How much does a cat sleep?
An adult cat sleeps an average of 16 hours per day. A small kitten can sleep even more and snooze away up to 20 hours a day. Our four-legged friends are indeed master nappers, but why do they have such a high demand for sleep? We answer some questions about the cat’s sleep below!
Why do cats sleep so much?
Cats are still similar to their wild relatives in many of their behaviors. Wild felines spend a lot of time sleeping - it's simply smarter to save energy for when it's needed. They therefore lie around and chill most of the day. The energy is gathered until dawn and dusk when it is time to hunt. You may also have noticed that your cat gets "zoomies" in the evening or early morning and runs around the apartment like a madcat just when you have fallen asleep? Yep, then it's hunting time that kicks in!
How long does a cat sleep?
Cats, just like us humans, have different sleep stages and sleep depths. Often the cat does not actually sleep, but lies and rests, in between it falls asleep. The sleep alternates between a superficial sleep, which lasts for about half an hour per "sleeping occasion", and deep sleep, which lasts only 6-7 minutes. During deep sleep, the cat dreams. Then you can see that the whiskers and paws twitch. In between, the cat spends time grooming, exploring its surroundings, hunting or playing.
Where do cats like to sleep?
Since the cat spends much of its time sleeping, it is important that it has cozy places to sleep where it feels safe. Cats like to get up high or to be able to hide when they sleep. Feel free to give the cat access to a shelf or a tall climbing tree where it can have its safe sleeping spot. Remember that the sleeping spot is a place where you always leave the cat alone, so that it can sleep undisturbed there if it wants to. If the cat falls asleep on your lap, yes, then it is forbidden to get up until the cat walks away on its own...
A cozy cat bed does not have to be expensive at all. A favorite that never gets old is the love of cardboard boxes. You know immediately that there is a cat in the home when you see old shoe boxes standing everywhere. Our cat customers appreciate their deliveries as it means a new fresh cardboard box to snooze in, and we love seeing all the cute pictures of petgood cats snuggling in their new, sustainable beds.
