I often get jealous seeing my kitty sleeping all day. What a life! He can snooze whenever he wants and God knows for how long. As a newbie in cat keeping, parents often get scared seeing their felines sleeping all day. At a point, they start worrying if something is wrong.
Before getting a kitty, you must research several things. For example, how many hours do cats sleep? Or how much sleep is normal for the felines? This is a fundamental question each parent should know. In this article, I will share the amazing facts regarding a cat’s snoozing.
How Many Hours Do Cats Sleep?
The sleeping hours of a cat is actually astonishing compared to humans. According to a study, a feline spends 40 to 65 percent of its time snoozing. In 24 hours, your little pet will sleep 9 to 20 hours depending on its age and health condition. A young cat snoozes almost 15 hours a day.
If it is a cold and grey or a drizzly day, the feline will sleep even longer. A comfortable warm bed is all they need. If you wake your pet up, it will snooze off sitting upright.
These long sleeping hours are actually healthy and normal for cats. Do not get surprised if you find your cat taking a nap after a long night’s sleep. It is just how felines keep a balance between everything.
How Many Hours Do Kittens Sleep?
A kitten sleeps more than a mature cat. Studies show that a newborn kitten will spend 90 percent of its day sleeping. It means a kitten sleeps around 22 hours in 24 hours. But these long sleep only last for the first 6 months. Then the baby gets back to 20 hours or less sleeping schedule.
Why Do Cats Sleep So Much?
Now you know the answer to, “How many hours do cats sleep?” You are probably thinking about the reasons behind this long sleep. Well, there is a solid factor that makes your furry ball sleep 12 to 20 hours a day. I am giving a brief discussion below:
Cats are considered crepuscular animals. It means they have a tendency of being most active between dusk to dawn. Why? Well, you know your pet felines have been domesticated not long ago. Before that, the cats used to live in the wild and do everything for their survival. It includes fighting or protecting themselves against predators or hunting.
The felines used to guard the youngs and kittens from any outside danger. At the same time, they will keep a sharp eye on the surrounding in search of food. As they had to spend the whole night guarding, the cats used to sleep the whole day.
This habit has been passed down to domestic cats. They stay active during the night. You will find your kitty playing, meowing, or punching at midnight. And when the sun is up, the feline will fall in deep sleep. And it will probably snooze all day.
Do Cats Sleep At Night?
I guess I have already given your answer. Cats prefer playing or doing all activities during the night time. But it does not mean you can not make your feline sleep at night. In most cases, the owners have to train the kitties to fit in the human schedule. It is because no one wants the pouncing, prowling, and jumping all night long, right?
So, how to get a cat to sleep at night? You need to play with the cats or let them play until they seem tired. Hold their meals until it is bedtime. Like humans, felines also want to rest after dinner. So, feed the pets and they will go to sleep pretty soon.
If your cat sleeps all day, this training will not be effective. You have to wake the pet up between its day sleep and encourage it to play. The kitty might wake at midnight and come to you for food. You can buy a timed feeder that will help you with this. Continue the routine for several days and your feline will get used to the human sleeping schedule.
Are Cats Deep Sleepers?
Cats sleep for 9 to 20 hours, right? But do they always stay in deep sleep? The scientists have observed the cats sleep. According to them, cats are light sleepers in most cases. They claim that 25 percent sleep of a cat is considered deep sleep. The rest 75 percent is the time when your cat takes a nap or dozes sitting on the couch.
I have mentioned above that felines have a wild instinct of protecting them. So, they keep their senses awake most of the time. How will you know if your cat is in deep or light sleep? The observers claim a light sleeper will keep its eyes a bit open, its ears will twitch and rotate towards the nose.
Do Cats Have Dreams?
You dream while sleeping, right? So, why not your pets? Even a few decades back, scientists were not so sure about cats and dreaming. But recently, scientists have claimed that felines do have dreams while sleeping.
Usually, humans dream when they enter the REM stage. At that time, the brain can send an eclectic message. The scientists approached the same experiment with the cats. The testing device had picked low electric signals from the feline’s brain. The wave and their rapid eye movements during sleep prove that these little balls can dream.
If you ask what the cats dream of, I can not tell for sure. Because the pets do not keep a journal, right? But experts suggest they dream of the daily stuff like hunting, having favorite meals, playing with the owner, etc. Even the felines may have nightmares too.
So, how many hours do cats sleep? Or why do they sleep this much? It is totally normal for the pets to sleep for 20 hours or more. The older the kitties get, the more sleep they need.
