Why Your Cat Sleeps All the Time and Other Feline Sleep Facts

Have you ever thought that being a kitty would be great since your cat sleeps all the time?  A feline that is eight years old has only had its eyes open for three out of the eight years.  Why is sleeping so much normal cat behavior?

Kitties really have two types of sleep.  Both types of sleep are required to have a healthy, happy feline.  One is known as the cat nap where the animal can wake easily.  This kind of sleep allowed for felines in the wild to arouse quickly whenever a threatening situation arose.   Sometimes the cat's eyes may be partially open during their napping.

The other kind is the deep sleep like  human slumber.  Cats dream during their deep sleep.  You may occasionally see tails jerking, paws twitching, or hear small meows as the kitty dreams of chasing that mouse.  Their eyes may move quickly when closed when they are in the REM phase of sleep. During this stage, the feline's body repairs itself and immune functioning is strengthened.   This deep sleep stage only lasts for a few hours each day.  The remainder of the time the feline is sleeping is comprised of cat naps.

Felines enjoy snoozing in high places.  There, they have the best view of everything going on about them. When the temperature is cold, laying in sunny places or soft, cozy spots like your bed are also kitty favorites.  You may also find kitty laying with her paws covering her face which reduces heat loss.   In the heat, cats often choose a high, shaded spot.

The primary reason that cats sleep so much is that in the wild, they had to be capable of chasing prey which necessitates short bursts of enormous energy expenditure.  A feline had to be well-rested to have enough strength to catch dinner.  As the majority of cats do not have to furnish their own meals these days, many felines are now overweight.

Kittens sleep even more than adult cats.  Nature designed the young felines this way so that they would have less chance of wandering away from the nest and getting harmed.  Also, they have less opportunity to make noise that could attract a predator.  As felines enter their senior years, their need for sleep diminishes somewhat.

Felines tend to sleep during the day and be awake during the night.  If this is not your preference, you can influence this habit by playing with kitty during the day and making sure that there is a lot of stimulating activity available when the sun is out.

If you have a baby in the house, make sure to keep your pet away when the baby is sleeping.  Since kitties like warm places, they may try to sleep with your child and accidentally suffocate him or her.

Whenever you observe a major change in your kitty's sleeping habits, a veterinary exam is called for.  Certain illnesses can interrupt sleep, and you'll want to address any medical condition as soon as possible.

If you get jealous of your kitty's laid back lifestyle, just remember that he is genetically programmed to sleep a lot.  Your cat sleeps all the time because it just happens to be normal cat behavior.