Why is My Cat Sleeping So Much? 15 Reasons

• How many hours a day do cats sleep?

• How long do kittens sleep?

• How long do senior cats sleep in a day?

• Indoor vs. outdoor cat napping time.

• Why do cats sleep so much? - 15 reasons

• When to worry about your cat’s sleeping habit?

Normal Sleep Patterns in Cats

Felines' sleeping patterns vary and it depends on their age and lifestyle. Before exploring the reasons for their long resting time, we should understand their normal napping habits.

How Many Hours a Day Do Cats Sleep?

Adult cats generally sleep between 12 to 16 hours a day, with an average of 13 to 14 hours. Usually a nap lasts 50 to 110 minutes. It is normal for a cat to sleep up to 17 hours. Some felines can snooze for up to 20 hours a day.^[1] They’re crepuscular animals, which means they remain active mostly during dawn and dusk.^[2][3] The rest of the time, they’re all about resting up and recharging for their next hunting adventure—even if that "prey" is just a little toy mouse!

How Long Do Kittens Sleep?^[4]

Kittens tend to sleep the most, up to 22 hours a day. Slowly, their napping time decreases as they grow up. Their tiny bodies work hard to grow and recover as they explore and play. 

Kittens resting time according to age:

• Between 0 week to 2 weeks: In this age, kittens sleep approximately 22 hours daily, with frequent interruptions for feeding.

• Between 2 weeks to 3 months: During this period, they also sleep around 22 hours daily, waking for feeding and short bursts of activity.

• Between 3 months and 6 months: Kittens' sleeping duration slightly decreases, averaging 18-20 hours daily in this stage, and they become more active and playful.

• After 6 months: They sleep 15-18 hours a day with a schedule like a young cat.

How Long Do Senior Cats Sleep in a Day?

A senior cat aged 8 years or older can sleep between 16-20 hours a day. When they get older, their energy levels decrease and they prioritize rest over activity.

Indoor vs. Outdoor Cats Napping Time

Lifestyle plays a vital role in felines napping time. Outdoor cats do more napping than indoor cats because they tend to hunt for food or stay alert for predators. Instead, they lure their napping spirits in a safe, quiet environment. 

Understanding these general patterns will help you determine if your cat sleeps normally or unusually. But why does it suddenly seem that your cat has become more lethargic than usual?

Why Do Cats Sleep So Much? - 15 Reasons

Why cats sleep so much, it can be because of natural needs or health issues. It greatly depends on several factors like their breed, age, diet, health, lifestyle and more. Also, bored cats can sleep more than usual. The factors that influence their napping time:

1. Natural reasons:

• Catnaps

• Natural necessity

• Energy consumption

• Changing weather

• Aging

2. Unusual reasons:

• Diet and nutrition

• Injury

• Boredom

• Stress and anxiety

• Hypothyroidism

• Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome (CDS)

• Parasite Infestation

• Hypoglycemia

• Medication side-effects

• Undiagnosed Neurological Issues

Let's delve into the details:

1. Catnaps

It is believed that cats don't sleep for long periods in a single nap. Rather, they intend to take numerous “catnaps”.^[5] It allows them to refresh their body and mind. Catnap is usually defined as a short, light sleep lasting from 15 minutes to 30 minutes.^[6] The term takes its references from the manner of sleeping by domestic cats, who have such a habit of napping multiple times in a day. These brief naps help cats to take rest without deep sleep while maintaining alertness.To support our furry friends' catnaps, we can offer them comfortable beds.

2. Natural Necessity

Just like humans, cats also need to sleep to survive.^[14] As a crepuscular animal, they remain active at dawn and dusk. If you get your pet sleeping all day, it may awake at night. Do you want your pet don’t disturb you at sunrise? Then, you can give him/her a window perch. This will help to pass their time and remain engaged.

