Every species on the planet needs their beauty sleep to rejuvenate themselves for the next day. Good sleep can do wonders and makes one feel fit and active the following day. Depending on the age group, the time required for sleeping differs. Young kittens and puppies sleep longer hours than adults in their species. When compared to human adults, who require eight hours of sleep, cats sleep twice the amount. Even dogs sleep less than cats. Read on further to know why do cats sleep so much.
Why Do Cats Sleep So Much?
You might catch your cat dozing off anytime, anywhere, and wonder why is my cat sleeping so much and if this sleep pattern is normal. It is normal and natural for cats to sleep anywhere. Cat sleeps all day around 15 to 20 hours a day, which is double the ideal amount we humans should sleep. Cats are most energetic during dawn and dusk. You can see them having a sound sleep for the rest of the hours.
#1 Preying and Rejuvenation
Cats are the only domesticated species in the feline family and still have preying skills and urges. They are most active during dawn and dusk due to hunting and the availability of prey. This is the same for other crepuscular felines like panthers. They sleep to keep their bodies cool during the daytime. Cats can be adjustable to any time, so if you are playing with them at times they are supposed to sleep, they can work around it.
#2 Weather
How much do cats sleep also depends upon the weather as well. Weather variation could also make a cat active or drowsy during the day. While cloudy and drizzly weather can give your cat get some shut-eye.
#3 Boredom in Cats
When there isn’t much to do, they ought to sleep. To reduce that boredom in cats, try indulging them with toys, building them a shelf to perch on, or doing some activity to keep them on their toes.
#4 Cat Nap
They might seem asleep, but they might not have slept when you thought they were. Cats lie down in a manner that they can plunge into action if any sudden changes happen in their surroundings. They also have different stages of sleep and while sleeping cats are in a deep sleep for about 5 minutes. The rest of the time, they waver between different stages of sleep. They mostly sleep light.
#5 Obesity in Cats
Overfeeding or obesity in cats could be another reason they are oversleeping. Most of them are left alone while their pet parents are at work. This allows them to have their food bowl at any time. Feeding a clean and healthy weight loss food for cats, three to four times daily is essential.
How Long Do Cats Sleep?
How long do cats sleep? An average cat sleeps 15 hours, up to 20-22 hours. Sleep time differs according to age; for example, kittens sleep more than adult cats.
- Kittens sleep off an entire day, occasionally waking up for feeds.
- Adolescent cats have varying sleep patterns as they constantly evolve and adjust to their external environment. They are erupting with bursts of energy.
- When cats become adults, their sleeping time is established and predictive. They can sleep somewhere between 12 to 22 hours.
- Senior cats sleep more than younger cats as they are weary, have restricted mobility, or have health issues.
When Should I Be Concerned About Cats Sleeping?
Is my cat sleeping too much? One must know their cats sleeping pattern to get a definite answer. If you notice a sudden loss of sleep or oversleeping than usual, that might be something due to an underlying health condition. There are various reasons for oversleeping or undersleeping. Pain, depression, and hyperthyroidism in cats are some of the major causes.
Conclusion
Seeing your cat sleep for more hours than we do is quite common and natural. It is not an alarming sight unless it is out of an ordinary sleep pattern. If noticing any deviation in cat sleeping positions, inability to sleep, or oversleeping, bring this to the notice of a vet and seek medical aid. Cats can sleep for longer hours but only enter deep or rapid sleep for less than ten minutes. Disturbing their sleep or while they are preying should not be done as they will adjust to this new pattern if this happens often.