According to recent studies, a cat can sleep an average of 17 hours a day. The number of hours a cat sleeps depends on two major factors.
It’s clear that felines love to sleep—it’s a vital activity in their lives, and they can spend the whole day doing it. But do they really enjoy deep sleep for so many hours? Today we bring you some interesting facts about cats’ sleep!
Anyone who owns a cat knows that if they are good at something, it’s sleeping, right? According to recent studies, a cat can sleep an average of 17 hours a day, no more, no less! Now, let’s reflect a little on the reasons that lead them to sleep such a large number of hours. Let’s get started!
In reality, the number of hours a cat sleeps depends on two major factors: the type of life they lead (if they live with another cat, they usually sleep less, but if they live only with humans, they tend to sleep more) and their age (when they are very young, they usually sleep 90% of the day).
Now, what kind of sleep do they experience?
Although it may seem that cats sleep for many hours at a stretch, they are not always in deep sleep! Three out of every four hours of sleep are spent in a light sleep state, where they usually wake up easily and move a lot, changing positions frequently. Don’t be surprised if you find them sleeping sitting up during this phase—it’s very curious and happens quite often!
When they are in deep sleep, their brains are as active as when they are awake—they don’t let their guard down! In fact, during this phase, we can observe characteristic details such as rapid eye movement (with eyelids closed), fast paw movements, twitching ears, whiskers that move, and mouths that shift… all in full “On” mode!
Another important aspect of feline sleep is the place where they sleep. They usually choose quiet areas where they feel safe and relaxed. And not only that! They also tend to seek out the warmest spots in the house. Even though their average body temperature is 38ºC (100.4ºF), they always look for a place that allows them to maintain or even increase that temperature. That’s why it’s so common to find them suddenly sitting on our laps, on top of the laptop (because the battery keeps them warm), very close to the heater, in the only sunny spot in the house… or in really impossible places.
Associated with temperature and cat sleep is the fact that, generally, they sleep more in winter than during other seasons. Why? Because low temperatures are not particularly welcome in the feline universe, and while sleeping, they manage to save energy while staying warm and comfortable. As you can see, they’ve thought of everything in great detail!
