Cat Sleep in Winter

Just like us humans, our velvet paws like it particularly cozy in winter. When it’s cold and wet outside, the kitties tend to their cat sleep even more intensively than usual. They prefer to sleep in cozy and warm places.

The cat sleep

Cats seem to be able to sleep anywhere and anytime – a quality that we bipeds often envy. In fact, cats sleep about 70% of the day. Of course, this depends on the age, the season, and the activity of the cat in question. On average, cats sleep 16 hours a day – not in one go, of course, but spread over several units. In winter it can be up to 20 hours. Kittens sleep 90% of the day. Actually, our house tigers are active at dusk and at night. However, they have often adapted to our way of life. Nevertheless, cat owners can often observe that kitties are mainly active in the morning and late in the evening. In the morning the animals like to check their territory, in the evening they are particularly active when their family is working and they are alone during the day.

Why do cats sleep so much?

Cats sleep so much because they use up a lot of energy when they are awake. They are constantly tense, all their senses are on the highest level and they are at attention. Even when sleeping, the cat’s senses continue to work so that it can be wide awake immediately in the event of danger. Cats have retained some of the habits of their wild ancestors. So they use every opportunity to replenish their energy reserves for hunting. Even if the hunt often consists only of walking to the filled food bowl.

Do cats dream?

You may have seen your cat twitch its paws or the tip of its tail or even meow slightly while it is sleeping. Few doubt that cats dream. What they dream of, however, is a mystery that has not yet been unraveled. However, researchers assume that cats, like us humans, dream in the REM phase (Rapid Eye Movement Phase). It is assumed that in these phases they process the stimuli of the day. Unfortunately, since the animals cannot tell us about their dreams, this is only speculation. In any case, you should not disturb your cat in its deep sleep, as it urgently needs it to regenerate.

The most popular places to sleep in winter

While cats like to stretch out on the cool kitchen tiles in summer, they love to snuggle up comfortably on cold days. This is how you can offer your kitties the perfect hibernation spot:

• a cozy pillow on the windowsill
• a bed for the heater
• a cat cave
• an insulated thermal blanket for your favorite spot
• for those who are outdoors: a box with blankets in the gazebo

In general, you should keep in mind that cats like to hide on the one hand and love high places on the other. So you should provide them with a cat cave or build them a cave out of cardboard. Here your kitty can crawl comfortably. Scratching posts are of course suitable as raised sleeping places, but a cozy basket on an accessible cupboard can also serve this purpose. If you’ve already given up the fight against cat hair on your clothes, you can also offer your velvet paws a compartment in your closet.

This is what your cat’s sleeping positions mean

Above all, you can see from your cat’s sleeping positions whether it is currently in a deep sleep phase or whether it is just dozing. You often see animals curled up in their sleep. In this position, your cat is particularly good at storing heat. However, it can also be a sign that she is cold, as cats usually sleep stretched out when it is comfortable. But the behavior can also mean that she feels she needs to protect herself. Therefore, it is best to leave the sleeping cat alone in this position.

Your kitty is only lightly asleep when she is lying on her stomach with her head raised and all four paws hidden under her body. From this position, the sleeping cat can get up quickly if it feels threatened. The velvet paws, on the other hand, show absolute trust when they sleep on their backs and turn their stomachs towards you. At this point, the fur noses are very sensitive. So the sleeping position shows that they are completely relaxed in your presence.