deep sleep… She twitched awkwardly, breathed irregular, flinched…. jump woke a few times…. and I found her with her eyes half open, blank…. staring at nothing,,,. With out blinking. I gained her consciousness to help her rest again.
Then after an hour ofnthat…. She slowly made it to her food dish, ate like a mad man, and started playing harder then ever before for an hour and a half. I wish I didn’t encourage it…. but… I did. And at the end of that I saw her start zoning in and out of consciousness…. and each time she would come back, she still wanted to play, but seemed slightly confused but unfazed about her attention issues. I convinced her to go back to her spot and rest…. where I’ve now been obsessing another breathing for like, an hour or two. I’m so freaked. I can’t lose her, it’s 11pm. I’m in a rural community, there is absolutely nothing I can do till morning, and I’m going to stay up all night watching her.
…. now, sorry for all of that but can you tell me scientifically what’s going on, how she’s feeling? If she’s in distress, or discomfort.. and how long I may have? Long term effects. Plz
Thanks for your comment Rebeca. I am not a vet nor do I know your cat personally so I can only tell you what may be going on. Is she older? You mentioned cloudy eyes which makes me think she is older. It is hard to say with an older cat what this could be. She could be having periods of dementia, mild seizures, or it can be more serious. I would assume that seeing an ER clinic is not an option for you in your area. What makes me think it is dementia is the confusion and how she comes in goes. What makes me think it can be seizures is that she zones out and appeared drunk, possibly disoriented but had a huge appetite after. A more serious issue could be fluid in the brain or a tumor. There is no way I or anyone else would be able to tell you if that is the case. She needs to get to a Vet asap. In the meantime, just do what you are doing and be there for her. Don’t panic or get too upset. I know it can be scary but cats can sense when we are uneasy. Keep her in one room, blocked off. This way she can’t accidentally hurt herself and move her box and food dishes in the same room. I wish I could be of more help and give you a solid answer. Just make sure she is comfortable, getting fluids, and is able to use her box.
Why didn’t you take her to the vet? This sounds not only serious, but painful. It seems to me, the reason a cat would press his head forcefully against a wall is due to a really bad headache. (Have you ever put pressure on your own head during a pounding headache?) You sound as though you are dependent on this cat to bring you comfort, but in reality, this cat depends on you to take care of her, and if she’s suffering that badly, to let her go, if necessary. But please, at the very least, seek veterinary care. These are all symptoms of a serious neurological problem.
My 19 year old cat has been doing this for a few months, no other strange behaviour occured. However, he had a seizure in April last year. Is this head pressing thing something to worry about?
Thanks for your comment Bianca. Did his head pressing start after the seizure or more recent?
My 7-year-old male cat has ALWAYS liked pressing his face into my hand, and I could tell he was fine. However, all of a sudden, for about a week now, his position while at rest is different; he is laying with his front paws under his body, and his head is on its side, pressing down into the bed or chair. Should I be concerned?
Thanks for your comment moosish. This does not sound like any kind of issue. If he is relaxed and sleeping, then don’t worry too much over it. If you notice other changes like sudden loss of appetite, mobility issues, etc. then you can take him into a vet to get checked over.
Thanks so much for your advice!
Hi, my 12 year old male cat was just seen at the vet for circling to the left, pacing, meowing deeply, and staring at walls. He gave him an exam and I told him that it looked like blood coming out of his eye and he said he was concerned. He also noticed ear discharge. What he said next upset me greatly. He told me my cat should have an MRI because it looks like a brain lesion. I can’t afford a 2000.00 MRI and I’m looking at cat charities to see if I can get help. In the meantime he gave me Prednisone and ZydaClin in case my cat has an infection. I don’t know what to do but cry for most part of the day. Please help.
I’m reading this, right now. Can you please let me know the status of your pet, if you still have it
He doesn’t circle much anymore but still yowls loudly, paces and gets stuck in corners. He goes outside litter box. He doesn’t groom himself or purr. But he still comes to me and wants to be petted. His last dose of Prednisone is today.
Thanks for your comment Sheryl. Walking in a circle is usually a sign of a stroke which your cat may very well have had. Every cat is different. Has your vet mentioned this as a possibility? Sorry for the late response. I am only just not seeing this.
This vet wanted to put him down both times I was there with my cat. He said without an expensive MRI he won’t know for sure but thinks he has a brain lesion. I am not convinced. He has been getting better every day since he’s been on Prednisone. Still some odd behavior but I have hope.
Since he is improving it sounds like he had a stroke to me. I am not a vet but I do know that cats recover from strokes remarkably well. Some in a matter of weeks, others in a few months. Issues with the brain like lesions and tumors will only get worse, not improve over time. I think it is worth getting a second opinion from another vet if you are still concerned.
