How much do cats sleep (hours per day): description of sleep norms for adult cats and kittens

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No matter how hard a person tries to sleep longer, worries, affairs and responsibilities always interfere with him. But there is little that can distract cats from their dreams: on average, 16 hours a day they cause the envy of their owners, namely, they sleep serenely. If you calculate how much cats sleep during their lives, it turns out that they give 70% to sleep, and spend the remaining 30% on getting more tired and going to sleep.

Playing, tracking down prey, mastering new heights on the street or in the apartment - everything uses up a lot of cat energy, which can only be replenished by long and deep sleep.

Sleep standard for cats

To figure out how much sleep cats need, you need to understand that each animal requires a different number of hours of sleep, depending on how much energy is spent during waking hours and the specific characteristics of the cat.

A cat's sleep is intermittent, the cat does not sleep for 12-16 hours in a row, sleep time is replaced by time for active rest. The animal's sleep is very alert; they can wake up from noise and not sleep again, only to soon fall asleep again.

• Newborn kittens sleep differently: they spend all their time near their mother and wake up only to feed.
• Over time, they need much less time to sleep, but kittens sleep less than adult animals.

To understand how much sleep a cat should sleep at an advanced age, you need to analyze the life of elderly cats: over time, it becomes similar to the life of kittens. They spend almost all their time sleeping.

Changing your sleep pattern: when to be wary

Sometimes a cat sleeps all day and starts playing at night, thereby disturbing people. Most predators are nocturnal animals, accustomed to being active in the dark. The most common domestic cat is a distant relative of tigers or panthers. They have similar habits, habits, and behavior patterns.

Material on the topic: everything about the Russian Blue cat breed.

In this case, it is worth adjusting your daily routine. This may take from a couple of days to several weeks. First of all, it is important to follow a diet. Try in every possible way to prevent your pet from sleeping during the day. Often they doze off because they are simply bored.

If a person pays little attention to them and does not play with them, the cat has no outlet for its energy and chooses to simply sleep. It is important to play with her more often, to try to realize her hunting instincts in a playful way. The pet needs to throw out its energy, which will ensure a healthy, sound sleep at night for all family members. Well, what if the fluffy dormouse just likes to take a nap for an hour or two. You shouldn't disturb her.

Sleep norms in adult animals

If you compare how much cats sleep per day and how much time kittens spend sleeping, then the kittens will win. But as they grow older, their sleep patterns change: adult kittens spend a lot of time sleeping, while older kittens are more awake.

• Sleep lasting 20 hours will not be considered a pathology: this means that the animal’s body requires a long rest.
• By the age of 8-10 years, when cats begin to age, the duration of sleep increases.

There are situations when an adult cat begins to sleep little. This indicates possible stress. With prolonged short sleep, cats begin to get sick and rapidly lose weight.

How long does a kitten sleep at 2–3 months?

If the kitten stays with its mother, its day and night routine also depends on her. If he is separated from his mother and found new owners, his daily routine changes. The cub independently distributes its hours of activity. Usually there are 5-6 meals, after which the animal almost immediately falls asleep for 2-3 hours. Only during the daytime the baby sleeps for about 10–15 hours. Don't forget about night sleep, which lasts at least 4-6 hours.

The cub wakes up when it feels hungry or needs to go to the toilet, regardless of the time. If there was not enough food in the bowl or its composition did not contribute to complete saturation, the kitten will also not be able to sleep for a long time. The owner may have to get up early in the morning or in the middle of the night to fill the bowl. The PERFECT FIT™ diet for kittens from 1 to 12 months will help: wet balanced food for healthy growth and development of the kitten, contains OMEGA-3 fatty acid, which is part of the milk of a nursing cat and promotes the development of brain activity and vision of kittens, and dry food for kittens contains balanced levels of calcium and phosphorus, which support healthy bone growth and development. The volume of one feeding is indicated on the package.

Sleep norms in kittens

An older kitten can sleep 22 hours a day. The age of the animal is of great importance: newborns wake up only to feed, two-month-old kittens sleep much less, exploring the environment close to their mother.

