Cats are masters at sleeping any time, any place, and under any circumstances. On an average, cats sleep fifteen hours a day. Some cats can also sleep up to twenty hours per day.
Which raises an obvious question: Why is my cat sleeping so much? In the article, we will find the answer of this question and also find what happens in the minds of cats when they are sleeping.
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Long hour sleeping is in your cat’s genes
The long hour sleeping habit in your cat is a result of their evolution, physiology and nutritional habits. In the wild, felines have to hunt so as to eat, and the chasing, stalking, and killing of prey burns a lot of energy. With long hour sleeping, cats conserve energy between meals.
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The 'Catnap'
Cats are nocturnal animals. Mostly, they are active between dusk and dawn that means they sleep mostly during the day. As soon as your feline friend is done with breakfast, you will find her winding down for a long day of slumber.
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Cats are not always sound asleep
About three quarters of the entire sleeping time of cat is what we might call snoozing. In that state, felines can get all the rest that they need, but they are still attentive enough to wake up at a moment’s notice. You can easily find when your cat is in light sleep, as their ears will twitch and rotate toward various noises and their eyes will be open a little bit.
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Weather Effect
Humans are not the only ones that are affected by the bad weather. Various animals, especially cats may sleep more during those stormy, dark days or when it is cold. Daylight changes may also affect the sleep patterns of cats just like with people.
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Age factor
Cat's age affects its activity level. Young kittens, which are under 1 year old, are inclined to sleep more than adult cats while they are still growing. Actually, kittens sleep most of the day for their early weeks of life. Senior cats, which are over 7 years old, also sleep more than their younger counterparts. Further, some medical conditions like arthritis and other joint issues tend to impair mobility of older cats, making them more apt to sleeping for a longer time period.
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Some cats do snore
Snoring in cats happens when the airway is blocked by extra skin from the soft palate. It is most likely to happen when your feline friend is in relaxed state, so it would not be despicable to notice your pet sawing some tiny little logs from time-to-time. Snoring mainly occurs in short-nosed cat breeds such as the Himalayan, Persian, or Exotic Shorthair.