Very glad to find this article and pictures. My cat decided to adopt me by sneaking into my house and having five kittens when I had never had a cat nor knew anything about cats. She was mostly feral but once I got her adjusted to people, she became my perfect snuggle cat. I’ve had her a little over a year so she keep surprising me with new things. In the past week or two, she’s started finding some solid object (the back of a chair, the couch arm, my leg, the bed, etc.), mushing her face into it and going to sleep. Sometimes she just faceplants, which she’d never done before. I looked it up and of course, immediately found head pressing and got worried. After looking at your pictures, though, I’m pretty sure she’s just being a dorky cat, especially since nothing else seems to be wrong with her. She always seems to be relaxed and sleepy when she does it, but I’ll keep an eye on her.
The only thing I’ve noticed about her is that she craves grass constantly. If you even bring anything leafy in, she has to inspect it to make sure it’s not grass. I planted some cat grass for her, but I had to put it outside, because not only did she try to eat all of it at one time, but she treated it like a drug, pacing and meowing for it before getting in the windowsill and knocking it down. This is a cat who has never knocked anything over in her life and is usually well behaved. If I’d bring her a few blades in, she’d gobble them down and then cry and cry for more. Any idea what this means? I wasn’t sure how much was good for her and if there were something I could give her that would replace the apparent need she has for grass.
Thanks for your comment Elspeth Sharps Morgan. Glad the information was helpful. As for the grass, some cats just enjoy it. It could be as simple as that or she could be vitamin or mineral deficient somewhere. If you are concerned enough you can get blood work done and that should tell you if there is any deficiencies your should remedy.
Take this seriously. My 18 year old kitty started doing this three or four days before she passed away. She was pressing her head into me very hard. I thought she was just being her neurotic lovable self. Until on the fourth day she tried walking and her hind legs quit working. All she could do was fall over and cry. The vet said that she had had possibly been having small strokes and then had a massive stroke. We had to put her to sleep as a result. The vet said it was a sign of inter-cranial pressure. Her ears were red as cherries. If you notice this behavior please talk to a vet.
Thanks for your comment Joseph. With younger and older cats (kittens and seniors) any new behavior is best looked over by a vet.
I’m so sorry about your loss. Thank you for sharing your story. I think this will help many other cat caregivers in recognizing the signs of stroke, or other neurological problems.
One of our cats does this all the time. He sits with his head against a table leg. Usually only for a few minutes, then he’s off doing his thing. He’s normal in every other way. Running, playing with the other two cats. Diet has never changed. No other behavior strange in any way.
Let’s see. If I have a headache, I COULD have a brain tumor, or cancer, or God knows what?
Better run to the ER and get an MRI done. After $10,000, they probably discover I just had a headache.
Thanks for your comment Rick. I get what you are saying, some people do worry when there isn’t a reason to worry. Your cat sounds fine to me. If he continues this for longer periods of time with temperamental and/or diet changes, he should be taken in to make sure.
My 14 year old cat sleeps with her head pressing down on the sofa but sometimes it looks like she has the hiccups or is burping at the same time. This is usually after meals, but she is often sleeping when she does it. This is something she has only started doing this the last six months. Previously she was diabetic but I managed to put her in remission after six months. I still check her blood and she hasn’t been diabetic for over a year now. She seems happy and she eats and plays but she is heavier than she was.
Thanks for your comment Gabrielle. Does your kitty sleep with her nose and mouth pointing into the sofa as well? This can be causing her to have slight breathing troubles which results in her getting hiccups.
Actually it seems like she has the hiccups first and then I see her move to the position pushing her face, yes nose and mouth, into the sofa. It almost looks like she is trying to make herself more comfortable or make the hiccups go away.
Sometimes she will have bigger burps only a couple of times. She does eat too fast and I try to slow her down.
Oh okay. Well this sounds like it is down to eating too fast. Some air might be getting swallowed. If she is eating dry, get a slow-feeder dish for her. They have a hump/bump in the middle and slow down speed eaters. If she is on wet, what I do for my one cat is mash it down. Make it flat with the plate so she will have to lick it up and eat it slower. The headpress position doesn’t sound like anything to worry about. See if slowing down her eating stops the hiccups. If there is no change in that, get a medical opinion from her vet just to be on the safe side.
Thanks, so much I never thought of flattening her food. She is almost exclusively on Fancy Feast Classics (with low carbs) and she loves them a little too much. She does have the tendency to eat fast and then throw up sometime, so I will have to do better at slowing her down.
If you want to mix in a slightly healthier canned food, you can see if she enjoys Muse by Purina. It is grain free. Both my boys really enjoy it and they are Fancy Feast addicts. I have only given the chicken and carrot recipe and the duck recipe a try thus far. Both are actually quite a bit cheaper on Amazon than in store depending on the recipe you get. If she is happy and healthy on Fancy Feast though, then just continue with it.
my new rescue cat sits beside me and presses her head against my arm and can do this for a long period of time. Is this normal. I had 2 cats before her and another new rescue and have only had these cats rub their faces along my arm, legs, feet face etc. Thank you.
Thanks for your comment, and yes it is normal for some cats. Some like to lay against us for warmth. It she is relaxed and/or sleeping, it is nothing to worry about.