Cat's Enchanting Sleep Poses: A Feline's Dreamy Repose

Cat's Sleep Characteristics

Sleep is an essential behavior for all animals, and the higher the species, the more time it requires for rest. This is crucial for repairing the nervous system, alleviating brain fatigue, and preparing for future activities by replenishing energy and vitality.

However, we often observe that cats sleep throughout the day. Are cats more advanced than humans? It seems that cats can sleep for 1620 hours a day. Research indicates that threequarters of a cat's sleep is in a state of pseudosleep, or napping, which means they are actually only deeply asleep for about 45 hours.

Cats, aside from hunting and mating, seek a safe place to hide from danger or to lie in wait for prey.

With modern cats not needing to worry about food or migrate to change their nests, they have more time for sleep when they are idle.

Compared to their wild counterparts, domestic cats have altered their sleep patterns from nocturnal to diurnal. They sleep during the day to avoid predators like birds of prey, and they hunt at night for better catches.

Cats can now sleep at irregular intervals multiple times a day, sleeping and waking up at any time.

Cat's Sleep Stages

A cat's sleep is divided into four stages, which alternate in a cyclic pattern: the drowsiness stage, the light sleep stage, the deep sleep stage, and the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep stage.

Drowsiness Stage

The drowsiness stage is the transition from wakefulness to sleep. During this phase, the cat's breathing and heartbeat slow down, and their limbs may twitch occasionally as a prelude to muscle relaxation.

Light Sleep Stage

The light sleep stage releases inhibitory hormones, reducing muscle activity and placing the muscles in a relaxed "paralyzed" state. The cat's heartbeat and breathing slow further, their body temperature begins to drop, eye movements cease, and brainwave activity slows down, leading to a gradual decrease in consciousness. This stage occupies most of the sleep cycle.

Deep Sleep Stage

In the deep sleep stage, the cat's heartbeat and breathing reach their lowest levels, and the inhibition of muscles is lifted, allowing for complete muscle relaxation. Brainwave levels are at their lowest, and consciousness is at its lowest. Growth hormones are released to promote the regeneration of the cat's bones and muscles, and the body and immune system are rapidly repaired. It is difficult to wake a cat during this stage, and even offering a piece of fish in their mouth will not rouse them.

REM Sleep Stage

The REM sleep stage is similar to the human REM sleep stage, where brainwave levels rise rapidly, and the cat's dreams occur during this phase. The cat's eyes move rapidly from side to side, and their breathing and heart rate gradually return to nearwaking levels. The cat can easily wake up during this stage. In this phase, some parts of the cat's brain cortex are in a state of rest, while others are active. If the dreams are particularly vivid, the cat may twitch its whiskers and limbs, and may even suddenly wake up due to excessive twitching.

Cat's Common Sleep Positions

We categorize a cat's sleep positions based on the direction of their head and tail: the prone position, the sidelying position, the supine position, and the curled position.

Prone Position

The prone position is selfexplanatory; the cat sleeps lying down. Depending on the cat's mental state and alertness, this position can be divided into three forms.

Normal Prone Position

In this position, the cat's front paws extend downward and rest on their body, often indicating that the cat is still vigilant about the surrounding environment in a not particularly quiet or safe area, ready to spring up at a moment's notice.

Curled Prone Position

In this position, the cat's front paws are curled up, suggesting a greater sense of relaxation. Cats typically use this position on furniture like sofas or chairs, or in boxes, which are relatively safe. This position is comfortable for the cat, both physically and mentally, though not entirely relaxed. It allows for a quick transition to the Sphinxlike sitting position.

Relaxed Prone Position

In this position, the cat is completely relaxed and unguarded, sleeping comfortably.

SideLying Position

The sidelying position is similar to the curled position, with the key difference being the position of the cat's tail. In the curled position, the tail typically points towards the head, while in the sidelying position, the tail is naturally extended.

Swimming SideLying Position

In this very relaxed position, the cat's limbs are crossed, resembling a swimming motion. This is a common sleep posture that allows the cat to enter a deep sleep.

Dreaming SideLying Position

In this position, the cat lies on its side, exposing its belly, indicating a state of complete relaxation and security. The cat may be dreaming at this time, showing leg kicking, whisker twitching, and tail flicking.

Supine Position

Surrender Supine Position

In this position, the cat's limbs point towards the head, resembling a surrender gesture. This is not a natural position; the cat is not asleep. It is often adjusted by the owner, who is nearby, making the cat feel very secure and relaxed. However, this position will not last long once the owner leaves, as it is not particularly comfortable for the cat, and can be more of a posed photo opportunity.

Relaxed Supine Position

In this very relaxed position, the cat's limbs are stretched out naturally, and they may even roll from side to side to adjust their position, adapting to sunlight and shifting attention. The cat is completely unguarded when approached, and may twitch its body if touched.

Curled Position

In this position, the cat's body is curled up, with its limbs, especially the front limbs, relaxed and its tail pointing towards the head. The cat's head is either turned to the side or lying down. Cats typically use this position in a small, suitable area, using small terrain or objects for support, curling up very tightly. This position is very comfortable for the cat, and small objects can enhance their sense of security, making them prefer such sleeping environments.

Incomplete Curled Position

If the cat cannot find a suitable terrain, it may also adopt a curled position in open areas. In this case, although the cat's tail points towards the head and its body is curled up, there is no object to block or restrict it, so the cat's body cannot be curled up completely, especially the front limbs, which are not fully relaxed, resembling a prone position.