Why do cats sleep every day

The author of this article, Wili, has 5 years of experience in raising cats and is a certified cat behavior consultant who is dedicated to providing professional advice to cat-raising families. Are you curious about why your cat seems to be sleeping all day? According to research from the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University in the United States, cats sleep an average of 15 to 20 hours a day, far more than humans. Cats always sleep, mainly for the following reasons.

Increased sleep caused by boredom

Cats, like humans, can feel bored, especially when their owners are out. The American Veterinary Medical Association points out that long periods of boredom not only cause cats to sleep more but can also cause behavioral problems. To relieve cats' boredom, you can turn on the TV to play content that cats like, such as some specially made videos of birds and mice, which can effectively attract cats' attention. Or purchase small toys with strong interactivity, such as feather cat teasers with bells and luminous balls that can roll automatically. If conditions permit, it is a good choice to find a companion of similar age and personality for the cat. When introducing new cats, gradually let them get familiar with each other's smell, such as exchanging items such as cat bed towels first to prevent conflicts. You can refer to the International Federation of Cat Behavior Consultants' Guide to Introducing New Members into Multi-Cat Families. Following the steps can greatly increase the success rate of new members' integration. Some pet behavior experts in the United States have found through long-term observation of multi-cat families that following a scientific introduction process can reduce the probability of conflict between new cats and native residents by more than 60%.

Cats’ unique sleeping patterns

Cats’ sleep consists of light sleep and deep sleep. In the light sleep stage, cats’ eyeballs will move quickly, their body muscles will relax but maintain a certain tension, and they will be sensitive to external stimuli. This is because their brains have not completely entered a resting state. Their bodies may have slight tremors or twitches. Each light sleep usually lasts 20-30 minutes. In deep sleep, their muscles are completely relaxed, and their breathing and heartbeat slow down. This stage is shorter, about 6-7 minutes each time. A cat’s deep sleep time in a day is about 4 hours in total. At this time, the cat’s brain is completely in a resting state, and it is slow to respond to external sounds and touches. They may dream, which is manifested by slight twitching of their limbs or eyeballs. Light sleep and deep sleep are roughly alternating, with 26 minutes of light sleep and 78 minutes of deep sleep. Most of the time, cats are in a transitional state between light sleep and wakefulness, which helps them to be alert to potential dangers at all times. Therefore, we often see cats seemingly sleeping, but they will wake up at the slightest movement. This sleeping pattern was formed by cats in the long process of evolution, which helps them survive better in the wild. American neuroscientists have revealed the neural mechanism of this sleeping pattern in detail through monitoring and research on cats' brain waves, providing a deeper scientific basis for understanding cat sleep.

Cats’ characteristics determine their sleeping habits

Cats belong to the cat family and are nocturnal. The nocturnal nature of cats requires them to sleep a lot during the day to reserve energy for nighttime activities. From the evolutionary history of cats, their ancestors evolved the habit of intermittent sleep in order to adapt to hunting nocturnal rodents. Night is their hunting time. Only when they sleep enough during the day can they have the energy to move at night. If a surveillance camera is installed, you can see the active performance of cats at night. They are good at hunting by tracking, crouching, waiting and pouncing. Except for cheetahs, other cats are nocturnal. Their eye structure is suitable for seeing in low light, and their activity level reaches a peak at dusk and dawn. This characteristic is also clearly reflected in domestic cats. They are more active at night, exploring, playing and even "patrolling" their territory. Research by American animal behaviorists shows that domestic cats are as active at night as wild cats. They patrol their territory, explore new areas and simulate hunting behaviors. Their active time is concentrated between 2 and 4 in the morning.

Bad weather affects sleep

In bad weather, cats may sleep more due to evolution. Because in the wild, bad weather is not conducive to hunting and increases exposure risks. Cats reduce energy consumption through sleep, which is a survival strategy to adapt to the environment. Just like humans like to stay at home to rest on rainy and snowy days, cats will also choose to spend time sleeping in bad weather. From a scientific point of view, low temperature in bad weather may cause cats to have a 15-20% decrease in metabolic rate, and changes in air pressure on rainy days may also cause cats to have mild joint discomfort. Take the manual as an example. As a nocturnal animal of the cat family, when facing harsh grassland and desert environments, it will also adjust its sleep to cope with external changes. Domestic cats have a similar evolutionary logic in this regard, and they reduce the impact of adverse external factors on themselves by increasing sleep time. Citing the results of the joint research project of meteorology and animal behavior in the United States, it is shown that under bad weather conditions such as low temperature and high humidity, cats' activity will be significantly reduced, and sleep time will increase accordingly.

Save energy for playing

Some cats are very clingy and like to play with their owners. After each tired play, they need to rest to recover their strength so that they can play better next time, which shows the intelligence of cats. So when you find that cats go to sleep after playing for a while, don't worry, they are preparing for the next happy time. Cats consume a lot of energy during the play process, and their bodies need time to recover and replenish energy. Generally speaking, cats may need to rest after 15-20 minutes of intense interactive games with their owners. The rest time usually ranges from 1 to 2 hours, after which they will be rejuvenated and ready to play again. American pet nutrition experts point out that cats need food rich in protein and fat to quickly replenish energy after playing to support the next activity.

FAQs

1: My cat's sleep time suddenly becomes longer. Is this normal?

 A sudden change in a cat's sleep time may be caused by a variety of factors. If a cat also has symptoms such as lethargy, loss of appetite, vomiting, or diarrhea, it is recommended to take it to the veterinarian as soon as possible. This may be caused by a disease, such as feline plague, kidney disease, etc. If the cat only sleeps longer, but other aspects such as behavior and diet are normal, it may be due to environmental changes, such as seasonal changes, new furniture in the home, etc., which make it feel more comfortable and increase sleep; it may also be that the amount of play and activity has increased recently, and the body needs more rest to restore physical strength. The American Feline Medical Association recommends that when a cat's sleep time changes abnormally, the owner can first record the cat's daily behavior and diet to provide a reference for veterinary diagnosis.

2: Is there a difference in the sleep time of cats of different ages?

 Yes, there is a significant difference in the sleep time of cats of different ages. Kittens can sleep up to 18-20 hours a day because their bodies are developing rapidly. They need a lot of sleep to support the growth of their bodies and brains. Adult cats generally sleep about 12-16 hours. Older cats, usually those over 7 years old, sleep longer, possibly up to 16-18 hours. This is because as they age, their body functions decline, their metabolism slows down, and they need more sleep to recover. Older cats may also have problems such as joint pain, and sleep can temporarily relieve their discomfort. Research by the American Center for the Study of Older Cat Health shows that providing old cats with soft sleeping mats and a suitable temperature environment can effectively improve their sleep quality.

3: How to tell whether a cat is really sleeping or pretending to sleep?

 When in a state of light sleep (pretending to sleep), the cat's eyeballs will move quickly, and you can observe that its eyelids are slightly trembling; although the body muscles are relaxed, they still maintain a certain tension. At this time, if there is a slight sound or something approaching it, the cat will react quickly, and its ears may move, or it may even open its eyes directly. In deep sleep (real sleep), cats' muscles are completely relaxed, their breathing becomes slow and even, and they are slow to respond to external stimuli. Even if there is a loud noise, they may not wake up immediately, and their bodies will not have obvious small movements. Researchers at the American Animal Sleep Laboratory found through experiments that infrared thermal imaging technology can more accurately determine the sleeping state of cats. The surface temperature of cats will drop slightly during deep sleep.

Understanding these reasons behind cats' sleep can help us take better care of them and create a more comfortable living environment for them.