How Much Do Cats Sleep In Their Life

Maybe He Isnt Sleeping When You Think He Is

Not all sleep is deep sleep. Sometimes cats just hit the pause button and take a short breather-a “cat nap,” if you will. Your cat may have his eyes partially closed or even completely closed, but his ears or tail may still be moving occasionally. Most likely he is listening to the environment, ready to spring into action-not deeply sleeping at all.

How Much Do Cats Sleep

Cats have a well-earned reputation for needing their beauty rest. The average feline gets in 15 hours of sleep a day. However, kittens and elderly cats put in as much as 20 hours a day.

When you think about the 8 hours humans need, thats almost double the snoozing! To compare with other animals, cats sleep less than dogs , about as long as sloths, and less than bats and possums .

The following will delve into feline slumber needs, and whether co-sleeping with your cat is a good idea.

Cats Arent Always Sound Asleep

Another thing to consider when thinking, Why do cats sleep so much? is how they sleep. Of the time cats spend sleeping, about three quarters of it is what we might call snoozing. In that state, cats can get all the rest they need, but theyre still alert enough to awaken at a moments notice. You can tell when a cat is in light sleep because their ears will twitch and rotate toward noises and their eyes will be open a tiny bit. Even when theyre sitting upright, cats can slip into that dozing mode.

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How Much Does A Kitten Sleep

On average, a young kitten sleeps much more than an adult cat. When cats are newborn, its not uncommon for them to sleep as much as possible as this helps them stay healthy and be active when they wake. Kittens also needs sleep to grow, because growth hormones are released while they sleep. It is therefore very important to leave a kitten alone when its sleeping.

When Do Cats Sleep

Your feline companion will typically fall asleep after a big breakfast, oblivious to your many attempts to engage it in some kind of activity during the day. And it will finally become active again after dark, just as youre about to call it a day.

This is the result of a cats evolution and physiology. Like big cats in the wild, domestic kitties are most energetic when the sun sets because twilight is a perfect time for stalking and hunting prey. You wouldnt catch a big cat sleeping on the job, would you?

And although your pet doesnt have to rely on hunting to survive, instinct still plays a big role in a cats behavior. It may not be a lion or tiger, but that doesnt mean its not ready to pounce on anything that moves, wiggles, or rolls.

Its not uncommon for your kittys sleep behavior to change over time. Just like other domesticated animalsahem, dogscats might adjust their sleep time to their owners.

In fact, a 2013 study on cats and sleep showed that housing conditions can affect the feline circadian rhythm. According to the study, cats that lived and spent most of their time in small houses with limited outdoor space developed sleeping habits similar to those of their owners.

Another reason why kitties might change their sleep behavior is food. Many house cats adjust their sleep to feeding time, and thats why they tend to sleep more than street cats who have to rely on their own wits to get food.

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So How Many Hours A Day Do Cats Sleep For

How much time a cat spends sleeping depends on a variety of factors. Well get to those in a second. Heres the basic, average breakdown, though.

Kittens aged up to six months sleep for around 20 hours a day.

Grown-up cats can snooze for anywhere between 12 and 16 hours a day.

Now, as for those factors that influence it

For starters, the kittys age plays a huge role. Kittens, of course, will sleep much longer than their adult counterparts. And as they get older senior cats will also snooze more often and longer than their younger adult counterparts.

Other factors, such as stressful surroundings, tiresome activities, and chronic anxiety play a vital role in how much your cat sleeps. Young children, unfamiliar surroundings, strangers, and other animals can make the cats sleep uneasy and short-spanned.

Then theres the cats health. If your pet is suffering from an illness, this could ruin its sleep. On the other hand, illness might also make it sleepier and more lethargic.

Make sure your pet has a quiet room equipped with warm and comfortable spots. Dont allow the kids to sleep near the cat. Not only is it unhygienic for the little ones, but it may also disturb the pet.

Your Cat Might Be Sick Or Uncomfortable

Cats hide and are less active when they are sick or not feeling well. If your cat is spending most of this time under the bed or high up in the cat tree, he may be in pain or uncomfortable.

If your cat is overweight, he may not be able to move around very much and may rest because it’s painful to move. Obesity in cats is a serious problem that can lead to pain when moving or endocrine diseases that require lifelong treatment. If you can’t easily feel your cat’s ribs, make an appointment with your primary care veterinarian to have his overall health assessed.

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Why Do Cats Sleep Next To You

Even if youre on an opposite sleep schedule from your cat, you might notice that your cat likes to sleep near you or in your bed. This can be a sign of trust or a sign that your cat loves the extra warmth provided by your body heat or blankets. There are plenty of benefits to sleeping with your pet, including lower stress levels and feeling a general sense of comfort and security. Studies have shown that pet owners who sleep with their cats have a closer human-cat relationship than pet owners who dont.

