is it normal for cats to sleep 20 hours a day

my cat sleeps so much

Sometimes I think they hurry up and close their eyes the moment you look over just to fool you.

I dunno, 20 hours is certainly more than mine sleep. But I also have a kitten who doesn't let anyone sleep if he really wants attention. I do have pets that sleep more than cats, my leopard geckos, they're always splayed out in some weird position, sound asleep.. until supper time. Much like a cat.

The older they get the more they sleep, but if a young cat (under 3 for instance) is sleeping 20 hrs routinely, I might get them checked out... it's pretty excessive, but they also do it if they have nothing else to do (after all, they can't turn on the computer!) and maybe a new cat tree, interactive toys, even a new sister or brother kitty might wake them up.

Originally Posted by Larke

The older they get the more they sleep, but if a young cat (under 3 for instance) is sleeping 20 hrs routinely, I might get them checked out... it's pretty excessive, but they also do it if they have nothing else to do (after all, they can't turn on the computer!) and maybe a new cat tree, interactive toys, even a new sister or brother kitty might wake them up.

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Much as I find Larke's posts unnecessarily harsh and obtruisive I actually agree with what she says

How old is your cat? If this is not normal SEE A VET, worse comes to worse you will end up with an unnecessary vet bill

ty for info everyone id guess he is 10 but im not sure. she is at least 5

My book on cats says it is normal for cats to sleep 80% of the time. 20/24 is about 80% so your cat appears to be quite normal. That is about how much my cats sleep. And back when I had dogs, they slept just about the same amount of time.

Wow, yeah, if you have a 10 year old cat, that's definitely normal. Five year olds might sleep that much, or they might not... depends. Does he have toys, and playtime with you when he's awake? Can he get to a window to watch outside? Does he look healthy? If he looks good and he has decent energy when he's awake, I wouldn't worry. But do spend time with him, if he wants it; that'll help with boredom.

she looks very healthy she does look out window a lot

I've heard that the normal sleep duration is 18 hours in kittens and 16 in adults, but I guess that doesn't take into account elderly cats. Anyway, the cat may be bored, of course, and I'd think that weight gain would be a concern if the cat's spending its whole life in bed.