Throughout the day, cats have evolved to sleep for long periods. In order to conserve their energy to hunt, find and kill their next meal, wild cats need to sleep.
The instinct to sleep and plan for the hunt persists, while our house cats do not need to hunt.
What is the normal amount of sleep for a cat?
As they get older, the amount of hours that your cat wants to sleep and the normal sleeping schedule for your cat can change:
Much of the day, kittens will typically sleep, with a few fleeting bursts of energy between meals.
Combined with periods of extreme playfulness, adolescent cats can have irregular sleep habits.
Adult cats tend to have more fixed patterns of sleep that average around 12 to 20 hours of sleep per day.
Senior cats appear to have less energy and less agility, meaning they are more likely to sleep than younger cats.
You will definitely find that they will start to establish a familiar pattern of sleep and wakefulness until your cat reaches adulthood. You can note, for instance, that your cat wakes just before you in the morning, enjoys eating and socializing with you for an hour or two, then returns to sleep while you get on with your busy day.
Is my cat really asleep?
Cats do, though not always, sleep comfortably. Cats are mostly merely snoozing, much like individuals. Light sleep takes up about 3/4 of your cat's sleep time, with deep sleep being dedicated to only 1/4 of their sleep time.
When cats lightly snooze, they get the rest they need, but they are still alert. You can note that their eyes stay slightly open or that their ears still twitch and rotate towards sounds while your cat is snoozing or napping.
When should I be concerned?
Instead of understanding the normal sleep habits of your cat and noticing when the pattern changes dramatically, there is no fixed duration of sleep to signify a health concern or health emergency.
If your cat continues to sleep much more or much less than normal, there might be a health problem for him/her, it's time to visit your vet.
Cats who start to sleep more than normal might be sick or suffer from pain. On the other hand, your cat can suffer from hyperthyroidism or other conditions if it starts to sleep less than normal.