Why Do Cats Sleep So Much?

If there’s one thing cats are recognized for worldwide, it’s that they sleep a lot. And domestic animals are no exception to this rule. But why do cats sleep so many hours a day?

An adult cat sleeps an average of 14 hours a day, while dogs can sleep up to 20 hours.

This is due to defense mechanisms, although it also depends on the animal’s age, physical activity, the fact that it is in heat and, in the case of female cats, the possibility that it is in the gestation period.

Cats choose their place to sleep according to weather conditions. For example, if the weather is very cold, they look for warmer places.

However, if it’s the other way around and the weather conditions are hot, he will look for a place that stays cool, as he will basically devote 60% of his life to this activity.

Interestingly, larger cats can sleep as much as dogs.

sleep needs

The main reason why a cat needs to sleep so many hours a day is that it is an excellent hunter and has a diet based almost entirely on meat consumption,  even though it doesn’t like anything sweet.

Although domesticated cats don’t have the need to go after their own food, their predatory instinct has not yet disappeared, in part because of their short domestication process.

As the cat is a formidable hunter and, domesticated, does not need to spend so much time dedicating itself to hunting activity, it can spend a large part of that period restoring energy for the moment when it has the need to go in search of prey.

However, hunting isn’t the only reason cats sleep a lot throughout the day. This will vary depending on certain conditions. Here are some of them:

• Wild cats, such as tigers or lions (especially lionesses), sleep fewer hours than domestic cats, as they need to devote much of their time to hunting.
• By sleeping long hours, they help conserve energy, preventing muscle and organ wasting. Although domestic cats are not subjected to as much physical wear and tear, they retain the characteristics of their predecessors, which is one of the reasons for their longevity.

• Kittens sleep many hours a day also to ensure their survival, as this way they keep safe inside the nest while their mother goes out to get food. Thus, they are out of danger of being attacked by predators and avoid suffering accidents because they are wandering far from the nest.
• Completing the previous point, puppies release hormones that allow their growth  just when they are sleeping. In this way, the activity is extremely beneficial to him.
• Sleeping in the sun or in a warm place helps them conserve even more energy as it prevents them from wasting what they’ve accumulated to keep warm.

A cat that gets bored or stressed and doesn’t find ways to release or channel those feelings, will choose to sleep even longer.

That’s why it ‘s important to spend a little time with your pets and play with them. This stimulates them and helps them release stress.

• One thing that affects cats’ sleep stages is the period when they are in heat, as at this time they devote a great deal of time to marking their territory and looking for a mate. This includes having to fight other cats for the female’s attention and the privilege of breeding. And, in the case of girls, having to make themselves noticed by the males.
• Cats sleep in positions that sometimes seem very awkward. They can, for example, sleep sitting up, with parts of the body suspended in the air, twitching, etc.
• The cat’s sleep cycle, contrary to popular belief, is very short. It is characterized by light sleep and short naps, which can alternate with periods of deep sleep at times of lesser activity.