Fascinating facts about cats' sleeping habits.
Cats are the masters of sleep – falling asleep anywhere, anytime and often in the strangest positions. As part of National Sleep Awareness Week, we asked owners to send some snapshots in of their kipping kitties.
Here’s our top ten sleeping beauties, as well as some facts you might not know about cats and sleep.
1. They sleep a lot
Domestic cats sleep for 12-18 hours a day - zzzzz.......
Willow
2. A cat’s need to sleep is a result of evolution
In the wild, cats have to hunt in order to eat and the stalking and chasing of prey burns a lot of energy.
Bert
3. Cats are crepuscular
This means they are more awake and active at dawn and dusk, favouring sleep during midday and in the dark of night, which explains the early wake-up calls!
Darcy
4. Most cats rotate their preferred sleeping area
This is why you might find them lazing around all over the house, sleeping on fresh laundry, snoozing next to radiators…
Dexter
5. Cats are on alert, even when they’re sleeping
It’s in their nature to act quickly at a moment’s notice, so you’ll notice how quickly they can spring into action – even if they’re having a cat nap.
Everlast
6. You shouldn’t disturb your cat when it’s sleeping
While it might be tempting to stroke a snoozy cat on your lap, they might become disorientated and react defensively with their claws.
Jynx
7. Cats do dream
Cats in deep sleep are usually curled up with their eyes tightly closed. If you spot their whiskers or paws twitching while their asleep, there’s a good chance your cat is dreaming.
Basil
8. Age makes a difference
Kittens are more active than adult cats, and sleep more. Senior cats (those in their mid to late teens) sleep more hours each day than they might have done as a younger adult cat.
Pudding
9. Cats even snore
When cats are in a relaxed sleep, the soft palate relaxes, causing them to make those cute little snore-like sounds.
Sybbie
10. The weather affects sleeping habits
Don’t be surprised if your feline friend seems sleepier on rainy or dark days. Whether you’ve got an outdoor or indoor cat, you might notice a difference in their sleeping habits.
Tigger
Thank you to everyone that shared snapshots of their sleeping cats. If you’d like to share yours, head to our Facebook page.
To find more about cats and sleep, go to www.cats.org.uk/cats-and-sleep
