Have you ever wondered how much sleep our beloved four-legged friends need? If you think, for example, of the greedy and lazy Garfield, you might think that many a specimen is only awake to be eaten. How much sleep do cats need? And can our cats dream?
Sleep is essential to life
Sleeping is enormously important for the health of humans and animals. During sleep, used batteries are recharged and the body, especially the brain, regenerates from mental and physical exertion. Experiences and learnings are processed, stored and played back during sleep. As with humans, the sleep of cat runs in different cycles.
Light sleep, deep sleep and the so-called REM phase (“Rapid Eye Movement”) alternate several times during the night. The human being has about 4-5 sleep cycles per night, whereby one cycle lasts about 90 minutes. Cats have significantly more cycles. However, one sleep cycle lasts only 15-30 minutes.
Bedtime- How much are cats sleeping?
In general, it can be said that younger, healthy animals need less sleep than older or sick cats. Also puppies have another sleep-demand, as adult animals.
Cats sleep about 14-18 hours a day, while outdoor cats sleep less. Kittens or senior cats easily reach 20 hours. The wakening time is mainly used for eating, playing, exploring and going to the toilet
Insufficient, but also particularly bad sleep, can have a negative effect on health and behaviour. Like humans, our darlings react to sleep deprivation with concentration difficulties, irritability, hyperactivity, but also with various physical (chronic) diseases. For this reason it might be better to follow the current rule “Do not wake sleeping cats”.
During bedtime, however, your darling doesn’t always have to sleep deeply. Also the dozing and resting is counted here. Nevertheless, the need for rest is high.
Cats are active at dusk and therefore usually rest during the day. They are most active at dawn and dusk.
Do cats dream?
Unfortunately, it is difficult to say what animals dream and whether they can remember it. Scientists, as well as animal psychologists, however, assume this on the basis of various studies. Some even go one step further in their conjectures. Accordingly, there are also race-specific dreams. This means that the individual preferences of a cat show up in the dream. Also the experience of the day is processed.
Where do cats sleep?
Not all animals manage to retreat and rest by themselves. So help your darling to build in enough rest periods. Also the suitable sleeping place plays an important role here. Pay attention to where your cat feels comfortable, whether it prefers soft or hard, open or in a cave, above or below, … wants to sleep. Remember that your darling rarely chooses the sleeping place that seems most practical to you.
Summary
Sleep is just as vital as food and drink. Without enough sleep our pets become irritable and unbalanced roommates. Cats need a lot of sleep. And always remember, it’s better not to wake up sleeping cats!