Kittens go to sleep after feeding near their mother. This behavior is not an accident. The kitten is warmer near the mother, which promotes sound and restful sleep.

By 4-5 months, a kitten's sleep pattern approaches that of an adult. The duration of sleep in small kittens depends on three components:

1. Hormonal background. It changes in accordance with the age of the animal: it increases in parallel with the growing up of the cat and decreases in old age. Therefore, older cats spend most of their time sleeping, waking up only to eat and go to the toilet.
2. Environment. Nutrition, climatic conditions, sudden change of environment.
3. Neurology. An animal can be calm or excited depending on the individual characteristics of the nervous system.

A favorable psychological environment in the house is also important for a kitten to sleep well. Kittens do not like harsh sounds; an unfavorable atmosphere will lead to the animal having an anxious and restless sleep.

For cats, it is better to purchase beds that will give the animal a sense of security, or special houses.

If a teenage kitten eats poorly, does not take part in games and sleeps a lot, then you should contact a veterinarian.

What else affects sleep duration?

In addition to age, other internal factors, as well as some external ones, influence individual sleep duration. Because of this, pets of the same age require completely different amounts of time to rest.

Satiety

If a cat sleeps peacefully all day, then he does not feel hungry. He uses all this time to digest food. Animals that eat high-protein foods rest especially long.

Physical activity

The energy spent during outdoor games is restored during sleep. But this does not mean that the main couch potatoes are energetic and playful pets. In their case, the time of falling asleep coincides with the end of the game. Having recharged, they are ready for new adventures.

External (including weather) conditions

The calmer, more comfortable and quiet the environment in the room, the easier it is for the animal to fall asleep. Pets sleep the longest when their owners are away. If you install hidden cameras, you can see that the mustachioed pets get up just to drink water.

Sleep duration increases during rainy weather and hot summers. If your pet rests for a long time during the heating season, then dry air is to blame.

Some animals are sensitive to weather conditions. If it’s gray and rainy outside, the pet will sleep almost all the time, except for feeding and going to the toilet.

Breed

The character traits of different breeds are no less important. Persians, Ragdolls, Devon Rexes, Britons and Scots sleep the longest. They are quite lazy and often fall asleep immediately after eating.

More active breeds include Abyssinians, Siberians, Bengals, Siamese, Kurilian Bobtails and Egyptian Mau. Representatives of these breeds love active games with their owner and hunting, so with enough attention they are constantly on the move.

Health status

Representatives of the cat family are good at capturing other people's emotions. A quarrel between beloved owners can cause them great anxiety and worry. When under constant stress during a move or other exciting event, they will hide in secluded places and sleep longer than usual. Also, the reason may lie in the disease.

Animal sleep after anesthesia

Considering how much domestic cats sleep, the pet owner will wonder how long the cat will sleep after sterilization.

In this case, everything is individual: of course, the animal’s body cannot help but react to anesthesia, but some animals tolerate it easily and quickly return to normal, but for some animals it is a difficult ordeal. The same answer with castration - it all depends on the individual characteristics of the body.

In addition to operations, the animal's sleep disturbances will be affected by taking sedatives or antihistamines.

Why do kittens sleep so much?

Perhaps your pet sleeps a lot due to the characteristics of the biological clock or general constitution. For example, Persians or British (Scots) are not very playful and take longer to sleep. Bobtails, Siamese cats or Abyssinians are famous for their activity; they prefer active play to passive rest. But the difference will become noticeable only at the age of six months: until this moment, the need for sleep is approximately the same.

Kittens may sleep longer than usual if the house is unusually noisy: for example, there is a party, or small children have arrived and are constantly trying to play with the pet. When the long-awaited calm and calm comes, the baby will fall asleep to regain strength.

However, there are other reasons for disruption of the daily routine:

1. Unbalanced diet.

Foods devoid of nutrients, regardless of their quantity, will not bring benefits: due to an increase in the volume of lunch or dinner, the body develops an imaginary feeling of fullness.

2. Presence of parasites and infections.

The owner does not always notice other symptoms of disease; in this case, prolonged sleep may be the only sign of illness.