Sleeping with a cat might also have some drawbacks. For example, pet owners who sleep with pets may be at a higher risk of contracting zoonotic diseases that are passed from animals to humans, like ringworm or cat scratch disease. If youre having trouble sleeping at night, it might be best to sleep without your cat, as your cats noises and movements could be keeping you awake.

Why Does A Cat Sleep So Much

There are a number of reasons why cats spend most of the day sleeping. The most widespread motive is feline instinct. Its considered that cats need to sleep many hours to be efficient hunters.

They are predators and hunting prey requires considerable energy expenditure, produced by the high levels of adrenaline that are produced and caloric waste. With all this work, its natural that cats need a lot of rest to recharge.

This is one of the most common answers about how much a cat sleeps, and although its clear that domestic indoor cats have no need to hunt , they dont lose that instinct. Cat owners who allow their cat to roam outdoors will often be gifted with a dead mouse or bird a cats hunting instinct is part of his nature, and that nature will make him carry a sleep cycle similar to what he would have if he lived in the wild.

Apart from the feline nature, read on and I will tell you the reasons that explain how much a cat sleeps.

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Why Do Cats Sleep So Much 5 Facts About Sleeping Cats

Why do cats sleep so much? Our feline friends are true masters at falling asleep any time, any place, under any circumstances. Even a cursory web search will reveal thousands of photos of sleeping cats in cute or crazy positions. But why do cats sleep so much, and what happens in their minds when theyre sleeping? Do they have sleep cycles like people do? Read on to find out more about sleeping cats.

How To Utilize Catnip For Your Pets Comfort

Using their favorite snacks or a smidgeon of fresh catnip, you can entice your finicky kitty to the cat beds. Catnip is an excellent method to pique your cats curiosity in something new while encouraging them to relax and roll about in the bed. And, as an additional benefit, cats like to cuddle up and sleep after their catnip high, making the new bed more appealing to them!

After youve purchased your pets favorite cat beds and loungers, you would want them to get habitual to it. Sprinkle some catnip on the bed to make your cat hop on the bed. If your cat doesnt want to sit or lay down on the bed, dont push it since this may lead to destructive emotions with the bed. To encourage your kitten to return later, you can also leave a sprinkle of catnip on their favorite goodies.

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If Your Cats Sleeping More Than Normal

Its common for cats, just like humans, to be affected by changes in temperature. Many people find that their cats, as well as staying indoors more, become less active and sleep more in winter compared to the rest of the year. A changed sleep pattern isnt necessarily a sign that somethings wrong, but if you notice your cat sleeping more than it usually does, and it seems weak, it could be a sign that its not feeling well. If it stops eating and drinking at the same time that it starts sleeping more, you should consult a vet to make sure everything is fine. Further reading

The Feline Body Clock

Interestingly studies of pet cats have shown that their body clocks are not set in stone. In many cases pet cats adjust their routine and sleep at night-time while their owners rest, being active instead in daylight hours. This relies on the cat being stimulated with play during the daytime hours. Adjusting their body clocks allows them more interaction with their human owners. Adaptation of their routines often follows their feeding schedule, if cats are fed during the day they are more likely to spend more awake time during daylight hours. However young kittens often retain active nocturnal behaviour, so dont be surprised if a new addition gets up to lots of mischief at night. Many owners report hearing their kitten playing in the dark when they have gone to bed for the night.

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As Cats Become Older Will They Want Extra Sleep

The reality is sure, likely. Like senior of us, cats naturally could decelerate as they turn out to be extra mature and wiser. A kitten might be akin to a child and sleep virtually all day to encourage progress and bonding with mama. Once they attain a number of months previous, they could not require as a lot sleep as they are going to be so busy enjoying video games and having enjoyable! Grownup cats are typically extra common of their sleep routines and possibly common at about 13 hours per day because the analysis suggests. Its utterly regular to your extra mature fluffy pal to want extra time napping. When you discover any appreciable adjustments in sleep patterns or common conduct, contact your vet.

If Youve Witnessed Your Kitten Have A Shut Eye More Frequently Than Not Youve Naturally Got Some Questions About Your Cats Sleeping Patterns Find Out How Much Sleep Our Dear Feline Friends Need To Feel Refreshed And Ready To Play With Their Favourite Owner

A cats sleeping habits can easily puzzle anyone less familiar with the feline lifestyle. For the best part of the day, a cat will act like the retired elderly on a well-deserved holiday, constantly on an all-day snoozing diet. If your cats always-off mode makes you feel like the worlds most boring housemate, youll be happy to know this is not personal. Cats sleep a lot, naturally.

