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

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

Veterinarian recommendations

Veterinarians recommend monitoring your pet's sleep. If the kitten cannot lie on one side for a long time and constantly changes position, looks lethargic after waking up, and does not respond to the owner’s attention, then you should be wary.

Quality sleep is a way for a kitten to maintain its health in good condition. Therefore, you should not disturb or wake up a resting animal. Lack of proper sleep will make your cat aggressive and can lead to problems with the nervous system.

Source

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.

Stages

The pet's sleep process is divided into the following stages:

• Nap. The body remains conscious and alert during rest. In the event of an unexpected threat, the animal reacts instantly.
• Shallow sleep. The body rests, but hearing is preserved.
• Deep dream. Muscle tension disappears, short nerve impulses may be observed, due to which the muscles contract and the paws twitch.
• REM phase. The eyes move behind closed eyelids, there is a high probability of dreaming.

The first two stages last about half an hour, followed by 5-7 minutes of a deep phase, which again gives way to sleep. This alternation of stages of sleep allows the animal not to lose vigilance and control the situation around itself at all times.

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.

How does the kitten behave in its new home?

first time in a new home

will experience fear and anxiety. ... A small child may be running or playing with a kitten and accidentally scare the pet. Therefore, before bringing the animal into the apartment, calmly explain to the children that the baby does not need to be touched for the first week.

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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.

How to put a kitten to bed at night

Healthy and active kittens are often especially active at night. Because of this, the owner cannot get enough sleep due to the noise, and the kitten does not receive the necessary attention from a person who is tired during the day.

To avoid such difficulties, you need to teach the kitten to sleep at the appropriate hour. Animal psychologists recommend the following actions:

• Organization of a daily routine and strict adherence to it. Cats are socialized animals, so they need the attention and love of their owner. If possible, the owner should go to bed and get up at the same time. The cat will be able to get used to this regime, and will tend to fall asleep and wake up with the person.
• Create the same environment every evening. Cats thrive when they live on a consistent schedule. In addition, they remember well certain signs of the environment that accompany various activities of the owner. For example, if a person sleeps with the light turned off, then one must remember to turn it off at night. If the owner turns off the TV before going to bed, then this should always be done. Before going to bed, the environment should always be the same. It is through regularly repeated actions that the cat will begin to learn about the time for sleep.
• Feeding the kitten just before bed. All cats love to sleep after a hearty meal.
• Active games 20-30 minutes before bedtime. Evening games are a great way to burn off excess energy before going to bed. Ideal toys for a kitten would be toys that imitate running mice or flying birds, those that can bounce or dangle, and fishing rod toys. You need to play with the kitten until he gets tired and loses interest in games.

• Daytime entertainment. Kittens get bored sitting alone during the day when their owner goes to work. And if you provide him with toys and entertainment, then he most likely will not need the attention of his owner in the middle of the night.

It should be remembered that kittens need variety; they get tired of constantly playing with the same toy. Therefore, toys need to be changed periodically. It is not necessary to buy new ones, just hide them for a while so that the kitten has time to forget about them.

• Arranging a sleeping area. If the kitten knows that he has his own place to sleep, he will be less inclined to invade his owner's space. Kittens like a soft bed, the proximity of their favorite toys, close proximity to bowls of food and water, and a tray. If you arrange a kitten's sleeping place in accordance with its needs, then this is where it will go to sleep at night.

Before bed, you can hide toys with an attractive aroma and cat treats in various places around the house. Thus, the kitten will be able to search for prey at night, which will imitate its natural behavior in the wild.

It's not a good idea to use catnip to distract your kitten before bed. Many animals become more energetic and playful after consuming catnip, and some may even become aggressive.

If no advice helps train a kitten to sleep at night, this is a reason to be wary. Often, the reluctance to rest at the appropriate time is a way in which the pet tries to communicate that he is not feeling well. Therefore, if there are obvious sleep disturbances, the kitten should be shown to a veterinarian.

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.

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.

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.

Does posture matter?

Sleeping pets can tell their owner a lot. The position in which a cat sleeps depends on several factors:

• Ambient temperature;
• Feeling of security;
• Duration of sleep.

When the room is cool, the cat instinctively curls up into a ball, tucking its paws underneath and wrapping its tail around itself. If a pet hides its nose under its paws, then the cat is really very cold. By reducing the surface area of ​​the body exposed to external factors, the cat loses much less heat and is protected from the cold. The higher the air temperature, the more relaxed the cat's body position, which does not need to accumulate heat.

There is a popular belief: if a cat sleeps with its paw covering its nose, it means that frost will soon hit.

On its stomach or side is the most common and natural position of a cat's body during sleep. The cat is calm and does not experience any problems. Cats can sleep on their side for hours. It is in this position that animals experience the deepest and most protracted dreams.