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Why do cats sleep a lot? Is it normal for a cat to sleep all day? How long do cats sleep per day? Surely any cat owner is aware of how his or her pet spends time. Your cat will take a nap, eat, take a nap again - and so on throughout the whole day. Why does my cat sleep all day? How long do cats sleep a day? This question is asked by every cat owner. This lifestyle can only be envied, but most people don't know basic things about the cat daily sleep. So why cats sleep so much? Do cats dream? Do they realize that the dream is not reality? What is the normal amount of domestic cat daily sleep? Let's take a closer look at these questions and find out how long does a cat sleep.
How many hours does a cat sleep?
So, how long do cats sleep a day? The average domestic cat daily sleep is about 15-18 hours per day, so do not be surprised that the cat daily sleep process is regulated in a cat. Why does a cat hold the world record for the longest sleep? Is it normal for a cat to sleep all day? The answer is simple: a cat is a predator, small and cute, but still a predator. The herd instinct is not inherent in a cat. The cat sneaks up to potential prey, catches it, eats it, and immediately falls asleep. That's why cats sleep so much.
The duration of domestic cat daily sleep is influenced by many factors: playfulness, age, sociability, health status, and the psychological atmosphere in the house. If they are in order, then cat daily sleep will also be standard and healthy. The biggest stress for a cat is the absence of an adored owner, to whom it is strongly attached on an emotional level. In this case, the cat can stay awake for days, worrying about it. No matter how many hours a cat sleeps usually, it will wait for the owner.
Overweight cats are unusually lazy. And here the answer to the question “Does my cat sleep too much?” will be especially relevant. Such a pet is able to sleep for 18-20 hours a day, waking up only to eat or go to the litter box. In this case, you should think about how long do cats sleep everyday and look at the cat daily sleep chart. Your pet may need a change in diet.
Cat daily sleep features
No matter how many hours does a cat sleep a day, the sleep phases are the same. A cat daily sleep is divided into two phases, which have some physiological and behavioral characteristics. The first phase of cat daily sleep is a nap. A cat lies very still, curled up or on its stomach, breathing and heart rate of the pet are slowed down, metabolic activity and blood pressure drop. In this phase of cat daily sleep, the pet can be easily awakened, but after 20-30 minutes the drowsiness turns into a deep sleep. In this phase of domestic cat daily sleep, the cat's body is completely relaxed and the pet usually turns on its side. At the same time, a cat can move its tail, ears, and even let out its claws, grumble or meow in its sleep. Waking up a cat in deep sleep is extremely difficult.
How long do cats sleep every day? Cats spend a significant part of their time sleeping, mostly napping, constantly changing positions. This is another clue to the question “Is it normal for a cat to sleep all day?” Shallow cat daily sleep allows the pet to rest and at the same time quickly respond to external stimuli. This is because during the “sleep-wake” phase of a cat daily sleep, the brain is actively working. There are fluctuations in heart rate and pressure, uneven breathing and an increase in brain temperature. But when a cat daily sleep enters the phase of "rapid eye movement", which usually lasts 5-7 minutes, it is extremely difficult to wake a cat. It is during this period of domestic cat daily sleep that a pet sees dreams.
Do cats dream during cat daily sleep?
In search of an answer to the question of how much does a cat sleep, scientists conducted a study of the cat daily sleep and came to the conclusion that cats dream. During domestic cat daily sleep, the pet experiences familiar situations. If a cat suddenly jumped up in a dream and began to catch a non-existent mouse, then it is quite possible that it saw an unusual and very vivid dream.
What do cats see during cat daily sleep? Studies conducted by French scientists in the mid-20th century showed that during domestic cat daily sleep, pets dream of situations that they experience during their wakefulness: exploration of the area, aggressive behavior, hunting, anger, fear, personal box and food. If a cat is actively moving under the eyes covered with eyelids, then most likely, a pet is tracking down potential prey. Growling or grumbling - develops an important strategic move, releases claws and moves paws - grabs prey.
Scientists not only found the answer to the question of how long do cats sleep everyday, but also identified dangerous symptoms, upon detection of which it is better to show a domestic cat to a veterinarian. If, during a deep cat daily sleep, a pet suddenly jumps up and starts chasing a phantom mouse, this may indicate an experienced head injury. Experts agree that cats can distinguish three colors well: blue, green, and red. Therefore, it can be confirmed that during the process of domestic cat daily sleep, your pet enjoys colorful dreams. Cats see a color image, of course, not as contrasting and bright as human, but definitely color.
Speaking about how long do cats sleep a day and whether the cat dreams, there is another interesting aspect. Do cats realize that their cat daily sleep dreams are not real?We want to believe that yes. After all, when we wake up a pet during a dream in which they catch up with someone, twitching their paws, cats wake up instantly and look at us in confusion, as if apologizing for their behavior.
Can it be said for sure that cats are able to distinguish the world that exists in the dimension of domestic cat daily sleep from the real world? Do they understand that this is just a dream? Unlike the question how long do cats sleep per day, veterinarians and neurologists cannot yet give a definite answer to this question. Consciousness is not a simple matter, even people do not always understand in a dream that they are sleeping. This is revealed only after waking up. One thing is known for certain: the behavioral and physiological characteristics of cats and Homo sapiens are almost the same.
Places for comfortable cat daily sleep
Now that we have figured out how long do cats need to sleep, there's another important topic to deal with. What does it take to providequality cat daily sleep to your pet? For a comfortable sleep, a cat needs comfort, silence, and complete safety. This is the minimum that provides a comfortable domestic cat daily sleep. Many cats prefer to sleep on a hill so that it is convenient to survey the surroundings in between cat daily sleep. An ideal place to relax and have a good cat daily sleep is a cat cave or a personal cat bed. An affectionate and sociable cat sleeps under a blanket or on a pillow, clinging tightly to the owner. Sometimes a cat likes to sleep on a person, which is the highest form of trust for a pet. In this case, you will be able to control precisely how long do cats sleep per day, and permanently solve the question “Does my cat sleep too much”.
It's funny that almost all cats choose a certain place next to a person: in the head or on the legs. Zoologists explain why pets settle for domestic cat daily sleep at the feet with the following reasons. The owner's hands are far away and he or she will not be able to bother a cat with scratching and petting during cat daily sleep; if necessary, a pet can instantly escape. In addition, the legs are lighter than the body, which means that the likelihood of injury is lower. At this distance, the sobbing, snoring, and mumbling of a person is not so much heard. Why do some cats prefer to sit in the head for cat daily sleep, ignoring their own comfort? No need to look for scientific explanations, just every cat has its own character. A pet with strong nerves will not be frightened by snoring at all, and a sociable cat will be pleased with strong hugs during cat daily sleep.