Why does a cat always sleep?

Sleep and time of day

The ancestors of modern cats were solitary predators and never strayed into packs. Their lifestyle was appropriate: they caught prey, ate and rested. Domestic cats also like to sleep, even though they do not chase prey. Unless those that live in country houses: they need to protect their territory from other cats and catch mice. Accordingly, they have less time to rest than their “apartment” counterparts.

No matter how much cats sleep, they do it, as a rule, during the day, and at night they lead an active lifestyle. It is unlikely that it will be possible to remake a pet in its habits, and there is no point in this, but it is also not worth adapting to it.

It is enough to feed the cat once at dawn, so that she begins to demand breakfast again and again at this time of day, therefore, if you do not want to become a hostage to her desires, you should not initially follow her lead.

Sleep and age

A newborn kitten sleeps almost all the time, taking breaks only for food. Growing up, he begins to crawl around his mother, take his first steps and explore the world around him, and the duration of sleep, accordingly, is reduced. Kittens at the age of 4-5 months sleep an average of 12-14 hours, the rest of the time they spend on food and games. The older the pet becomes, the more time he spends on rest. True, older cats sleep less than middle-aged cats. Their lifestyle is not so mobile, and their metabolism is slow, so they do not need much rest.

Sleep and its phases

A cat’s rest can be divided into two phases: non-REM sleep and REM sleep. The first phase is a nap, during which the pet lies quietly, his heartbeat and breathing are slow, but if you look closely, you can see that in fact he instantly opens his eyes if something happens, and reacts vividly to strange sounds. In this state, the cat is about half an hour. The second phase – REM or deep sleep – lasts only 5-7 minutes. During deep sleep, the cat may twitch its paws and ears, make some sounds. It is believed that it is at this moment that cats can dream, since the phases of sleep that replace each other coincide with those of humans.

Sleep and external factors

Sometimes a cat’s sleep pattern changes. As a rule, adjustments are made by nature. For example, during hot or, conversely, rainy weather, the duration of sleep increases. A cat expecting offspring also sleeps more: pregnancy is a complex process that takes a lot of energy and requires a lot of rest. But during the period of sexual activity, unsterilized and uncastrated pets, on the contrary, sleep less.

25 2017 June

Updated: 29 March 2018