If it looks like your cat sleeps so much, it’s most likely as a result of it’s true. Cats love nothing greater than having a number of cat naps all through their day. The typical variety of hours a cat sleeps a day will range relying on a number of various factors, together with their age and breed. Nonetheless, wholesome grownup cats can sleep from wherever between 12 to 16 hours a day.1
Cats have completely different sleeping habits than people, and it could take new cat house owners a while to get used to them. Getting sufficient sleep is significant to a cat’s well being and well-being. So, should you’re ever involved about your cat’s sleeping schedule, seek the advice of your veterinarian to find out in case your cat’s getting simply the correct quantity of sleep.
Common Hours of Sleep for Kittens and Cats
The quantity of sleep a cat will get in a day can range relying on their age. Normally, younger kittens are likely to sleep greater than grownup cats. They’ll sleep for about 20 hours a day.2 In the course of the hours they’re awake, they’re often extraordinarily lively, curious, and playful.
By the point a kitten reaches younger maturity, they require much less sleep and can sleep between 12 to 16 hours. The variety of hours they sleep will improve once more once they begin to attain their senior life stage. Senior cats are likely to sleep extra and transfer round much less, particularly as they begin to expertise mobility loss and different age-related well being points.
It’s essential to notice that cats don’t sleep for a number of consecutive hours at a time all through the day. They often sleep for slightly over an hour and can have interaction in some form of exercise earlier than taking one other nap. Their sleep is damaged up at numerous elements of their day, and the cumulative quantity of sleep they get per day provides as much as about 12 to 16 hours.
Why Do Cats Sleep So A lot?
Cats and people have completely different sleep patterns. Most people are monophasic sleepers, which implies that we’ll sleep for one lengthy interval, usually at night time. In distinction, cats are polyphasic sleepers. Because of this they sleep for shorter durations of time all through the day and night time.
It’s believed that polyphasic sleeping is useful for survival as a result of it permits cats to get relaxation with out falling into deep sleep and being straightforward prey for pure predators. Within the wild, cats may even eat numerous power throughout their waking hours as a result of they’re often attempting to find prey. They’ve to interact in strenuous actions, like climbing timber and pouncing. So, it’s essential for them to get sufficient relaxation in between to have the ability to have sufficient power for his or her subsequent hunt.
You might also discover that your cat is most lively throughout dawn and sundown. It’s because they’re crepuscular animals, and these instances of day are once they naturally really feel energized and able to hunt and discover.
When to Be Involved
Since sleep is important to your cat’s well-being, it’s essential to familiarize your self together with your cat’s sleep patterns. Whereas cats do sleep much more than most people, typically they could sleep an excessive amount of. Typically, cats will oversleep in the event that they’re bored and under-stimulated. Boredom is a big wellness problem, as bored cats are inclined to creating behavioral points, together with destruction, over-grooming, and despair. It’s essential for cats to get loads of train, psychological stimulation, and social interplay day by day to maintain them glad and wholesome.
Typically, elevated sleep can point out an underlying well being problem or an harm. Injured cats might sleep or relaxation extra to recuperate from their harm and since they’ve misplaced some mobility. Many well being points, comparable to hyperthyroidism, diabetes, most cancers, kidney illness, coronary heart illness, and liver illness, can even trigger elevated sleep or adjustments in sleep patterns.
For those who discover any sudden adjustments in your cat’s sleep patterns, it’s finest to seek the advice of your veterinarian. Your veterinarian can full a bodily examination in your cat and run further diagnostic assessments to diagnose any underlying well being points that could be inflicting sleep. They’ll additionally let you understand if the elevated sleep is solely attributable to growing older.
Conclusion
Cats spend about half their day napping or sleeping. Their sleep is often distributed at numerous elements of the day, and it’s widespread for them to nap after they’ve expended their power from exercising or taking part in. Since sleep patterns might help you retain monitor of your cat’s well being, be certain to keep watch over your cat’s sleeping habits. This can make it easier to to behave as shortly as doable in the event that they want veterinary care.
Featured Picture Credit score: Garna Zarina, Shutterstock
