Is Your Cat Sleeping Too Much?

Cat Sleeping

Felines are famous for their habit to sprawl somewhere and be in no hurry to get up unless they hear that distinctive food bowl sound. But what amount of deep sleep and napping is normal and how much sleep is too much? When is it time to worry about your kitty’s rest patterns? Let’s find out.

As cats are predators, their healthy sleep should be no less than 13-16 hours per day, as they need to conserve energy for hunting. Thus cats spend about 2/3 of their lifetime snoozing.

The amount of time a kitty sleeps depends on a variety of factors:

  • age
  • breed
  • hunger
  • sense of security
  • weather
  • room temperature
  • health
  • sexual influences
  • body weight

To recognize if your cat’s sleeping habits are “normal”, let’s figure out how much sleep is “normal” for different ages.

Cat Sleeping Habits

Kittens:

Kittens, like newborn babies, tend to sleep much more than adult cats (about 90% of the day – up to 20-22 hours). It can be reasonably explained by the fact they need a lot of energy for growing up.

Their activity time is rare but intense: they explore, play, jump, run a lot, often it happens during the late night hours, which is not the same fun for their owners.

Be concerned: if a kitten sleeps all day and has other symptoms like a rapid change of the rest pattern, poor appetite, fatigue, lethargy – you’d better take it to the vet ASAP.

Adult Cats:

An average adult cat sleeps about 15-18 hours a day and usually adjusts to the daily rhythms of the household. Breed and temper of an individual cat affect the activeness of its lifestyle, and eventually, the amount of sleep.

Just like with kittens, there are reasons to worry if your cat sleeps all day only if this pattern is unusual for your pet, or if there are some other symptoms too.

Elderly Cats:

Senior cats, like older people, need to sleep and nap more than young and adult cats. They tend to look for a cozy, soft, and comfy place for their snoozing. They sleep more than 20 hours a day (like kittens), but their wake time is not as intense and active.

It’s a reason to worry and visit a vet if your elderly cat begins sleeping less than it used to.

Reasons for Cats Sleeping All Day: Determining a Problem

Numerous surveys have been done to discover the reasons for cats sleeping so long. Scientists watched the pets, connected them to special equipment, monitoring their conditions and body changes to give you the answer. So, here’s the list of the most frequent causes that are not inborn:

Boredom

Especially for indoor cats, which don’t have much natural interaction and stimulation, boredom is a common reason. Make sure that your pet has plenty of cat toys, scratching posts, climbing trees, and other interesting stuff that will keep a cat active and alert.

Weather

Yes, humans are not the only ones affected by the rapid weather changes. On cold, dark, wintry days, your feline will probably sleep longer than on warm sunny days.

When Is It Time to Worry?

In some cases, the fact your cat sleeps all day can be a signal of sickness. Any type of disease may change a cat’s sleeping pattern, so if you’ve noticed any of these symptoms along with excessive sleeping behavior, take your pet to a vet:

  • vomiting
  • changes in eating and drinking patterns
  • pale gums (sign of anemia)
  • lethargy and depression
  • fever

Remember that the duration of sleeping time is individual for every feline, and if your kitty is as active as usual and doesn’t have any signs of illness, just let a sleeping kitty lie! Love to nap is their nature – so let them decide how much sleep is too much.

Written by Linda Mathews https://catspurfection.com/

 

Share This:Share on Facebook0Tweet about this on TwitterPin on Pinterest0Email this to someone

About author View all posts

admin

admin

Allivet.com, Trusted Pet Pharmacy Since 1992.
Allivet.com supplies everything from prescription, non-prescription medication for farm and companion animals, pet medication, pet flea control, pet vitamins, veterinarian diagnostic devices, equine supplements & medications, equine performance products, equine vaccines, and much more at highly affordable prices.

Leave a Reply