How Many Hours Does a Cat Sleep? Vet-Reviewed Info & FAQ
If it looks as if your cat sleeps rather a lot, it’s in all probability as a result of it’s true. Cats love nothing greater than having just a few cat naps all through their day. The common variety of hours a cat sleeps a day will fluctuate relying on a number of various factors, together with their age and breed. Nevertheless, 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 actually 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, when 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 amount of sleep.
Common Hours of Sleep for Kittens and Cats
The quantity of sleep a cat will get in a day can fluctuate relying on their age. On the whole, younger kittens are likely to sleep greater than grownup cats. They’ll sleep for about 20 hours a day.2 Through 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 vital 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 varied components 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 signifies 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 helpful for survival as a result of it allows cats to get relaxation with out falling into deep sleep and being simple prey for pure predators. Within the wild, cats may even devour a whole lot of vitality throughout their waking hours as a result of they’re often looking for prey. They’ve to interact in strenuous actions, like climbing bushes and pouncing. So, it’s vital for them to get sufficient relaxation in between to have the ability to have sufficient vitality for his or her subsequent hunt.
You might also discover that your cat is most lively throughout dawn and sundown. It is 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 vital to familiarize your self together with your cat’s sleep patterns. Whereas cats do sleep much more than most people, generally they might sleep an excessive amount of. Typically, cats will oversleep in the event that they’re bored and under-stimulated. Boredom is a big wellness concern, as bored cats are prone to growing behavioral points, together with destruction, over-grooming, and melancholy. It’s vital for cats to get loads of train, psychological stimulation, and social interplay each day to maintain them completely happy and wholesome.
Typically, elevated sleep can point out an underlying well being concern or an damage. Injured cats could sleep or relaxation extra to recuperate from their damage and since they’ve misplaced some mobility. Many well being points, corresponding to hyperthyroidism, diabetes, most cancers, kidney illness, coronary heart illness, and liver illness, may also trigger elevated sleep or adjustments in sleep patterns.
In the event you 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 exams 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 getting older.
Conclusion
Cats spend about half their day napping or sleeping. Their sleep is often distributed at varied components of the day, and it’s frequent for them to nap after they’ve expended their vitality from exercising or taking part in. Since sleep patterns will help you retain monitor of your cat’s well being, make certain to keep watch over your cat’s sleeping habits. This may assist you to behave as shortly as potential in the event that they want veterinary care.
Featured Picture Credit score: Garna Zarina, Shutterstock
