How many hours does a cat sleep a day?

If you envy your cat for the amount of hours he spends sleeping every day do not worry, you’re not the only one! Whether on his bed, on a chair, under the sun, on the computer and in the strangest and most surprising places, sometimes even of uncomfortable appearance, the cat is an expert when it comes to selecting the ideal place to take a nap, and invest in it a lot of your time.

Although it seems incredible, the organism of the cat needs all that rest to be healthy. Are you curious to know how much time your cat spent in the arms of Morpheus? Then do not miss this article, where we explain you how many hours a cat sleeps a day.

Born to sleep?

By having a litter of newborn kittens at home you will quickly see that they spend a lot of time sleeping, which in principle can generate doubts in first-time human “parents”. However, if the kittens wake up to eat and be washed by their mother, then you have nothing to worry about.

During the first days of life, and until the 4 or 5 week, the feline pups sleep around the 90% of the day, which translates into 20 daily hours of sleep. Is all this time of rest necessary? The reality is that yes, because while the kittens are sleeping, the hormone that stimulates growth, so that many hours of sleep mean a full development in the stipulated period.

Although they sleep, the kittens do not remain completely inactive. It is not uncommon to observe them in a deep sleep, during which they move their delicate paws, stretch the still helpless claws or shake their bodies. Of puppies, these movements correspond to the exercise necessary for the correct development of the child.

Starting the fifth week, the puppies drastically reduce their sleep hours, getting to invest approximately 65% of the time in sleep. You will notice that the remaining hours take advantage of them not only by playing and feeding, but also by snooping around and making mischief.

How many hours does an adult cat sleep?

After the fifth week and before the first year of life, the puppies sleep only that 65% of the time that we already indicated. However, when they reach adulthood the average of hours of sleep increases again, dedicating it to this between the 70 and the 75%, that is, some 15 or 16 hours a day. The time to reach adulthood is usually after completing the first year in most of the felines home, although due to the facets of growth of certain breeds can even take a little more time.

Despite these long periods of rest, the adult cat does not sleep the 16 indispensable hours with a single pull, but you will easily notice that it performs numerous naps throughout the day, of which it is easy to wake him up, and that he enjoys in different spaces of the house, all for finding comfort. In addition to these naps, the cat goes through stages of deep sleep once or twice a day

And the elderly?

The “third age” and the feline old age are calculated with slight differences for the races, although once exceeded twelve years most of them are considered as older adults. Surely it is difficult for you to believe this because many times you will not notice any significant change in the external appearance of the feline, but little by little your habits will become more sedentary and your personality will be more peaceful, despite retaining the same adorable features. Only in very old cats (around the 15 and 18 years) or very sick cats there is considerable external deterioration.

The decrease in physical activity translates into an increase in sleep hours, so during the elder stage your cat will sleep more hours, which will occupy between an 80 and an 90% of your dayIe of 18 to 20 hours, very similar to when I was a puppy.

Why do cats sleep so much?

There is no unanimous agreement on the reason that cats spend so many hours sleeping, although most studies are flattering for them in this regard, because they indicate that cats have the luxury, even in nature, of sleeping because they are good hunters and they get their food much faster than other species. To make matters worse, in winter they prefer to rest for longer to lose the least amount of body heat possible, which is why they also look for the warmest places to rest. This custom, or instinct, has not left them in the comfortable life of the house cat.

Another reason why a cat sleeps many hours is because he is bored or spends too much time alone a day. While you’re not at home, it’s normal for you to take a nap, but when you arrive you continue your lethargic attitude. play more with him and entertain him, always without interrupting his time of natural sleep, because the lack of it brings Behavior and stress problems. If you have another partner at home, like another pet, you can have fun together when you are not, receiving the ideal doses of stimulation and sleep.

Many people believe that cats are clearly nocturnal animals and that’s why they sleep during the day, but the truth is that this is not true, because your cat also sleeps during the night!

What are the phases of feline sleep?

As we already told you, the cat’s dream is divided into a series of naps and a stage of deep sleep. Naps are usually fast, the cat remains relaxed but at the same time is alert to what happens around him, so he wakes up easily. If there is nothing to lift him up and he continues with his sleep, he enters the REM sleep or deep sleep, during which it is possible to observe movement in the extremities or even through the closed eyelids, which has allowed to conclude that in this stage the felines are able to dream and to perceive stimuli that come from the outside (like the smell of their delicious food) and react to them as if they were awake (move your nose to sniff it better).

As you can see, the long hours your cat spends sleeping are completely normal. They become a sign of concern if your cat sleeps too much, does not get up at any time to eat, drink, relieve themselves and / or play with you.

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