When Daniel and his family made a trip to their local animal shelter, they weren’t expecting to find themselves in the middle of a nightly mystery. But that’s exactly what happened after they brought home Muffins—a sweet-faced tabby with a calm temperament and, as it turns out, a very peculiar nighttime routine.

From day one, Muffins was a hit with the kids. He strutted about like he owned the place, meowed with a slight chirp that was impossible to resist, and seemed more than happy to be fussed over. But come nightfall, his behaviour took an odd turn. Instead of curling up in the plush cat bed lovingly set out for him, Muffins would plant himself just inside Daniel’s bedroom door, staring silently at the bed like a fluffy little sentry on a mission.

When bedtime turned into surveillance

At first, it was harmless. A little strange, perhaps, but not alarming. Then Daniel noticed that the staring wasn’t just a fleeting habit. It became a nightly ritual, and even when Muffins was invited up onto the bed (a decision any seasoned cat owner knows is a slippery slope), the intense watching didn’t stop.

The situation grew more unsettling when Daniel’s asthma—a condition he’d managed since his teenage years—started acting up. His breathing was more laboured in the mornings, and he began waking up tired and short of breath. The cat, oddly enough, was the one constant presence during those nights.

Which led Daniel to one rather modern solution: set up a camera and see exactly what Muffins was up to while everyone was fast asleep.

The footage that changed everything

The results were, in Daniel’s words, “half hilarious, half horrifying.” Muffins wasn’t just sitting near the bed. He was hopping onto it. Then, ever so gently, onto Daniel’s chest… and then, casually, right onto his face. Not once. Repeatedly.

Apparently, Muffins had taken a particular liking to nestling on Daniel’s face, pressing his warm furry body against it like a live breathing eye mask. Only problem? That sweet little cuddle was blocking Daniel’s airways, aggravating his asthma.

His wife joked it was Muffins’ version of a cuddle—but even she had to admit that this kind of affection came with a bit of a risk.

Finding balance between affection and health

Once the puzzle was solved, the family wasted no time making adjustments. Muffins now sleeps in a cosy new bed inside the bedroom, close enough to feel included, but far enough away from Daniel’s face to avoid any late-night asthma dramas.

And to be fair, Muffins doesn’t seem too fussed by the change. A soft blanket, a bit of catnip, and the occasional treat seem to have done the trick.

The whole experience has made Daniel more aware of the hidden ways our pets communicate—and how easily they can impact our health, even with the best intentions (or the worst positioning).

So if your pet has developed a strange new routine, don’t write it off as harmless quirkiness. Maybe it’s nothing. But then again, maybe they’re literally lying on your face while you sleep.

A night camera, as Daniel now swears by, might just be the unexpected detective tool every pet owner needs.