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Why Do Cats Sleep so Much? Facts About Cat Sleep

why do cats sleep so much

Very often we get jealous of our cats because they sleep a lot. We see them that they spend most of their time napping or getting into a deep sleep and watch them as they seem so relaxed. But, why do cats sleep so much? Is this a genetic trait or is it pure laziness?

How Much Do Cats Sleep on Average?

Cats simply love to sleep and they spend around 16 hours per day asleep on average. Moreover, some cats can sleep for twenty hours even per day. If you haven’t noticed this, but cats usually sleep during the day and in the afternoon and are almost always awake in the early morning. In fact, felines are the most active in the period between dusk and dawn. Often they would wake their human up early morning at around 5 am to eat. After getting their breakfast they will most likely fall back asleep.

Why Do Cats Sleep So Much?

If you are still wondering though, what is the reason behind their long nap the short answer is ‘genetics’. Simply put, the cats sleeping habit is a result of their evolution from the wild cats and their nutritional habits. Wild cats hunt in order to eat and are natural predators that require a lot of energy. Therefore, they need to get enough sleep to be able to hunt their prey.

why do cats sleep so much
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Do Cats Snore?

Have you noticed that your cat snores sometimes? Some cats do this more often than others. Snoring is an obstruction in the breathing, or more precisely the airway gets obstructed by extra skin. This sounds pretty much the same as it does for people snoring. Most of the time snoring occurs in short-nosed cat breeds or flat-nosed cats also known as brachycephalic cat breeds. These cats are usually Exotic Shorthairs, Persian cats, or Himalayan cats.

Cats Are Not Always Sound Asleep

Around three-quarters of their time sleeping, cats are actually snoozing. In other words, they look as if they’re asleep, but they actually are alert enough to get up quickly if something happens. This state of sleep in cats can be easily noticed – they may have their eyes open slightly. Also, their ears twitch and move towards different sounds.

In this way, cats get enough rest without being sound asleep.

why do cats sleep so much
Photo by Dương Nhân from Pexels

Can Cats Dream?

Sometimes cats have dreams. You may see your cat moving while sleeping and appear as if she’s running or is scared of something. This means that the cat is having a dream. When they are in a deep sleep cats can also have dreams.

If you notice a change in their sleeping routine this may be a sign of trouble.

Cats are creatures that have their own routines and if you see that they don’t get enough sleep, or even sleep too much it can be a red flag. If your cat sleeps excessively it can be a sign of illness, or if she sleeps less than usual the cat could suffer from hyperthyroidism.

Does your cat sleep too much? Share some interesting facts about your cat’s sleeping routine in the comment section.

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