Studies on feline sleep have shown that about 33% of a cat's total sleep time is occupied by REM or paradoxical sleep. During REM sleep, they experience deep sleep phases often accompanied by muscle twitches, suggesting cats’ dreaming. Studies reveal that deprivation of paradoxical sleep demands increased awakenings on the following days in cats to restrict obtaining paradoxical sleep, thereby indicating its relevance within cat sleep cycles.^[5]  

3. Energy Consumption

Cats need a lot of energy for hunting, playing, exploring or any other physical activities. Like other mammals in the world, they also conserve energy by sleeping more.^[7] Moreover, sleep facilitates thermoregulation in feline species. By staying in warm areas and being relatively inactive, they minimize energy expenditure for maintaining body temperature, especially in colder conditions.^[8] For helping in this situation, you can give your cat warm fleece blankets for maintaining body heat.

4. Changing Weather

Likewise, cats can be affected by the weather just as we do. It has been discovered that cats show seasonal differences in activities such as eating, grooming, and lying down. Days with higher temperatures and longer daylight hours showed a tendency to cause rest, suggesting that the duration of lying down could also increase in more hot conditions.^[15]  

 

 

Similarly, during sudden temperature drops like the cold rainy days, 76.4% of owners noted increased sleep in their cats.^[16] This, therefore, suggests that extreme temperatures lead to increased sleep in cats, regardless of whether it is extreme heat or extreme cold. 

5. Aging 

Older cats naturally slow down with age. Their sleeping habits tend to shift to accommodate their reduced energy levels and slowing metabolism.^[18] This behavior is associated with several age-related factors:

• Decreased energy levels

• Altered sleep-wake cycles

• Cognitive changes

• Health issues

6. Diet and Nutrition

A cat’s diet and nutrition significantly influence its sleeping patterns. If felines don’t receive foods with necessary nutritions, it will greatly affect their sleeping behavior.^[9] They are obligate carnivores. It means their natural diet is rich in animal proteins.^[10] Sometimes, your furry friend consumes a protein-rich food that can lead to increased levels of certain amino acids, such as tryptophan which may promote sleepiness. That’s the reason cats become drowsy after eating.

Feeding schedules are also important in managing activity and sleeping times in cats. They sleep after eating; hence adjusting feeding time and frequency will affect sleep patterns. Meals fed to them at specific times during the day also help regularize energy levels and eventually lead to more predictable sleeping behavior.

7. Boredom 

Sometimes, cats sleep because of boredom. Another study published in Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology has analyzed the sleep patterns of laboratory cats and found that less external stimulation results in more daytime sleep. This would imply that cats may tend to concentrate on sleeping activities when their environment offers limited stimulation as a means of passing time.^[11] ​

To keep your furry friend free from boredom, you can engage them in interactive play sessions by offering cat trees, scratching posts, and cat shelves. Playing with another cat is also good to keep them free from boredom.

8. Stress and Anxiety

Just like human beings, stress and anxiety can significantly affect a cat's sleep habits. It often leads to increased or disrupted sleep. If your pet rests more than usual, it may be anxious about sometime in its living area such as new people coming in or changes in feeding time.

According to the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, stress and distress affect cats tremendously in matters of health, behavior, and welfare. Cats are covert creatures; they hide illness and discomfort, so minor changes, like disruption in sleep patterns, can alert one to signs of stress.^[12] ​

Furthermore, environmental factors, such as exposure to light, can affect the sleep of domestic cats by disrupting melatonin expression, which may contribute to stress-related sleep disturbances. ​If you want to help your furry friend to overcome this situation, offer them comfortable cave beds.^[13] ​

9. Injury

Injury may result in your feline friend needing further sleep as this is time required to heal. Scientific literature specifically concerning the correlation between injury and increased sleep in cats is limited. Still, some research says when cats are injured and unhappy, they may show changes in behavior that include not being very active and sleeping more than usual. This is in itself a very subtle manifestation of these signs compared with reduced overall activity, less playfulness, or perhaps even altered locomotion. Such behavioral changes may reflect the condition of an animal in pain, possibly consequent to an injury.^[17] ​

10. Hypothyroidism (Thyroid Imbalance)^[19]

If your cat has a lack of thyroid hormone (thyroxine), it can cause your cat to sleep more. Though hypothyroidism is rare in adult cats, it occurs particularly as a result of treatments for hyperthyroidism (such as surgery or radioiodine therapy). The state may increase somnolence and increase the duration of sleep for increased energy expenditure due to down-regulated metabolism. The condition can lead to lethargy and increased sleep due to a slowed metabolism.

