Do Kittens Sleep a Lot When They Are Growing? (Yup, A Lot!) How Much Should They Sleep?

The way a baby animal grows and develops is unlike any other animal on earth. From the moment they are born, kittens spend hours each day asleep.

Do kittens sleep a lot when they are growing? You bet they do! They sleep 11 to 14 hours a day, waking only when they need food, water, or to nurse, play, or groom themselves.

Kittens are completely dependent on their mother for milk, so she spends most of her time nursing and playing with them. 

Your Kitten Will Sleep More

Your kitten will begin to sleep more throughout the day, much like an adult cat does, as it matures from a newborn to a young teenager. Cat naps can take up to half of a day, so make sure you have a cozy cat bed in a convenient location for your kitten.

As long as it isn’t resting, you can expect your kitten to be just as exploratory and playful as it used to be, but with more self-assurance. As a teenager, it will also get more coordinated and show you how much it wants to be friends with you.

Socialization and bonding time has always been crucial to your developing cat, but at this age, your hard work will have finally paid off and you may find your kitten starting to snuggle with you freely.

If you have not previously had your female kitten spayed and it has spent time with an intact male cat, then there is a risk that your kitten is pregnant. Cats may get pregnant as early as six months of age thus it’s highly vital to get your female cat spayed if you don’t want more babies.

How Much Should My Kitten Be Sleeping a Day?

It’s totally normal for your kitten to sleep anywhere between 18 and 20 hours a day even if there isn’t a set number to follow.

Just reassure yourself that it won’t last long the next time your cat is causing you stress or frustration by chasing you around the house and destroying your belongings.

However, this will not be done in one lengthy stretch. The day and night will be broken up into several cat naps.

Cats are infamous for keeping their owners up at night, so be prepared for some disrupted sleep in the first few weeks of owning a kitten.

All night long, it felt like my final kitty was awake. 2 to 3 months of hell were spent there. In actuality, they probably took a dozen or more naps throughout the night and slept for the majority of the day.

At night, I would either wake up to the sensation of someone staring me in the face or hear him step on top of me. Then he’d leap on my toes if I even shifted an inch. Does this sound familiar to you?

How to Get a Kitten to Sleep at Night

If you’d want some advice on how to encourage your kitty to sleep better at night, I’d be happy to assist. As I mentioned before, it may be really aggravating to have them scurrying all over you when you’re attempting to get some shut-eye.

Shutting them out of the room would be an easy solution. The scratching on your door or worrying what they’re destroying in your house could keep you up regardless, so this isn’t always practical.

To help you catch some shut-eye, here are a few ideas to help your kitty sleep more soundly at night:

Before you put them to bed, be sure they’re tired. Playing with your cat is usually enjoyable, so you probably don’t need many reasons to do it. Playing with them before night will help them go asleep more easily.

Sleep in Comfortable Places When it comes to where they sleep, most cats are picky and erratic. As a result, provide your cat with as many cozy and attractive locations to sleep (other than in your bed) as possible.

Feed Them Before Bedtime We all sleep better on a full belly as our bodies consume a lot of energy digesting meals. This is no different for kittens, you could get a longer sleep out of them if they feed shortly before you go to bed.

Ignore Them During the Night As hard as it is, try ignoring your kitten if they are asking for attention from you during the night. They are more inclined to transfer their focus elsewhere if you don’t react.

How Long Does the Kitten Stage Last?

In general, a cat is no longer a kitten once it has become one year old. They’ve grown up and are now full-fledged cats.

Kittens sleep more than adult cats (they no longer need all those extra Zzzz to fuel their growth).

Adult cats, on the other hand, continue to sleep for around 16 hours a day. In the absence of sleep, you can almost always find a cat lounging someplace.

Conclusion

Do Kittens Sleep a Lot When They Are Growing? Kittens sleep for 16 to 17 hours every day. Some experts claim that the average human sleeps 6 to 8 hours a night.

So the kittens don’t have to worry about sleeping for long periods of time when they are growing. They have the time and the energy to grow. But if you keep them awake all the time, they will miss their growth.

source https://catshint.com/do-kittens-sleep-a-lot-when-they-are-growing/