During the winter months, when days get shorter, gray, and overcast, it’s all too easy to curl up on the couch and call it a night. Your cat will likely lie beside you on the couch or in bed before you go to sleep. If you notice your cat sleeping more often and for longer in the winter, you may not be imagining things.
Sleep is regulated by a complicated combination of hormonal and environmental signals. The amount of light and even the ambient temperature can influence sleep habits. It is natural for cats to sleep up to 20 hours daily. This is due to their primal instinct, which is hardwired to sleep during the day, hunt at night, and conserve energy. The winter season might have something to do with your cat curling up in bed even more often.
What causes cats to sleep more during the winter?
A cat’s lethargy in cold weather may occur for a variety of reasons. Some of these reasons are natural and close to hibernation, while others are not. Health issues and mood instability are among the causes.
Torpor is the cat’s form of hibernation
Cats are known to undergo a mild form of hibernation, commonly referred to as “Torpor”. It is, however, not entirely voluntary. As the days grow shorter and temperatures drop, cats may start to slip into torpor involuntarily.
Some cats can awaken from their slumber to eat, drink, and even mate. Other cats, however, lose themselves in such a muted state of being. It’s important to take care of your cat during winter times.
Seasonal Blues
In contrast to the warmth of spring and summer, there are colder surfaces everywhere. In addition, the decreasing daylight, diminishing patches of sun, and final but not least, the changes that occur around the house when winter arrives. From the heaters to the festive spirit of the holiday season.
Around 25% of adults suffer from the seasonal affective disorder, or as we commonly call it, winter blues. This is a sudden onset of symptoms that resemble depression around the end of summer.
In response to that seasonal depression, cats would behave the same as they do when they encounter any inconvenience. They would sleep it off.
Hypothermia
A cat’s rapid loss of body heat can be alarming and distressing. When the surrounding area becomes too cold, it will become weak, lethargic, and sleepy.
Hypothermia is a serious condition not to be taken lightly. If your cat is shivering and feels cold as you hold it, it should be wrapped in a blanket and taken to the veterinarian as soon as possible.
Conclusion
Identifying the difference between natural sleep and illness can be difficult, particularly if the cat does not exhibit any apparent symptoms of illness. That’s why routine visits to the veterinarian are essential.
