June 26, 2025, 12:15 pm | Read time: 4 minutes
A curled-up cat sleeping peacefully is a familiar sight. It almost seems like cats could spend most of their lives in the land of dreams. PETBOOK investigated whether this is true and if cats are indeed the top sleepers compared to other pets.
When a cat is overtaken by sleep, it might find itself in the strangest positions: hanging over the clothes rack, lying on its back on the stairs with its head dangling freely. But don’t be fooled! Even with its eyes closed, a cat can be instantly alert if startled by a noise. Cats have two sleep phases, which can be either light or deep.
Overview
How Much Sleep Do Cats Need?
Compared to humans, who typically need 7 to 9 hours of sleep to recover, a cat can average up to 16 hours. Kittens and senior cats sleep even more. However, unlike us, they don’t sleep continuously but divide their day into different wake and sleep phases.
Cats are more active in the morning and at dusk, as their prey is also on the move. Weather plays a role too: They enjoy curling up for an extra nap when it rains, while on a pleasant summer evening, they become quite active. Indoor cats sometimes have their wild moments, racing around the house like crazy.
Also interesting: These Animals Sleep the Least of All
How Long Does a Cat Spend in Light Sleep?
Cats spend a large part of the day, about 11 to 14 hours, dozing. Their eyes may be closed or half-open. The body posture is relaxed, but the muscles are always ready, allowing the cat to flee at any moment. This is genetically ingrained, as their ancestors had to be constantly on guard against predators. Despite this, cats can rest and regenerate during this phase. Senses like hearing remain alert during this twilight sleep.
How Long Does a Cat Spend in Deep Sleep?
Cats spend only about four hours in true deep sleep. During this time, their muscles are completely relaxed, though the tip of the tail or an ear might twitch occasionally. Their senses are now in off mode, and they are unaware of their surroundings. This is when they process experiences in dreams.
Such a dream phase lasts about seven minutes and is called the REM phase. REM stands for “Rapid Eye Movement,” referring to the quick eye movements during a dream. In this phase, you might notice not only twitching but also sounds and noises like chattering and soft meowing. This is followed by another approximately twenty-minute light sleep phase. To learn what cats dream about, read this article: Experiment Shows What Cats Dream About.
Also interesting: Why Cats Sometimes Sleep with Their Eyes Open
Why Do Cats Sleep So Much?
Since cats originally had to hunt for their food, which required a lot of energy, they needed extended periods to regenerate. In twilight sleep, they can rest but also strike quickly if prey appears. That’s why cats are “short sleepers.”
But other pets have similarly pronounced sleep patterns as cats:
- Dogs: 14 to 20 hours
- Ferrets: 14 to 18 hours
- Hamsters: 14 to 16 hours
- Guinea pigs: 9.5 hours
- Rabbits: 8.5 to 12 hours
So, the cat is not the master when it comes to the length of its sleep time. Many dogs need even more “shut-eye” than they do.
Conclusion
Due to their evolutionary history, cats alternate between light and deep sleep phases. Otherwise, they decide for themselves where they like to rest. It doesn’t always have to be the cat bed bought for them; often, it’s a spot with their human’s familiar scent.
What Do Dogs Dream About?
How Much Sleep Do Dogs Need?
The different sounds of guinea pigs and what they mean
Sources
- Katze.org, “Schlafverhalten von Katzen” (accessed on 9/6/2023)
- 4everpets.org, “Why Do Ferrets Sleep So Much?” (accessed on 9/6/2023)
- Animalfriends24.de, “How Much Do Guinea Pigs Sleep?” (accessed on 9/6/2023)
- Animalfriends24.de, “How Much Do Guinea Pigs Sleep?” (accessed on 9/6/2023)
- Animalfriends24.de, “How Do Rabbits Sleep? All About Their Sleep Rhythm!” (accessed on 9/6/2023)