Why Do Cats Sleep A Lot Of Time A Day?

Something for which cats in general are recognized worldwide is because they sleep a lot and our domestic cats do not escape from this, but why do cats sleep so many hours a day? .

An adult cat sleeps an average of 14 hours a day, while puppies can sleep up to 20. This is due to defense mechanisms, although it also depends on the age, the physical activity of the animal, if it is in the stage of zeal and cats, if it is gestating.

Cats choose their place to sleep depending on the weather conditions,  for example, if there is a very cold climate they will look for warm places, if on the contrary it is a warm climate, they will do it in a place that remains cool, dedicating basically 60% of your life to this activity. Curiously, older cats can sleep as much as puppies.

Needs for sleep

The main reason why the cat sleeps so many hours a day is because it is an excellent hunter with a carnivorous diet almost entirely, hence they do not taste sweet. Although domestic cats do not have the need to provide their own food, their predatory instinct has not disappeared, in part due to their short domestication process.

As the cat is a formidable hunter, you should not spend so much time hunting, therefore you can spend much of your time replenishing energy for the moment when you need to go in search of prey.

However, hunting is not the only reason that cats sleep a lot during the day and this will vary depending on certain conditions. Let’s look at some of these:

• Wild cats, for example tigers or lions (especially lionesses), sleep fewer hours than domestic cats,  because they must spend a certain part of their time hunting.
• By sleeping for many hours they help to conserve energy, avoiding muscle and organ wear, despite the fact that domestic cats are not subjected to so much physical wear, they retain the characteristics of their predecessors. This being one of the reasons for its longevity.
• Puppy kittens sleep so many hours a day also due to a survival phenomenon, as in this way they are kept safe inside the nest, while the mother goes out to get food. Thus they are out of danger from predators and avoid accidents due to wandering far from the nest.

• Following the previous point, the kittens release the hormones that allow their growth, precisely when they are sleeping, in this way the activity is extremely beneficial for them.
• Sleeping in the sun or in a hot place helps them conserve even more energy, since they avoid having to spend it on staying warm.

A cat that suffers from boredom or stress and cannot find ways to release or channel these feelings will choose to sleep longer. Therefore, it is important to spend a little time with pets and play with them. This stimulates them and helps them release stress.

• Something that affects the sleep periods of cats is when they are in heat, since they spend a large part of their time marking the territory and looking for a mate. This includes having to fight with other cats for the female’s attention and the privilege of reproducing and, on the female’s part, getting noticed by male cats.

• Cats sleep in positions that are sometimes very curious. For example, they may sleep sitting up, with parts of their body suspended in the air, doing contortions, etc.
• The cat’s sleep cycle, contrary to popular belief, is very short. It is characterized by light dreams and short naps, which can be alternated with periods of deep sleep at times of less activity.