3. Fatigue.

Some family members or acquaintances play with the animal for too long, not allowing it to rest. Then it simply hides from the household and falls asleep.

Usually mischievous and active kittens sleep carefree and soundly for a long time during the day, and at night they begin to run around the house, meow, and scratch furniture. To restore the regime, play with the kitten mainly during the day.

Sleep phases

Pet owners often notice the following picture: a cat could be sleeping soundly, and then suddenly wake up and start running. Cats can rest perfectly in a shallow phase of sleep and suddenly wake up.

Cats have two phases of sleep:

1. Slow phase. It is characterized by low blood pressure, low heart rate, and deep breathing.
2. Fast phase. Characterized by increased heart rate, increased blood pressure and temperature, and movement of the limbs.

About 25% of sleep in adults is occupied by the rapid phase, in older animals - 15%. When an animal spends a long time in sleep, an alternation of phases occurs: The slow phase is allotted about 20-30 minutes, after which the fast phase begins - 5-7 minutes.

After sterilization

It should be noted that after sterilization surgery, the cat does not eat and sleeps all the time; this is a normal state after anesthesia. If this period lasts for 24 hours, then there is nothing to worry about. If a day has passed and the condition does not change, you need to urgently see a veterinarian.

During the first 24 hours, you don’t need to force the cat to get up or wake him up if she doesn’t want to. Just like insisting on food and drink. Give her a little rest, recover, and she will again delight you with her cheerful appearance.

If the anesthesia has not worn off and the cat is not sleeping, gets up and tries to move around the apartment, do not let it out of sight so that it does not accidentally get injured. It’s better to take her in your arms, calm her down, and maybe she’ll fall asleep. Sleep is the best medicine here.

Dreams

Considering how many hours cats sleep, scientists have concluded that cats dream. Dreams occur in the deep phase. They may dream of an active lifestyle: fighting and chasing their own kind, exploring uncharted territory.

• It is assumed that an animal that lives in a favorable psychological environment dreams of games and hunting.
• An animal that does not feel protected may have dreams related to protection.
• There is no evidence that cats dream about people.
• An observant owner can understand by the behavior of the animal in a dream how his pet lives in the house.

Kingdom of Cat Dreams

Healthy, full sleep is no less important for a cat than for a person. This is the basis of her normal psycho-emotional and physical state. Show your pet not only curiosity, but also caring attention - perhaps she needs your help?

In sleep, cats restore energy and emotional state

The meaning of sleep positions

The position in which your cat prefers to sleep has its own meaning:

• on the stomach or on the side - the most common and natural position of a cat’s relaxed body during sleep; the animal is calm and does not experience any problems;
• on the back - a position of special trust; kittens sleep this way more often than adult animals; A cat is only capable of opening its defenseless tummy if it is absolutely sure of its safety;
• curled up - this position indicates that the cat needs some kind of protection; perhaps she is just cold, then she can also hide the tip of her nose in the fur;
• huddled in a secluded place - most likely, your cat is experiencing a certain uncertainty or feeling of discomfort; take a closer look to see if everything is fine with her;
• unusual or unnatural positions that your sleeping pet manages to assume most often indicate the special creativity of his feline personality and satisfaction with life.

Photo gallery: where and how cats sleep

All cats love to sleep with their owner

Sleeping on the stomach is the most natural Position on the side is one of the most common for cats to sleep Curled up in a ball, cats sleep if they need protection Sometimes cats choose places to sleep that are unexpected by our standards

Cats really like positions that are unnatural in our opinion. Cats sleep in a curl to keep warm.

Overtired, cats can fall asleep in any position. If a cat covers its nose with its paw in a dream, it means it is cold. Kittens sleep with their mother almost all day. Kittens mostly sleep on their backs.

Sleep disorders

While in the REM sleep phase, the animal is so deeply immersed in the abyss of dreams and its own experiences that from the outside it can look creepy. Don’t rush to get scared - you, too, don’t always control yourself in a dream.

During REM sleep, a cat may roll its eyes and stick out its tongue.

