Apart from a few bursts of energy throughout the day or zoomies when you open a can in the kitchen, cats’ default setting tends to be sleep. Whether they’ve found the warmest, sunniest spot in your home or are curled up in your lap after a busy day, cats are known to be committed sleep lovers. Although kittens have a reputation for being tiny bundles of furry energy, they actually sleep more than adult cats – up to 20 hours a day.
Here’s everything you need to know about your kitten’s sleep.
Like babies, the younger the kitten is, the more sleep they need. A newborn kitten will sleep around 90% of the day – that’s about 22 hours of snooze time. As kittens grow up, they’ll sleep less but you can expect a 6-month-old kitten to still spend around 16 to 20 hours a day sleeping.
Kittens need sleep just like humans do. It’s a time when their bodies go to work, helping them grow and thrive and developing their brain, central nervous system and more. This includes toning and strengthening their muscles and bones to give them their distinctive cat shape and athleticism. It also includes nurturing their immune system. Without enough sleep, your kitten’s risk of developing an infection or illness is greater. Plus, a tired kitten is a grumpy kitten – just like us hoomans.
The need for sleep in kittens is also a throwback to their ancient genes. Descended from wildcats on the African plains, these cats slept most of the day to ensure young, defenceless wildcats were kept safe and unnoticed by predators. Your sleepy kitten is simply doing what nature tells them to do!
Although you might be surprised by how much your tiny bundle of fur is sleeping, it’s normal for them to sleep a lot. However, there is a medical condition to watch out for – anaemia. Anaemia means your kitten’s body isn’t producing enough red blood cells. It can make kittens seem lethargic or lacking in energy when they’re awake and it can make them sleep more than they normally would. A good way to check for anaemia is to look at their gums. If they’re pale, it’s a sign of anaemia so take them to the vet as soon as you can.
Sleeping too little
It’s very rare that a kitten doesn’t sleep enough. There are some medical conditions that can interfere with a kitten’s sleep, like seizures and sleep disorders, but they’re not at all common. If you’re worried that your kitten isn’t sleeping enough, or they’ve stopped sleeping as much as they did, have a chat with your vet. Most likely it’s just that all kittens are unique, which means some don’t need as much sleep as others.
Not sleeping in their bed
Kittens curl up and doze in plenty of places, from a bookshelf to the sink. But an odd place your kitten might choose to sleep is their litter tray. This is normally caused by one of two things:
This problem is easily solved. For starters, make sure they’ve got their own comfy and cosy bed, ideally with high sides so it feels safe. This is especially important if their litter tray has high sides – they might be attracted to the sense of security this gives them.
Then try swapping out their cat litter to see what they prefer. Eventually you’ll find a type that they’re happy with. Try asking the breeder or adoption centre what type they’re used to and get that if you can.
Kittens don’t really get the concept of night and day like adult humans do, it’s something you’ll have to teach them. You can expect to be woken through the night when you first bring home a kitten with demands for play, petting or food. Here’s how to help your kitten learn that night-time means sleep time.
We hope this guide answers all your questions about your kitten’s sleep. If you need any further help or have a question we haven’t answered, contact our friendly Pet Direct Customer Care team on 0800 200 240 or email support@petdirect.co.nz