I believe all of you know how much cats enjoy sleeping. Most likely, you usually see your cat just lounging around and living its best life.
Although it’s entirely normal to see your cat sleeping or napping during the day, you could notice that all of a sudden its sleeping time has increased.
It seems that your sleeping beauty is currently barely awake! What is this about? Why is my cat sleeping more than usual?
There are seven common explanations for this behavior in your cat. Let’s look at each of them and see whether they are health-related and should you do anything to help your pet.
1. Seasonal Change And Weather
You know that feeling when fall comes, leaves fall, and it smells like rain all around? I usually enjoy this seasonal change. It signifies that something has ended, but something new is just starting and has the potential to be great!
Many of my friends don’t share my opinion. Actually, quite the opposite – they even get kind of depressed when colder times come!
I believe many of you feel the same. During this period, sometimes all you want to do is get under the blanket and just nap for the entire day. If only this was always possible!
Well, something similar could be happening with our feline friends. Your cat’s desire to sleep could increase during colder months and bad weather.
According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, a cat could sleep more than usual during winter months in response to shorter daylight hours.
Also, it could notice your routine has changed. For instance, you probably go to sleep earlier when colder weather comes.
Cats who have access to the outdoors will especially notice the lack of sunlight during winter.
If your cat doesn’t show any clinical signs, you shouldn’t worry about its extended naps during the colder season.
Everything seems to slow down and become a bit more confined during colder weather, and our feline companions tend to mirror this shift in their behavior.
2. Your Cat Is Conserving Its Energy
Back in the wild, cats were both predators and prey at the same time. To perform all their tasks successfully, they needed to sleep a lot to conserve their energy.
This way, they were ready each day for another adventure, hunting, and a lot of activity. Domesticated cats live a different life nowadays, but they still have some of the instincts they inherited from their wild ancestors.
You’re well aware that your cat doesn’t need to go hunting to get some food. You’re doing a decent job by providing it with tasty cat food.
However, you’ll likely see your cat still enjoys hunting. Also, it’s certainly happy every time it has an opportunity to play and explore its surroundings.
Therefore, your cat could be just conserving its energy by sleeping a lot. This will help it be prepared for all of its tasks and activities!
After all, cats do lose a lot of energy, especially highly energetic breeds that are always up for some activity.
3. Boredom
A cat that sleeps more than usual could be feeling like it has nothing else to do. This indicates that your cat’s problem is boredom.
Typically, while all of you head out for your daily commitments, your furry companions are left to their own devices.
If they don’t have any other company or some fun activities to do on their own, they will certainly become bored. Some cats could show destructive behaviors like scratching the walls in this situation.
Others will, however, just seize the opportunity and enjoy some nap time! However, this could grow to be a habit for them, and this isn’t very good.
Cats do need a lot of sleep, but this shouldn’t be the only thing they’re doing. You should encourage your cat to be active and stimulate it both physically and mentally.
When you’re home, you should play with your cat and, if it lets you, give it some nice cuddles. When you leave the house, you should ensure there is still some kind of entertainment for your pet.
These can be some puzzle toys, hunting toys, a cat tree, or a scratching post. An additional animal company will also be a great idea, provided, of course, your cat is friendly towards other pets.
4. Stress
Your cat sleeping more than usual could be under stress.
When felines feel nervous and stressed about something in their surroundings, they could hide and become less active. Some of them will also just prefer to sleep and stay away from everyone.
Rose Park Veterinary Surgery explains how there are many triggers for feline stress, and this can also be a combination of multiple factors. Some of the most common causes of stress in cats are the following:
• Under-stimulation and boredom
• Being left alone for long periods
• Loud noises
• Unwanted touching
• Changes in their surroundings (new pet or human in the household, moving house, renovations, etc.)
Together with sleeping a lot, some cats could also manifest signs such as inappropriate defecation. Furthermore, they could show destructive behaviors or even aggression towards pets or humans.
Your normally social cat could seek solitude and resent being touched if it’s stressed about something.
The first thing to do in this situation is to try to figure out what exactly is stressing your cat out. The next step should be to eliminate the stressor from its surroundings.
You shouldn’t force your cat to come to you or try to keep it awake. Let it become stress-free on its own terms.
You should show you’re there for it, but shouldn’t press it to face its fears.
In case you can’t solve this problem on your own, you should reach out to a veterinarian. They may suggest anti-anxiety medications for your kitty.
5. Obesity
Obesity problems can decrease your cat’s quality of life. Overweight cats prefer to rest and sleep more because it’s harder for them to move around. It could even be painful for an obese cat to walk.
Obesity is bad for cats in general. It not only complicates their day-to-day activities but also heightens the risk of various health issues, including diabetes, heart disease, and kidney disease.
Furthermore, overweight felines are likely to have a reduced life expectancy.
Therefore, if you’ve noticed your cat is sleeping a lot, check out its body weight. Cats usually become fat due to overeating and lack of physical exercise.
You should find an ideal way to keep your cat well-fed, but without leaving it an opportunity to eat as much as it wants throughout the day.
Also, regular physical activity is crucial for a cat to stay at a healthy weight.
Once again, in case you need some additional help or information, you can always consult a veterinarian.
6. Age
Cats change a lot as they age. Just like humans, they become less mobile and active. They also seem to enjoy alone time more when they’re older.
If you have a senior cat, it’s perfectly normal to notice it sleeps more than it used to. Your cat isn’t as energetic as it was. Some cats could still want to be highly active when old, but they will have problems moving and jumping.
These changes are a normal part of a cat’s life. You shouldn’t be worried about your elderly pet wanting to sleep more.
Of course, you should try to make your house as comfortable as possible for your feline friend. For instance, it would be useful to find a way for your cat to avoid stairs, since this could be painful for its joints.
Also, there are some great cat trees for older cats. This way, your senior pet can still enjoy a nice look and scratch and climb on appropriate areas.
7. Health Problems
It’s certainly clear to all of you till now that cats love to sleep and most of them will sleep a lot.
People's Dispensary for Sick Animals explains that cats sleep 15 hours a day on average. However, some of them may spend up to 20 hours sleeping.
Still, it isn’t normal for a cat to sleep for the entire day. This can be a warning sign, especially in case you suddenly notice a change in your cat’s sleeping pattern.
A cat that’s sleeping more than usual could be facing a health problem. It’s possible that the pain it’s feeling is making it hard for it to move. Or, your cat could be discouraged and scared and all it wants to do is – to sleep.
Some cats could manifest clinical signs such as a change on their skin, swelling, gastrointestinal problems, or fever.
As soon as you notice any of these, you should take your cat to a vet clinic. You shouldn’t try to observe it on your own or touch it, since this can be painful for it.
There are so many potential health concerns that it’s completely useless trying to guess what’s bothering your cat.
Taking it for a veterinarian observation is the only right thing to do in this situation.
Summary
Why is my cat sleeping more than usual?
There are a couple of potential explanations for this behavior.
In some cases, you have nothing to be worried about. Perhaps your cat is just conserving its energy.
A desire to sleep more is common among senior felines. Some cats could just be bored and find that there isn’t anything more interesting for them to do than sleep. Or, this could happen due to seasonal change and the arrival of colder weather.
However, it’s possible that stress, obesity, or a certain health problem are the reasons behind your cat’s oversleeping.
Observe your pet’s behavior carefully and look out for any clinical signs, such as fever, gastrointestinal issues, or behavioral changes.
In case you notice anything out of the ordinary, take your cat to a veterinarian for a thorough examination.
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