As a rule, cats will sleep 18 hours per day, spread over a series of naps that average 78 minutes each. They sleep during the day as well as in the middle of the night, only to get up and become active right when we are heading to bed, and again shortly before we want to get up. This can be a definite clash!
Unlike humans, who tend to sleep in one long time period at night, cats have a polyphasic sleep schedule that is marked by multiple shorter bouts of sleep across both day and night. In general, cats tend to be more active at night and sleep more during the day.
More than half of cats sleep between 12 and 18 hours a day. View Source , and nearly 40% of cats sleep more than 18 hours per day. As they grow older, a majority of cats sleep for more hours each day than they did in their younger years.
Indoor cats also display nocturnal habits because the behavior is instinctual from their wild ancestors. Prowling the shadows all night to chase down their prey, it's no small wonder that cats sleep on average 12-16 hours during the day! Kittens and senior cats may sleep 18 hours or more.
Where Cats Go at Night. It's natural to wonder where the heck cats go at night. At home, they're usually sleeping, playing, cuddling, eating, or sleeping some more.
Make sure your cat's beds are away from any draughty areas but also not too close to any heat sources – the temperature should be not too cold or too warm but just right. Soft, fleecy beds provide the most comfort and if they have tall sides that your cat can hide behind, such as a cardboard box, that's even better.
Should I keep my cat in at night? Cats Protection recommends that you keep your cat in at night to keep them safe. Increased risks during night time include: Road traffic injuries and fatalities.
Cats have different sleep-wake cycles than other animals and are often busy at night. This is because cats are crepuscular, which means they hunt and are active in the evening or early morning. This cat behavior at night is sometimes called the night crazies and may cause lack of sleep for cat owners.
If your cat sleeps on your bed, he may choose a position that lets him see out your bedroom door more easily. If he's curled up in a ball under your bed or in a quiet corner, then he may be hiding. Cats who sleep under the covers might love being close to you, or they might be hiding to feel safer.
Like the belly-up pose, a sideways sleeper indicates your cat is very relaxed and in a deep sleep. His vulnerable stomach is somewhat exposed in this position and his limbs are stretched out. He feels safe and content enough not to remain in an alert, shallow sleep.
If they aren't active enough or are unable to scratch their itch for exploration and adventure, then they can become bored. Boredom may be more common in indoor cats who are unable to engage their hunting instincts very often. Reasons for a cat becoming bored include: Not enough social interaction.
The good news is you can stop your cat from waking you by devoting some of your time and attention to your pet. You will need to retrain your cat to help both of your daily schedules to align. Play with your cat for an hour before your bedtime.
Cats are masters at training us. In this case, your cat is likely waking you up early in the morning because they woke you up once before and you either fed them or gave them attention. So they continue to wake you up to keep getting that food or attention.
Cats sleep an average of 15 hours per day. However, they can sleep as much as 20 hours within a 24-hour period. In general, cats do the majority of their sleeping during the day, since they are most active overnight.
Cats are crepuscular, which means that they are most active at dawn and dusk. However, some house cats that either started off as strays or spend a lot of time outdoors, may develop the habit of being most active at night due to the fact that night time is when their prey is most active.
Sleeping in the bed with you is your cat's way of showing you how much they do, in fact, see you as their safest place and the perfect place (or, rather, the purrrfect place!) to spend their time, and that includes the bed at night.
Getting the Midnight Crazies
As many cat owners know, there is such a thing as the cat witching hour. It usually happens at night – maybe as you're getting ready to go to sleep or perhaps while asleep – when your cat is raring to play.
Your Cat Stares at You to Show Affection
Cats can use staring as a nonverbal way of communicating. Even though a long, unblinking stare may not be the best way for humans to show affection, when your fur baby does this, it may mean they're showing love to their favourite owner.
As long as you make sure to fulfill all of your kitty's needs (physical, emotional and instinctual) you should have no problem keeping your cat in a smaller space, even if that happens to be a tiny studio apartment.
Keep the cat flap locked and cats well away from the cat flap and/or room with the cat flap if necessary. Remember it is for their own good and you may save money on future vets bills by not letting them out when they are most at risk.