Who has not seen a cat lying on a sofa where the rays of sunlight pass through the nearest window and give it directly? Well, this situation is so common among all of us who have a feline as a pet that has led us to wonder Why do cats like the sun?

There are many theories and / or myths that say that cats like the sun and that is clear because there is no pussycat who does not like to take it somewhere warm and comfortable, either inside or outside the house, but if you want to discover really why, keep reading this article and you will know immediately why cats like the sun so much.

Benefits of sunbathing for cats

If the cats look for sources of heat in all corners of the house or in the open air it will be for something, and if above this action brings them something good, better than better. Therefore, below we will explain what are the benefits of sunbathing for cats:

Balances your body temperature

Cats are domesticated cats that if they were wild, they would sleep and rest for the day and hunt their prey during the night. By having them as pets, this pace of life no longer corresponds to them, but even so, they usually spend the majority of daylight hours recharging their batteries and sleeping in a warm place where, if possible, they hit the sun’s rays directly. And why is this? That the body temperature of cats, like that of all mammals, decreases while sleeping because when they are still and relaxed, their body does not burn any kind of energy and the caloric expenditure decreases, so they seek to compensate for this difference in temperature and prefer to sleep in hot areas or to be directly hit by the Sun’s rays as in front of windows, balconies or sofas. Because cats also feel the cold.

Source of vitamin D

By all it is known that thanks to the sun king, our skin absorbs the sun’s rays and our body is able to synthesize the vitamin D that we need so that everything the organism work properly, and the same thing happens with cats. The sun’s rays help the cats to get the vitamin D that their body needs but not as much as we would like because, important as it is, it has been shown that cat hair blocks utraviolet rays responsible for this process and that the contribution of this vitamin is negligible compared to other living beings. What does provide the necessary amount of vitamin D to cats is a good diet, so it must be balanced and appropriate to their age.

For pure pleasure

The last but not the least benefit of sunbathing for cats is the pleasure that this activity brings them. And there is nothing else that the kittens like to lie down somewhere warm and comfortable to take a good nap. But what cats really like is not the sun’s rays but the heat source what this brings. Did you know that these animals are able to withstand temperatures up to 50 ºC and adapt to all types of climates, whether cold or warm? Well, how can you not enjoy sunbathing anywhere?

Still, is the sun good for cats?

Yes, but moderately. Although it has been shown that cats can live without the sun, especially when they are domestic cats that live in indoor apartments where they do not directly and never leave the street, our pets will be much happier if they can enjoy of a quiet nod at our feet in the bed or in other warm areas of our house.

Although to cats like the sun, it is necessary to watch and ensure that our kitten does not take it too much, especially in summer and if it is a cat without hair or with little fur, otherwise it could suffer some of these problems or affections:

If you want to read more articles similar to Why do cats like the sun?, we recommend that you enter in our Curiosities section of the animal world.