Did you know that your feline companion sleeps at least twice as much as you? That’s right, cats sleep between 13 and 16 p.m. every day. Interestingly, about 2/3 of their life is spent napping. Fun fact: there are only two other species that sleep more than the cat, and they are opossums and bats.

However, he does more than just sleep. While it may look like it from the outside, it is essential behavior for your cat’s overall well-being. They need it to replenish themselves. Let’s go a little further.

Currently, there is no reliable figure for how much sleep cats need. As with people, there are big individual variations. Cats that tend to live indoors and have little or no contact with the outdoors are significantly less active. As a result, the time they need to rest is much less, and they sleep because they are bored, which does not mean that they need it.

On the other side, we have outdoor cats that hunt or search for different food sources. Therefore, they use a lot more energy. During their sleep cycle, they replenish this energy. To put it more simply, the more active the feline, the more sleep it will need to recover. However, it is estimated that felines tend to sleep between 13 and 16 hours a day, although some rest up to twenty hours a day throughout the day.

The main thing to know is that cats are mostly active at dusk and dawn. Therefore, they rest mainly during the day, and become more active from dusk. Preventing your cat from going out when you go to bed goes against her needs and her natural behavior. After that, it remains something quite individual. Those who equip themselves with an electronic cat flap that tells them when the cat is going out are always very surprised to discover their cat’s nightlife, which is intense and fairly regular.

Unlike other species that feed on plants or grains that they find while roaming around, your feline companion is a real predator. Therefore, in order for the cat to find its food, it must get to work. Once it has discovered its prey, the feline goes into stealth mode, stealthily moving towards its target so as not to frighten it. Catching their dinner requires short but very intense physical efforts and consumers of energy. This is why they need a lot of energy. Sleep is necessary to ensure that they are fully prepared for their many attempts, as not all of them are successful.

Much like humans, felines are known to be able to either take a simple nap or fall into a very deep sleep. When your cat takes a nap, she positions her body so she can quickly jump into the action. This phase usually lasts from fifteen minutes to no more than half an hour. But when he falls asleep more deeply, he will start to dream. This only lasts for a few minutes, however, and the cat immediately resumes dozing. This alternation will continue until the feline wakes up.

Have you noticed your cat wagging his whiskers and paws and moving his eyes, as if playing jumping on smaller creatures or running in his dream?

Interestingly, this is because cats go through non-REM and Rapid Eye Movement (REM) phases of sleep. During the non-REM phase, they actively prepare and also allow their body to continue growing.

So, in other words, your feline is dreaming. And, while it’s unlikely to ever tell you what he’s dreaming about, something does tell us that mice and birds play a big part in it.

For many cat owners, their companion’s sleep cycle seems strange. The cat sits all day and suddenly goes mad all night, leaping over walls, biting you in the face early in the morning and knocking things over like it’s the end of the world.

What you need to understand is that your cat is a twilight predator. This means that its active hours are scheduled between dusk and dawn. This is because the prey that he would naturally hunt if he was outside would be more active during this time slot.

Therefore, its internal clock is set in such a way that it drives your pet crazy early in the evening, as it has prepared for it with its 16 hours of sleep throughout the day. It’s that simple. And, after all, if you slept 14 hours all day, wouldn’t you also be active at night?

It is obvious that cats sleep a lot. This is one of the reasons that make them such a popular pet, they do not require the same attention as dogs, especially there is no need to walk them.

To put it more simply, cats are lazy. Now that you are supporting them, they don’t really need to conserve energy, so they sleep out of boredom. Don’t worry, it’s natural and normal for your feline friend to sleep all day, that’s how it’s programmed.

The only recommendation: do not try to wake them up. Catching them might cause a sudden reaction, and they might scratch your arms or worse. It is important. Stick to their natural sleep patterns. Your cat knows how to show you when he’s in the mood for cuddling and play.