Ask the Expert: Demystifying Cat Sleep Patterns

Your Pet Question:

How many hours should an older cat (12-years-old) sleep?
Debbie Quadra, British Columbia

The Expert Says:

Sleep is something our cats have really “purrfected”! In a field study by Roger Panaman in Cornwall, England, he found that on average cats will sleep for 9.6 hours per day. Another 5.3 hours is simply resting. Cats are “crepuscular” creatures. That means they are most active at dawn and dusk which follows the normal activity of their natural prey. If your cat is sleeping more than usual, it might be just bored so try stimulating it with interesting toys. But if it doesn’t respond, is extremely lethargic and sleeping many more hours per day than the norm, it could be something physical, so a visit to your veterinarian would be recommended.
Dr. Miranda Bourque, DVM, Foothills Animal Hospital in Okotoks, Alberta.