Let’s face it! We all love a good cat nap! I will take one when and wherever I can get it. And cats in particular have really cornered the market on this napping thing! Professional sleepers is something they can add to their resumes! Sure, we may sometimes dismiss them as lazy because they sleep, oh, I don’t know, about two-thirds of their lives away! If you don’t own a cat and simply observe this behavior from a distance, you may be inclined to think all they do is sleep and rely on their humans to provide for them. However, if you understand exactly why cats sleep as they do, perhaps your perspective might change.
According to catbehaviorassociates.com, cats need energy for the hunt! Natural predators, cats remain on the prowl for their food. As carnivores, they are not going to find their food growing in the fields…or in your backyard. So, they have to go to work as hunters. Cats also require fresh prey, as they are not scavengers, so this requires that hunting prowess which demands energy. Couple in the stress factor of being both predator and prey (due to their size), cats need to be well-prepared for any hunting attempts made, and to flee the scene if necessary! Sleep is much needed to conserve this energy and recharge.
“You better sleep with one eye open!” Well, cats might not necessarily sleep with one eye open, but they do sleep at the ready to spring into action as needed. Much of the sleep in which cats engage is light sleeping, which allows their bodies to immediately react, whether for the hunt or to protect themselves from other predators. When cats do fall into deep sleep, it is in shorter cycles for about 10-15 minutes at a time.
Your cat’s sleeping patterns might not even make sense to you at all. He may sleep all day and then get that sudden burst of energy (the “crazies!”) in the middle of the night while you are trying to recharge your own body. Nevertheless, cats are wired to be more active between dusk and dawn. If he was outdoors, the hunting action would be in full swing during those key hours.
Even though your indoor cat does not have to concern himself about hunting for his next meal, he does have that same natural sleeping pattern. However, many cats do learn to adapt to our schedules and will become more active during the day.
But…if you tend to have a late night (or all night!) party animal on your hands, what do you do? First of all, provide more opportunities for exploration, play and hunting of toys throughout the day to keep him active. After a fun-filled session of play hunting, followed by a small treat, he will be ready to settle down for slumber until a new day of adventure tomorrow!
Written by Ann Butenas
An internationally-recognized author and writer, Ann began her professional writing career at age 12 and began speaking while in college. She has been published thousands of times over the past three decades in all media forms, was former editor and publisher of KC Metro Woman magazine, and has also hosted three talk radio shows in the Kansas City area.
