Why Cats Sleep So Much: Understanding Their Restful Behavior

If you have ever been owned by a cat (yeah owned by a cat not the other way around), you may have noticed something about them. They like to sleep. Some cats sleep so much we cannot help but wonder why do cats sleep all the time. So, why do cats sleep so much? There are reasons. Read on to learn why.

On a side note, special thanks to Anuj Agarwal of Feedspot for listing my site in the top 100 Cat Blogs.

Table of Contents

How many hours do cats sleep?

It may seem like they are asleep all the time, but of course that is not true. So, how many hours do cats actually sleep?

Well, it all depends on your cat’s age, health and a few other issues, which I will go into later. But basically, a cat will spend 12 to 16 hours a day sleeping, while kittens and senior cats may sleep closer to 20 or more hours a day.

Did you know? Cats have deep sleep cycles lasting only about five minutes each time which makes up a minority portion of their sleep. 70% of your cat’s sleep is very light and called a catnap. These may last ten to twenty-five minutes each time. If you have ever watched a cat take a catnap, you may see their eyes closed, but their ears twitching back and forth. They are alert and listening to what is going on around them.

Why is my cat sleeping so much?

Well, there’re many reasons why your cat sleeps all the time. The first two off the top of my head are to regulate body temperature and because sleeping feels really good. Come to think of it, I feel a cat nap coming on. That’s right, cat naps are not just for cats. Here are some other reasons to ponder why cats sleep so much.

Instinctual behavior

In the wild, cats don’t have a human to come and lay a bowl of kibble down in front of them. That means they have to stalk and chase down prey which takes a lot of energy. Cats may fail more than they succeed during these hunting sessions, so it is vital that they conserve energy in order to be able to hunt when the chance arises and to deal with long periods of hunger.

Cats may sleep more because of age

Basically, healthy cats sleep from 12 to 16 hours a day. However, you may notice that kittens sleep considerably more as do older cats. Kittens need the sleep to grow and senior cats may sleep more because they have matured, or have age related problems that make an active lifestyle difficult. Both kittens and senior cats may sleep up to 20 hours a day. Some may sleep even more.