Just like us, our four-legged friends need to devote part of their time to rest . This is essential to allow them to recover the energy expended during daily actions and return in strength, for a healthy and balanced life.
We must first understand that their sleep-wake cycles are different from ours , which is why if we see them dozing during the day it does not mean that they are lazy because they are lazy. Much more likely they are trying to satisfy their primary need.
According to the evolutionary theory, in fact, dogs and cats sleep more than other animals because they are predators. On the other hand, prey animals will tend to sleep much less.
How to understand how long it is right for dogs and cats to sleep?
FACTORS THAT AFFECT SLEEP IN DOGS AND CATS
If dogs usually sleep around 10-12 hours a day, in cats we can get up to 16 hours.
These numbers can obviously change based on a number of factors, which directly and indirectly affect the duration and quality of our furry friends’ sleep .
Let’s see them together:
- Diet. A healthy, varied and balanced diet is one of the most important factors in the life of our pets, and it is the one that most influences the quantity and quality of their sleep as much as it affects a higher quality of life in general.
- Environment. An animal that spends many hours outdoors will sleep much less than a furry one who instead spends most of his time between the domestic walls, delighting in long naps.
- Age. As is well known, puppies usually sleep much more than adult animals. While older pets generally tend to sleep a little less (but this also depends a lot on the overall health of the animal).
- Climate. During the winter we will be able to observe our furry friends taking naps more easily, compared to what happens in the summer where they are usually more active and lively and therefore less sleepyheads.
(Learn more about how to manage the change of seasons for animals ).
ADVANTAGES OF A RIGHT SLEEP IN DOGS AND CATS
As we have said, sleeping is a fundamental moment in the life of our furry loved ones, because it allows them to remain strong, energetic and healthy.
But a correct sleep-wake rhythm also has other advantages. Let’s see which ones:
- Increase good mood
- Maintains calm and tranquility
- It improves the functioning of the whole organism
- It keeps the energies constant
- Avoid phases of aggression and stress
- Increase the quality of life
- It makes the animal more sociable and docile
For this reason it is necessary to make sure that the place where our dog or cat usually sleep is well prepared . It must be a place away from drafts, sheltered from cold or heat. An excellent idea to make the bed even more comfortable is to insert some blankets inside it.
(If you want more tips on how to set up a perfect kennel for your cat, read the article: ” How to create a cat-friendly area at home “).
And then… it is very important never to disturb a sleeping animal . If you think about it, who on earth would like to be woken up in the middle of a sweet nap?
DO CATS AND DOGS DREAM?
Oh yeah. Even our four-legged friends dream !
As evidence of this you have certainly seen the cat pull out its claws or simulate a run while sleeping. As well as the dog, which tends to move its paws as if running, or emits subdued rattles that resemble a barely mentioned bark.
All this happens during the deepest sleep phase, the so-called “REM” phase, and it is completely normal for this to happen.
In fact, scholars explain to us that during sleep, animals are able to review and memorize the most important information learned during the day , such as our commands.
SLEEPING WITH OUR DOG OR CAT: YES OR NO?
Many studies have unearthed a fact that perhaps many of you already knew: sleeping in the same room with our beloved furry friends improves our quality of sleep and also helps to calm us down and decrease stress and anxiety levels.
However , it is not a good idea to let the dog sleep in our bed . This is because it would give the dog the wrong signal: that of questioning your figure as a pack leader and having the idea of being able to take control and allow yourself more freedoms.
If, on the other hand, you live with a cat this does not happen. Indeed, when the cat curls up on our bed, in addition to making us very happy and giving us an immediate effect of serenity and relaxation, it has been shown that the cat’s purring regulates blood pressure and slows the heartbeat .
As we have seen, sleep is a “sacred” moment for our animal friends , and it is an aspect to be taken into consideration and known as any other factor that contributes to taking care of them correctly.
