Cats spend a great deal of their time sleeping. The average cat sleeps for 13-18 hours a day. The exact number can change according to the cat's age and personality. Cats that spend the day alone at home tend to sleep throughout the day.
In other words, your kitty spends approximately 2/3 of its life snoozing.
Newborn kittens spend most of their time sleeping. In fact, this is nature's way to make sure that the kittens do not wander out of the nest, or make noise that might attract predators while the mother cat is away. As the weeks pass, the kittens' sleeping hours gradually change to match those of the adults.
Like humans, cats go through both Rapid Eye Movement (REM) and non-REM sleep, and just like a person, your cat dreams during REM sleep. During REM sleep, you may notice your cat's whiskers twitch, their eyes move behind their eyelids or their paws quiver. The cat's non-REM deep sleep is when the cat's body grows and repairs itself.
Most cats, particularly house cats, do a lot of their sleeping at night, or during the heat of the day. Cats are not really considered "nocturnal", but are "crepuscular", meaning they are most active at dawn and dusk (prime hunting periods).
When do cats sleep?
Most cats, particularly house cats, do a lot of their sleeping at night, or during the heat of the day. Cats are not really considered "nocturnal", but are "crepuscular", meaning they are most active at dawn and dusk (prime hunting periods).
When do cats sleep?
Being nocturnal predators, cats tend to sleep during the day and keep awake during the night. However, you can influence your cat's sleeping times. If you provide plenty of stimuli during the day, in the form of cat toys or a companion cat, the cat is more likely to keep awake during the day and then spend the night sleeping. If you wish to reduce your cat's nightly activities, you might try to spend some time with her, playing some interactive games to tire her out before bedtime.
The following poem is a wonderful description of a cat's evening slumber:
A Cat's Prayer
Now I lay me down to sleep,
The king-size bed is soft and deep...
I sleep right in the center groove
My human can hardly move!
I've trapped her legs, she's tucked in tight
And here is where I pass the night
No one disturbs me or dares intrude
Till morning comes and "I want food!"
I sneak up slowly to begin
My nibbles on my human's chin.
She wakes up quickly, I have sharp teeth -
And my claws I will unsheath
For the morning's here and it's time to play
I always seem to get my way.
So thank you Lord for giving me
This human person that I see.
The one who hugs me and holds me tight
And sacrifices her bed at night.
~ Author Unknown ~