If you are still concerned about the way your pet sleeps, try to wake him up - although in the REM phase this may not be an easy task. Calm the animal and let it fall asleep again. There is no reason to worry, these are the characteristics of a cat's sleep.

Disturbances in the pet's normal sleep should be of greater concern. Excessively increased sleepiness or chronic lack of sleep is evidence that the animal is sick or is under stress. The consequences of this serious malfunction appear during periods when the cat is awake:

• the animal becomes irritable or, conversely, apathetic;
• appetite destabilizes - the cat begins to eat either too much or refuses food;
• the cat drinks too often and too much;
• The pet's behavior changes dramatically.

Pay attention to how your cat sleeps

An attentive owner will be able to notice these manifestations even before the symptoms of a specific disease make themselves known, and consult a doctor in time, which is very important for the successful treatment of any ailment.

Video: cat sleeps with mouth open

What dreams do cats have?

Cats dream - this is a scientifically proven fact. What do our favorite purrs dream about? French neurophysiologists from the University of Lyon were looking for an answer to this question. Their findings authoritatively confirmed what one could have simply guessed: in their dreams, cats live some kind of parallel lives that differ little from reality.

In dreams, cats live parallel lives

They hunt and simply eat, chase prey and run away from pursuit, fight with enemies and caress their cubs. According to scientists, there are still more positive things in cat dreams than unpleasant moments. But here’s what’s curious: neither cats nor cats ever dream of erotic scenes. Scientists have not yet found an explanation for this.

Video: funny sleeping cats

How cats sleep

There are times when an animal is not comfortable enough to sleep next to its owner, so it looks for a secret place where no one can disturb it.

Ideally, a cat will never exchange sleeping in bed with its owner for something else.

• A cat that is confident in its owner will sleep on his lap, on his back and with his paws outstretched.
• More often, cats choose a place that is slightly higher than the rest. It should be warm and comfortable there.
• Before going to bed, the animal stomps on the chosen place, relaxes its muscles and falls asleep in a short time. Often cats prefer to fall asleep on their owner's things.

When there is cause for concern

Should an owner worry if his pet sleeps too much or too little? Yes, there is cause for alarm if the following warning symptoms are present:

• Lack of appetite;
• Apathy while awake (the animal does not play, does not communicate with the owner, looks depressed);
• Poor condition of the coat (the fur is dull, brittle, falls out a lot, there may be bald patches on the animal’s body);
• Problems with bowel movements (constipation or diarrhea);
• Nausea and vomiting;
• Constantly hot, dry nose (crusts and sores on the nose are also a concern);
• Discharge from the nose or eyes, bad breath;
• Increase or decrease in body temperature;
• Jumps in blood pressure and pulse;
• Change in the usual shade of the mucous membranes (pallor, cyanosis, redness).

If the animal sleeps too much or too little, and at least some of the symptoms listed above are present, the owner urgently needs to show his mustachioed pet to a veterinarian. But if the cat is cheerful, active and eats well while awake, the owner most likely has nothing to worry about.

Sleep disorders

It happens that a cat suddenly stops sleeping the norm and looks tired. The cause may be pregnancy or a sudden change in weather. Often, lack of sleep can be a consequence of illness. Hyperthermia can cause unnatural postures of the animal. Sleeping too much may indicate heart problems.

• Sleep problems can be due to moving, a change of environment, or other stress.
• If the animal begins to sleep more, but play activity has not decreased, then most likely it is due to overeating or temperature conditions. It is necessary to change the animal’s diet and ventilate the room more often.
• If the animal begins to sleep more, plus its play activity has decreased, then it is worth contacting a veterinarian.

An animal's sleep norm may change due to vitamin deficiency, worms, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, obesity and other diseases.

Cats sleeping problems

In cases where a cat, not exceeding its usual sleep norm, suddenly begins to constantly doze off and look drowsy, it is first determined whether this is due to pregnancy or weather conditions (excessive heat or extreme cold). If a cat spends more than 18 hours sleeping, then such drowsiness may come from some kind of disease. A cat's sleeping position can help identify the problem: a frozen posture like a sphinx or attempts to spread its limbs that are unusual for an animal indicate hyperthermia. Also, an excessive amount of sleep is an indicator of the onset of heart problems.