Other symptoms include:

• Lethargy and mental dullness

• Decreased appetite​

• Weight gain​

• Hair loss​

• Dry skin

• Low body temperature

• Occasionally, a decreased heart rate​

If you notice your pet sleeping more than usual with these symptoms, a veterinary checkup and thyroid function tests (T4 levels) are recommended to rule out hypothyroidism.

11. Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome (CDS)

​Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome (CDS) is also known as feline cognitive dysfunction (FCD). It can significantly alter a cat's sleep patterns. Older cats with this neurodegenerative disease may experience behavioral changes, such as altered routines and disruptions in their sleep-wake cycles. Because of this condition, you will notice your pet sleeping more during the day and remain awake at night.^[20]

This can occur because of separation anxiety, stress, suffering from CDS, loss of familiar sleeping area, litter box position change or more. If you notice these signs, immediately contact a professional vet.

12. Parasite Infestation

Parasitic infestations may induce prolonged sleep in cats. When cats are affected by parasites such as worms or fleas, the result is lethargy and more time spent sleeping than usual, which is a response by the body to the infection.^[21] For example, gastrointestinal parasites such as roundworms and tapeworms can cause lethargy in cats. Also, heavy flea infestations can lead to anemia, particularly in small or old cats, causing weakness and excessive sleeping. If your pet is sleeping more than usual, consult with a vet to determine if a parasite infestation or another health issue is the underlying cause.

13. Hypoglycemia

Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) in felines can lead to increased sleepiness or lethargy. When a cat's blood glucose level falls below a certain threshold, it can show symptoms like lethargy, weight loss, vomiting, and dehydration on top of sleeping too much. More clinical signs, including:​

• Lethargy or depression​

• Weakness

• Ataxia (lack of coordination)

• Seizures or coma in severe cases^[22]

While hypoglycemia is a common cause of increased sleepiness, it can also cause disorientation and seizures. Contact a vet immediately if you suspect your pet has hypoglycemia to prevent potentially life-threatening complications.

14. Medication Side-Effects

If your cat is on medication for any health issues, you might notice that it sleeps more than usual. This is often a side effect of the meds, especially if they're being treated for allergies, anxiety, or pain. Follow your vet instructions in this situation.

15. Undiagnosed Neurological Issues

Felines sometimes face a range of neurological problems. Being a covert animal, they excel at concealing their vulnerabilities.^[12] Because of this, it’s not uncommon for some neurological issues to go unnoticed.

When to Worry About Your Cat’s Sleeping Habits 

Though it is natural for cats to sleep a lot, sometimes excessive sleeping could signal underlying health issues.^[23] Look for these warning signs:

• Changes in appetite: Having meals more or less than before could point to health issues. 

• Lethargy during awake hours: If your pet doesn’t involve or feel interested in interactive play or grooming, it might be feeling unwell.

• Sudden weight gain or loss: Weight changes combined with increased sleepiness may require a vet’s attention. 

• Frequent hiding for sleeping: If their cat is seeking out more hidden corners, it may not be feeling well or is stressed. 

• Difficulty waking up: If your cat is consistently sluggish or lethargic by any point in the day, especially at mealtime or playtime, you should contact your veterinarian.

It's important not to overlook signs of lethargy and excessive sleep; a veterinary checkup can rule out serious illnesses such as thyroid imbalances, diabetes, or infections.

More health problem associated with excess sleeping:

• Dehydration

• Fever

• Kidney disease

• Diabetes mellitus

• Hepatobiliary (liver/gallbladder) disease

• Obesity

• Osteoarthritis

• Heart disease

• Hypertension

• Recovering from an anesthetic and/or surgical procedure

In Summary

Why do your cat sleep so much or more than usual can stem from both normal and abnormal causes. Though felines normally sleep 12-16 hours daily, any significant increase in sleep or unusual napping patterns could indicate underlying health issues. Therefore, properly monitor your cat's behavior, paying particular attention to changes in activity levels, appetite, and grooming habits. If you observe any concerning changes, consult a veterinarian promptly to ensure early detection and treatment of any potential health problems.

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