Why Do Cats Sleep So Much?

Many cat owners have asked, “Why do Cats Sleep So Much?”. Well, for starters, they are what is called “crepuscular”. What that strange word actually means is that their most active hours are from dusk to dawn. These hours are known as the twilight hours. Also, the fact is that they might sleep a lot but then they make up for it when they’re awake by being active and playing a lot.

Generally, cats are sleeping about fifteen hours per day on average. And, older cats and kittens have a tendency toward sleeping even more than those that are average-aged adults. In addition, some cats have been known to sleep as many as 20-hours during a 24-hour period. For some new cat owners, bringing kitty home and finding ou that she’s playing and tearing around the house while they’re sleeping can be a bit of a shock. Cats do tend to get in trouble at night and then once they’ve eaten breakfast, they settle down for a long day of leisurely napping.

The sleep cycle of a cat can also be affected by the weather with their particular behavior varying greatly, based upon age, breed, overall health, and temperament. But, no matter what a cat’s usual disposition might be, they are known for sleeping even more during bad weather. Even indoor cats will sleep more on cold or rainy days, just like us.

Kitties possess a predator’s physiology and they hunt mostly at night just like lions and other large cats. And, even though house cats have become domesticated, they still have a bit of that wildness in them. Just watch your cat as she plays with a toy, like a catnip mouse. She’ll crouch and slink and suddenly pounce on it as if it were real and going to get away. And, all this playing and pouncing can be very tiring work for kitty, calling for a good long nap so that she can build up plenty of reserve energy for more climbing, running, stalking, and pouncing.

Now, over the years, cats have gained an undeserved aloof reputation. This is really an inaccurate assessment that actually has arisen from their habit of sleeping for most of the day. They have even been labeled as “lazy” since they sleep for about 67 percent of their lives but that’s pretty far from being true as well. So, to some people who don’t particularly care for cats, it could appear that they really don’t do anything but they really do. Just think of all the unconditional love they give you. That’s definitely doing something.

So, how much should you expect your cat to sleep? Approximately 16 hours per day appears to be the average, however, don’t forget that kittens and senior kitties will generally sleep quite a bit longer. They will usually sleep approximately 18 hours per day or even more. So, when you see your cat sleeping a lot, there’s absolutely nothing to worry about. She’s just recharging her batteries for another fun day of endless playing and pretending that she’s chasing her prey. Remember, they don’t really know that they’re not big cats in the wild who have to catch their own prey to feed themselves even though they’re just little kitties who have their food served to them on a silver platter.