Cat hibernation: Why does my cats sleep more in winter?

 

Cat hibernation: Why does my cats sleep more in winter?

The life of a cat, eh? Do you ever wished you could take as many cat naps as your family's four-legged feline? Cats take sleep seriously all year round, but you might have observed variations in your cat's resting habits with the seasons or even as they get older. Here is the lowdown on what is typical and abnormal in relation to sleeping cats and the wintertime blues.

Normal Cat Sleep

Because cats are polymorphic, they have similar sleep patterns  to many mammals. They have different periods of REM sleep, non-REM sleep, drowsiness, and arousal. The average cat sleeps more than 50% of 24 hours with a 1.5 hour sleep period 4. 

Their REM sleep is human-like and their bodies are relatively immobile, but their legs, ears, tail, and whiskers frequently explode. It's normal to see what looks like a cat's dream play in real time in REM sleep!

Why Do Cats Sleep More in the Winter?

Sleep is regulated by a complex combination of environmental and hormonal signals. Even the amount of light and  ambient temperature can change your sleep habits. The additional doze time  in winter may be due, in part, to the ancestral tendency to save energy during periods of low food intake. Technically, cats don't hibernate like some mammals, but they often look curled up on the couch.

If  your cat feels asleep more this winter, it may also be related to poor sleep quality. Studies show that lower temperatures increase the duration of wakefulness during REM sleep and reduce the overall quality of recovery of cat sleep1. To make up for these obstacles, cats can react by sleeping more. This seems to increase with age. Older cats, in particular, sleep more to compensate for the poor sleep quality when the temperature is low.

Do Cats Get Seasonal Depression?

The additional hours of sleep may give the impression that your cat is depressed. Human mood fluctuations are frequently caused by seasonal depression, which has been extensively studied and verified in people. Alternatively, very little study has been conducted on the seasonal variations in feline mood or behavior.

Since humans and cats actually have comparable brain chemistry, it stands to reason that our seasonal production of mood-regulating chemicals like serotonin and melatonin may also be similar. Currently, scientists do not think that cats experience seasonal affective disorder (SAD) in the same way that people do. However, it's likely that we reflect our own pessimistic attitudes onto our pets as the temperatures drop and the amount of light decreases.

How to Help Your Cat Cope in the Winter

Here are some suggestions for keeping your cat content and healthy as the weather gets colder! Make sure your cat has access to a warm sleeping area. The American Association of Laboratory Animals published a study that examined laboratory cats' preferred sleeping positions. It should come as no surprise that cats prefer soft places for sleeping. According to the article, giving cats a suitable location to relax is essential for their wellbeing2. Here are a few more ideas to support your cat through:

• When the weather changes, bring outside cats indoors more often.
• To beat boredom, try to boost engaging play and activity.
• Indoor cat games can be a terrific way to get your cat moving.
• Make certain your cat has access to daylight: a well-lit space with a windowsill napping place could be the perfect solution.

If the cat is overly depressed, lethargic, or does not seem to eat well, it is unlikely that it is related solely to the weather. Cats are masters of disguise when they get sick, and subtle changes in behavior can indicate a true underlying problem. If you feel that winter blue is changing your cat's habits, contact your vet. The Pet Best plan also includes a 24/7 helpline.

1 Bowersox, S. S., Dement, W.C., and Grotzbach, S.F. (1988). Effect of ambient temperature on sleep characteristics of old cats Brain Studies, 457 (1), 200-203. 

2 Crouse, S.J., Atwill, E.R., Lagana, M. and Houpt, K. A. (1995) Soft surface: A factor in the psychological well-being of cats. Contemporary topics in experimental animal science 34.6, 94-97.

 

3 Hendricks, J.C., Morrison, A. R., Farnbach, G.L., Steinberg, S.A. , & Mann, G. (1981) REM sleep behavior disorder  in cats. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 178 (1), 55-57.

 

 

4 Toth, L.A. & Bhargava, P. (2013) Animal model of sleep disorders. Comparative Medicine, 63 (2), 91-104.