Cats are predators that hunt and lead an active lifestyle during the night. Therefore, during the day, they mostly rest and regain their strength. Cats Sleep: Fascinating Facts About Feline Slumber reveal that newborn kittens sleep the longest — during their first week of life, they can sleep almost the entire day.
Adult cats, aged one year and older, sleep an average of 13 hours per day.
The duration of sleep generally depends largely on the age of the animal.
- Newborn kittens in the first week of life up to 23 hours.
- Kittens up to 1 month old like to sleep for 19-21 hours.
- At two months, kittens spend 18-20 hours sleeping.
- Young cats between three and four months old sleep 16-18 hours.
- Cats between the ages of five and six months like to spend 15-17 hours a day sleeping.
- Cats from one year old sleep 12-15 hours a day.
- Cats over eight years old sleep 14-18 hours a day.
- Older cats over 12 years old sleep at least 20 hours a day.
What affects the duration of a cat’s sleep?
Cats are thermophilic animals, so they instinctively seek out a warm place to sleep, for example, near a radiator. In addition to age, there are other factors that affect how long cats sleep.
- Weather outside and temperature in the house.
- Eating behavior – overeating and being overweight cause drowsiness.
- Hunger – a hungry cat becomes irritable, sleeping in this state is very important.
- Sexual desire – the instinct to reproduce often leads to sleep disturbances.
- Stressful situations and illness can disrupt biological clocks, causing the animal’s sleep to become intermittent.
- Physical activity – the more a cat runs and plays, the better it sleeps.
It is important to play with your cat more often during the day to help it release its energy as much as possible. This will ensure that your pet sleeps soundly and soundly.
What to do if your cat is constantly sleeping
If your cat is sleeping a lot because they are bored, don’t worry. Pregnant cats also sleep longer than usual. In the postoperative period, for example, after castration or sterilization, animals also prefer to sleep.
But sometimes sleep is disturbed due to vitamin deficiencies, anemia, cardiovascular problems, diabetes, or infectious diseases. Consulting a veterinarian will help to find out the exact cause.
How cats sleep: interesting facts
Why does a cat sleep on clothes? Because cats like to make a cozy bed on soft and warm clothes that smell like their owner. And this smell is associated with safety and comfort.
Cats also love to lie on clean things. This way they leave their scent on them, which tells other animals that this is their person and their territory.
Why does a cat sleep at your feet? There are several reasons.
The first is how cats show their affection and care. Аnimal rubs against its owner, leaving its scent, which scares away other animals.
The second reason is that cats sleep at your feet because they think it’s warm and comfortable there. That way they can pet it and cuddle it.
The third reason is safety. At the end of the bed, the cat can keep everything under control and react quickly to a possible threat.
Why does a cat shiver in its sleep?
During sleep, cats go through two phases: slow and fast. At the initial stage, they begin to fall asleep. Then comes the phase of REM sleep, which is characterized by relaxation of the body, while brain activity remains active. During this period, eye movements, eye twitching or paw twitching may be observed.
Kittens often twitch in their sleep because of the large number of new impressions they receive every day. Kittens’ brains actively process information even during sleep, which can cause muscle contractions. Up to a year and a half, they are considered a physiological norm.
But it is important to distinguish between normal burping and seizures in the form of twisted limbs, convulsions, and various jerks of the paws in animals. In such cases, it is worth contacting a veterinarian.
Cat sleeping positions
If a cat hides its nose in its tail or covers it with its paw while sleeping, it is believed that a cold snap is coming soon. If a cat sleeps curled up, it is calm and comfortable.
When a cat sleeps on its back with its paws spread out, it completely trusts its owner. But when a cat lies on its stomach, with its paws and tail pressed to its body, it is ready for immediate action: escape, attack, or defense.
A cat covering its face with its paws or hiding under a blanket is demonstrating a desire for solitude.
Funny posture – when a cat sleeps in the funniest positions, it means that the animal is doing well. There is nothing wrong with such positions, because cats are naturally flexible.
Even more interesting things about cats:
Joke of the day from the site funster.top:
One cat asks another:
— Hey, why do you look so satisfied?
— Well, my owner finally realized that I’m the boss of the house!
— Seriously? How?
— He bought himself a new couch, but I still sleep on it! 😺😊