Felines are known for loving to sleep a lot. They sleep during the day and have fun during the night. Entirely opposite from humans. However, less is known about cats true sleeping habits and their need to nap.

Regardless of the reason that may lie behind, it looks like as if they are prompt to fall asleep any place, any time, and most importantly, under any circumstances.

Is It Normal For Cats To Sleep All The Time

It is known that cats sleep a lot, but the main question is, why they sleep so much? And also, is there anything happening in their heads when they sleep? Do they dream? Moreover, do they have their own sleeping cycles, just like humans do?

Long story short, yes. Cats have their own sleeping cycles and certain set of sleeping habits. People often forget that cats are predators and that they need a lot of rest so they can be prompt when it comes down to hunting.

And frankly speaking there is always something to be hunted. A fly passing by, lost lizard or something even bigger if your feline is an outdoor cat.

Basically, cats sleep a lot because they need to save energy for hunting. After all, it takes a lot to catch prey. Therefore, they nap. Even if your cat spends the most of her day scratching furniture, she needs to rest.

Cats Nap

When it comes to napping it’s just something that is strictly reserved to the cats. As a feline owner you have probably noticed that, although it seems like she is sleeping, your cat’s ear will always be turned toward a sound. They are always alert and ready to go.

But, how much sleep does a cat need per day?

Cat Sleeping Habits

Just like humans do, cats need a different amount of sleep during each life stage. Kittens need more sleep, just like human babies, when compared to the adult stage of life.

Cat Sleeping Habits: Kittens

Kittens need a lot of sleep. They need to sleep more than adults. Kittens spend their time exploring the world around them and discovering everything. Therefore, in order to do so, they run out of energy eventually.

On the other hand, they simply use a lot of energy by growing every day. Shockingly, they can spend around 90% of the day sleeping. Kittens that are between 8 to 12-week-old can sleep even for a 20 hours per day.

Again, it all depends on how active they are. Highly active kittens may sleep longer.

Excellent: if your kitten is extremely active and has a fun-filled day of exploring, running and having fun he may need more sleep. Play helps them with muscle development. Active kitten means healthy kitten.

Problem: But, if your kitten sleeps almost all the time and seems uninterested in her surroundings she may be sick or bothered with some underlying problem. Make sure that you visit a veterinarian as soon as possible.

Cat Sleeping Habits: Adult Cats

Kitten phase passes so fast, and your kitten is an adult cat in no time. Although you may think that your cat may be sleeping even more as an adult cat, trust us, that’s just not the case.

In reality, adult cats sleep between 15 to 18 hours per day. Furthermore, on rainy days cat will sleep much longer, than on a sunny one. Also, her sleeping habits may depend on the habits of the household.

Next, feline’s are great in balancing things, so what easily can happen is the fact that they will adapt their sleeping schedules to their people. Flexible furry beings. Bear in mind that if your cat is active during the day she will have more naps.

Excellent: Extremely active cat, more naps. If your cat sleeps more during the cold and windy days, that’s just fine.

Problem: If you notice a sudden problem in behavior, including sleeping it can mean that there is a reason to be worried. If she starts sleeping longer or having new sleeping schemes, you can rest assured that those changes are a sign of a medical problem.

Cat Sleeping Habits: Senior Cats

The older you get the more sleep you need. The same principle goes to the cats, senior cats actually. Elderly cats are in much more need for sleep when compared to adult cats and kittens. Minimum of sleep in senior cats is twenty hours a day.

Excellent: Senior cats love comfortable and soft places, so don’t worry if you see your senior feline curled in a new spot.

Problem: If your senior feline starts sleeping less than she used to, she may be showing signs of hyperthyroidism. In this case veterinarian visit is mandatory.

Understanding the phase in which your cat is, can make you understand better her sleeping habits and needs. Each life stage requires certain hours of sleep per day and that should be respected.

Try not to awake your feline when she sleeps, because you can’t know for sure if she is just napping or she is in deep sleep.

Fast fact: Average time of sleep per cat is 16 hours a day. Average sleep for kittens and senior cats is around 18 hours a day.

Myth: Cats Don’t Sleep At Night

Busted! Although many people believe that cats actually don’t sleep at night the truth is completely different. Cat’s are believed to be nocturnal beings, that are awake and active during the whole night.

However, the truth is far from this. Actually, cats are crepuscular animals. It means that they are actually most active at sunrise and sundown – these are the easiest times for cats to find and catch their prays and have meals.

This natural urge to hunt is genetic behavior that can’t be changed. Also, this genetic trait dominates sleep patterns of all cats.

Cats Do Dream

If you were ever wondering if your cat dreams, the answer is yes. Cats even have a very deep phase of sleep. Actually, the remaining quarter of cats’ sleeping hours is mostly spent in a deep sleep. However, the older cats just might spend as much as 30 percent or even 40 percent of the time in a deep sleep.

Fun fact: Cats in deep sleep are usually curled up with their eyes tightly closed.

In some cases, cats in deep sleep can even have their tail over their face. Deep sleep helps cats stay healthy and active. During this phase cats regenerate themselves. That’s how they stay healthy and active for so many years.

This time is also reserved for your cats dreaming. If you see your cat’s whiskers or paws twitching while she’s asleep, there’s a good chance she’s dreaming.

Moreover, some cats even snore! Snoring happens when the airway is blocked by extra skin from the soft palate. This usually happens when your cat is relaxed. Snoring is a common occurrence in short-nosed or brachycephalic cat breeds such as Persian.

Why Is My Cat Sleeping A Lot More Than Usual?

If you notice that your cat is sleeping much longer than it used to be the case until recently, the chances are that your feline is going through some health challenges.

In addition, if she is having difficulty lying down or getting up, it could be the clear signal of an underlying problem.

The best way to know for sure why your cat is going through excessive sleep is to visit your veterinarian. Overall, excessive sleep could be a rock-solid sign of pain or illness, while constant wakefulness can express a problem such as mentioned above, hyperthyroidism.

Once again, the best way to know it for sure is to visit your veterinarian and inform him about the changes that you have noticed in your feline’s sleeping schedule.

Cats And Sleep In A Nutshell

• Cats sleep around 16 hours per day. Senior cats sleep even longer.
• Cats sleep a lot due to their genetics. In the wild they hunt a lot so they need to recharge.
• They have deep sleep.
• Cats dream.
• Some cats snore. This is excessively connected with short-faced cats.
• If your cat change its sleeping schedule it means that something is wrong.

Cat Sleeps A Lot – Key Takeaway

When it comes to cats and sleeping, it seems that the biggest confusion is about if they sleep too much or too little. It is important to understand that cats sleep differently in every stage of their life. Therefore, they need much more sleep when they are kittens and seniors than as adult cats.

Basically, average sleep time is 16 hours per day or around 18 for kittens and seniors. That’s a maximum. However, if you are sure that your cat is sleeping more than 18 hours per day you should contact your veterinarian and take your feline to the vets. Excessive sleep could be a sign of pain or illness. In addition, if your feline refuses food, you need to contact veterinarian as soon as possible.

Just remember that your cat needs more sleep than you do and try to create a peaceful and calming surrounding for her to feel loved and safe.