Cats are among the best sleepers in the animal kingdom, sleeping 16 to 20 hours every day, regardless of age. A newborn cat may sleep for 24 hours. Surprisingly, a nine-year-old cat had only been awake for three years. Cats are most active around night and dawn, and they spend most of the day napping. Cats expend a lot of energy chasing their prey, therefore sleeping allows the cat to save energy for running and stalking. Cats have quick brain movement while deep asleep. Deep sleep lasts approximately five minutes, whereas dozing lasts approximately fifteen minutes. For hours, the cat alternates between heavy sleep and snoozing.
Cats not only sleep the majority of the day, but they also dream when sleeping. Cats, like humans, go through Rapid Eye Movement sleep, which is when they dream the most. Their dreams are similar to those of humans in that they dream about daily activities. A sleeping cat that twitches, chatters, and moves its paws is most likely dreaming. The most obvious evidence of dreaming in cats is completely slack and relaxed conditions. Sleepwalking can occur in cats as well, but only in brain-damaged cats. Cats will most likely achieve their fantasies by chasing toys or getting their owners to feed them again.
Many people today are perplexed as to how a lost cat can find its way back home without a map. A cat can wander a considerable distance from its new home to its former foster owner without becoming disoriented. Cats have mental maps that not only store the recollection of their daily journeys but also help them find their way if they become disoriented. Cats navigate by watching the angle and position of the sun, as well as its polarization.
Cats can tolerate heat since they evolved as desert creatures. However, the manner in which cats sweat differ greatly from the ways in which people sweat. Cats perspire through their paws. When a cat overheats, sweat is secreted through her paws. A moist footprint path left by a cat on the floor is possible. However, because paws have a little surface area, a cat develops various heat-coping mechanisms such as panting or frequent cleaning.
Meowing is an interesting vocalization produced by adult cats. It is a way of communicating with people. Interestingly cats do not meow to other cats or other animals, just at people. Kittens on the other hand meow to communicate to their mothers but once they grow big, they no longer meow to other cats. Cats meow to greet people, solicit attention, to ask for food, ask to be let in or out. Adult cats speak to each other through scent, facial expression, and complex body languages. Cats use different types of meows depending on the situation. A pleasant meow sound is used to solicit food while a loud unpleasant meow is used to express annoyance.
