The Daily Cat: Understanding Your Cat

Do Bored Cats Sleep More?

By The Daily Cat experts for The Daily Cat

Cats, in general, are said to be the Rip Van Winkles of the animal world. On average, most cats sleep between 17 and 18 hours a day. That amounts to two-thirds of your cat’s entire life. The behavior goes back to your cat’s wild feline ancestors, which needed to conserve valuable energy in between hunts.

However, at least five different factors can influence how long an individual cat sleeps. Arden Moore, author of The Cat Behavior Answer Book: Practical Insights & Proven Solutions for Your Feline Questions, goes over some of these.

Boredom can indeed cause cats to sleep for longer periods, according to Moore. As it does in humans, inactivity can promote sluggishness and depression in cats. Without stimulating activities, both cats and humans can sink into longer sleep cycles. It’s therefore very important to regularly play with your cat, offering new toys and games to explore. Social stimulation is key.

Other reasons why cats may sleep more include the following:

• Age Kittens need more sleep than adults do, similar to how human babies sleep longer than men and women do.
• Weather Do rainy days make you feel sleepy? The different light levels and other factors seem to promote longer snoozing. This is true for cats as well.
• How Safe They Feel If you are anxious, you may have trouble sleeping. The same happens to cats. So if a new dog, person or other addition is stressing out your cat, chances are that your pet is sleeping less soundly.