Cats Nap

For the most part, a cat typically sleeps anywhere from 15 to 20 hours per day, alternating between short, 5-minute periods of deep sleep and 15-30 minute stretches of dozing. While dozing, a cat hovers just under awareness, which is why it seems that your cat will open his eyes as soon as you walk in the room.

Not all cats need the same amount of sleep, just as all humans vary in their need for sleep. The amount of sleep your cat needs also depends on her age, with young kittens and senior cats sleeping more than juvenile or adult cats. A newborn kitten may sleep almost 24 hours a day, waking only to nurse for short periods, then going right back to sleep. A senior cat, on the other end of the spectrum, may sleep for longer periods of time as a normal part of the aging process.

And though your cat spends a lot of his day sleeping, you probably notice that he's awake and waiting for you when you get home from work or crazily racing around the house first thing every morning. Contrary to common belief, cats aren't nocturnal. These bursts of energy and alertness every morning or evening are related to the cat's "crepuscular" nature, meaning that a cat is more active at dawn and dusk. This activity pattern, in turn, is linked to the behavior of a cat's natural prey--small rodents and birds--which are most active at sunrise and sunset.