Other sleep disorders include insomnia. Stress caused by moving, the arrival of a new family member, or an influx of guests may be to blame here. Sometimes cats have seizures in their sleep - it’s better to film any oddities and then show it and the animal to a veterinarian.

Getting better sleep

In order to establish normal sleep for your animal, you need to:

1. Improve nutrition.
2. Minimize noise sources.
3. Maintain optimal room temperature.
4. Encourage the animal to be physically active.
5. Do not pet or touch the cat while it sleeps.

Why doesn't the kitten sleep?

Sometimes the reason lies in increased excitability: the animal has been played with a lot, and due to active physical activity it is difficult for him to calm down and fall asleep.

Possible reasons why a kitten doesn't sleep enough:

1. Lack of food.

A newborn or already grown-up cat begins to meow or squeak pitifully: due to unsatisfied needs, he cannot fall asleep.

2. Health problems.

Diseases of the digestive tract and genitourinary system especially affect the daily routine. The animal is bothered by discomfort and pain, and it cannot fully rest.

3. Fleas, other parasites, skin infections.

Due to fungal diseases, allergies and insect bites, the cat sometimes meows plaintively and twitches its paws even in its sleep. Often, severe itching prevents the animal from falling asleep. The pet constantly itches and licks itself.

The animal sleeps less or more when weather conditions or room temperature change. Rainy weather affects pets in the same way as it affects humans: cats begin to stretch listlessly, yawn and doze. If the house is cold, the kitten becomes more active in order to warm up, or looks for a secluded place that is warmer and falls asleep - this is how it saves heat. When the apartment is too hot, the animal's sleep becomes more sensitive and superficial.

If your kitten's daily routine has changed significantly, you should consult a veterinarian. At a veterinary clinic, professionals examine the animal and, if pathology is detected, they will prescribe appropriate treatment. Sometimes you just need to adjust your diet by including the beneficial macro- and microelements necessary for development. But your pet's health problems can be much more serious.

Is a cat always in deep sleep?

If you think your cat is always fast asleep, think again. After all, there's a reason they call it "napping."

According to the researchers, only about 25 percent of a cat's sleep is actually deep sleep, while the remaining 75 percent of the time they are lightly dozing.

Although they still get a lot of rest, they are still alert enough to wake up quickly. Again, this comes from their primal instincts.

To tell if a cat is just dozing, look to see if its eyes are open just a little, and also watch its ears. If their ears twitch and rotate in the direction of the noise, your kitten could come to life at any moment.

Do cats dream and snore?

If you find yourself in bed with your significant other and your kitten and snoring wakes you up, you don't have to blame the other person in the bed. Chances are, your furry feline may be the culprit.

When it comes to cats, snoring occurs when their airways become blocked by the skin near the soft palate. But don't worry, it's nothing serious at all.

While all cats are prone to snoring from time to time, it is most common in short-nosed breeds, including Persian and Himalayan cats.

Besides snoring, cats can also dream simultaneously. Just like people, cats can have good or bad dreams. If you notice your cat's whiskers twitching or her paws moving as if she is walking, they are most likely in the middle of sleep.

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Favorite vacation spots

Cats choose a place to sleep carefully: it should be quiet, comfortable and cozy. It is important for an animal to always have access to its favorite place and know that it will not be disturbed there. That’s why your furry pet often chooses secluded corners for relaxation: armchairs, sofas, beds, and even the shelves of an open wardrobe. Cats usually have several favorite places, which they happily alternate. Despite the careful choice of sleeping place, sometimes pets sleep where they fell asleep after a hearty lunch. For example, on the floor, on the refrigerator or in other unusual places.

Sometimes cats choose unusual places for bed

A cat's dream close to its owner speaks of sympathy and affection. Pets love to settle next to a person while sleeping: at the head of the bed, at the foot of the bed, at arm's length, or on the owner himself. Sometimes, when choosing a place to rest, a cat is guided by the desire to be closer to the warmth, and therefore settles down near the heaters.