Throughout the article we will tell you how much does a cat sleep? Why do cats sleep so much? And what are the reasons for this behaviour.
Cats like dogs spend much of the day sleeping. Although it seems like a long time, there is an explanation based on your own instinct.
How many hours does a cat sleep?
On average, cats usually sleep 12 to 16 hours in a day. However, the amount of time they spend sleeping can vary depending on factors such as weather, age, daily activity and their health.
Cats normally sleep 70% of the day and although it seems like a long time, we must understand that they have different sleep cycles than humans. Depending on their age, they can sleep more or less time.
Hours of sleep according to age
A young or new born cat can sleep 20 hours. That is, they can spend practically the whole day sleeping. But their hours of sleep will decrease as they grow older.
At 5 months they can sleep 18 hours and after 6 months they will sleep 16 hours until they are one year old and become an adult cat.
Cats that are in an old age stage, that is, cats over 12 years old, also sleep most of the day, as the energy level is lower and the sedentary lifestyle increases.
This is because, like humans, they begin to suffer from diseases of old-age cats such as arthritis, diabetes or heart problems. For this reason, they tend not only to sleep more hours but to move and think more slowly.
Why do cats sleep so much?
To answer this question, we must be clear that both the life and sleep cycles of cats and humans are totally different.
An adult human can live up to 100 years and should sleep a recommended minimum of 8 hours a day. On the contrary, a cat will live up to 18 years and will have an average of 14 hours of sleep in a day.
So to answer the question Why do cats sleep so much? We must look at different points of view:
● Because they are predators : Cats, even if they are domestic, have the physiology of hunters.
For this reason, when they play to hunt their toys, they usually use a series of movements used in hunting, such as jumping, stalking, pouncing, chasing and above all being always alert, which produces high levels of adrenaline and a fairly large caloric burnout .So they should recharge their batteries by taking a good nap.
● Because of the weather: Cats’ sleep hours also depend on the weather. This happens because cats tend to sleep longer when the temperature is lower.
Because they spend more time still to avoid high levels of calorie expenditure and in this way it is easier to stay warm during the winter.
● By age : As mentioned above, age plays a fundamental role in the sleep time of cats.
Well, both newborn cats and cats in the old age stage usually sleep up to 10 hours more than an adult cat.
● Because they are “nocturnal animals” : Cats show greater activity in the early hours of the night and early morning.
Wild cats hunt best in the dark and that translates to an instinct that domestic cats also show, although their food is assured. That is why they tend to sleep longer hours during the day, to show a more curious character at night.
They are usually twilight animals, that is, they are awake and most active when dawn and dusk . This is due to their hunting instinct, because during these hours of the day the “prey” are usually more active and also cats can see perfectly, even better, with less light.
For this reason, if in the evening they have carried out these activities, they will have had a high caloric expenditure which they replace by taking long hours of sleep during the morning.
Importance of sleep hours in your cat
Just like human beings we need to sleep to rest. Cats also need to get enough sleep to rest from physical activity during the day.
Rest plays a fundamental role in the correct development of your cat, since it is new born and is necessary for them for various reasons:
● Replenish energy : Cats need several hours of sleep due to the caloric expenditure they have during the day.
● Maintain health : The correct rest favors the health and the correct functioning of the organism, since using the necessary hours for rest will allow the organism’s functions to work correctly during this time.
● State of mind : Your character and personality are also influenced by the hours of sleep. A good rest is reflected in the mood of the cat.
These are the reasons why your cat sleeps so much. This is why it is very important to respect its sleep hours and try not to wake it up if it is not necessary and only do so until it has had enough rest.