If youve been wondering how long do cats sleep? and why do cats sleep so much?, we unpacked some of the amazing facts surrounding their siesta habits to help you better understand your kittys unconventional take on sleeping schedules.

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How Much Does A Cat Sleep

How many hours a cat sleeps per day depends on a lot of different factors, including age, activity level and personality. For example, older cats and active kittens may need more sleep than relaxed indoor cats. Many people worry that their cat sleeps too much, but its unusual for a cat to overdo it when it comes to sleep.

What Is A Catnap

Cats doze in short bursts during the day and night. These short sleep periods are often called catnaps, and humans can also engage in these short, refreshing naps. Take some inspiration from your favourite feline next time you need a brief respite from everyday tasks and enjoy a quick catnap that leaves you ready for action once you wake up again.

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Cats Do However Sleep Deeply And Even Dream

The remaining quarter of cats sleeping hours is spent in deep sleep, but older cats might spend as much as 30 percent or 40 percent of the time at that level. Cats in deep sleep are usually curled up with their eyes tightly closed. Sometimes, they might even have their tail over their face, like a fluffy sleep mask. Deep sleep is critical for the bodys ability to regenerate itself and stay healthy. Its also the time when your cat dreams. If youve seen your cats whiskers or paws twitching while shes asleep, theres a good chance shes dreaming.

How Much Do Cats Sleep Plus Other Related Questions

Have you ever wondered where the term cat nap comes from, or just about your cats sleeping habits in general? You may notice that your cat sleeps a lot throughout the day, but do you know how much sleep is considered normal for your cat? A cats sleeping habits can change throughout his or her life, and sudden changes in how much your cat sleeps may be an indicator of their health and welfare. In this article, we will discuss cat sleeping habits to help you learn more about the feline friend in your life.

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When Should I Be Concerned

There isn’t a set amount of sleep to indicate a heath problem or health emergency, instead it’s about knowing your cat’s normal sleep patterns and recognizing when that pattern changes significantly.

If your cat begins to sleep a lot more or a lot less than is usual for him/her there may be a health issue, it’s time to visit your vet.

Cats who begin to sleep more than usual could be ill or experiencing pain. On the other hand, if your cat begins sleeping less than usual they may be suffering from hyperthyroidism or other conditions.

If you are concerned about your cat’s health after your regular vet has closed, contact our Memphis emergency vets.

The Why Behind The Serious Snoozing

Perhaps the primary reason why cats sleep so much is simple because they can.

Cats are at the top of the food chain, so they can relax to their hearts content. As natural predators, they need to be ready to hunt at any given moment. So stockpiling their energy is important. Its even more important for wild cats. The average cat in the wild may expend a lot of energy reserves on a hunt and will need to rest up afterward.

For a domesticated cat, that energy reserve may be depleted just from hopping from the couch to the floor.

Like any other species with a job, the energy spent can take its toll on your psychological and physical well-being. So whether hunting in the wild or strutting around your home, a cat must always be ready to deliver their pouncing A-game at a moments notice. And to make sure theyre functioning at that level, they require some serious sleep to build up their pouncing reserves.

For many cats, their days are similar to instructions on a shampoo bottle. A shampoo bottle may read wet hair, rinse, repeat as needed. A cats life cycle may be sleep, hunt, eat, repeat as needed.

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This Is Why Cats Sleep So Much

The real reason your feline friend catches so many Zs

If there were such a thing as the Nap Olympics, there’s no doubt that a cat would emerge victorious. On average, felines sleep for 15 hours a day, and some can snooze for as much as 20 hours in a single 24-hour period. The only question is: Why do cats sleep so much?

The answer lies in the domestic cat’s ancestry. According to the National Sleep Foundation, cats are crepuscular animals, meaning that they snooze during the day and become alert between dusk and dawn .

“On average, cats sleep for 15 hours a day, a trait they inherited from their wild ancestors,” explains Dr. Danielle Bernal, a veterinarian with Wellness Natural Pet Food. “While household cats are largely domesticated, they may still have a wild streak in them and may show primal instincts of hunting during these twilight hours.”

So, why do cats sleep so much if they live indoors? Of course, most domesticated cats aren’t exactly being forced to go outside and hunt for their food, but that doesn’t mean that they know that. And since hunting inside the house is out of the question, cats will get this built-up energy out by prowling and playing around the house .

As cats get older, it gets even easier for them to fall into deeper and longer sleeps. Typically, kittens and senior cats require the most sleep, while the average-aged cat is able to thrive on a measly 15 or so hours.