Are cats nocturnal? An invalid question to answer. We all know that cats love hunting at night and they tend to have a perfect vision.
On the other hand, the cat’s sleep schedule is quite funny and if you are not careful, your feline friend can keep you awake the whole night.
Despite that funny sleeping schedule and behavior of your furry friend at night, she is not a nocturnal creature but a crepuscular creature.
In this article, we will explore the meaning of nocturnal and diurnal which will help you know which category your feline friend falls.
What Does Nocturnal Mean?
Nocturnal are those creatures that tend to be very active at night. This is a feature that is quite common in both indoor and outdoor cats.
However, cats tend to be funny creatures since you will still find them active during the day and this now fosters us to know more about diurnal creatures.
What Does Diurnal Mean?
Diurnal are those creatures that are quite active during the daylight. Well, this also defines another character that is also seen in cats.
However, there are some furry friends that tend to sleep all day. But, our feline friend will still be regarded as a diurnal creature. Let’s find out more.
Are Cats Nocturnal or Diurnal?
Generally, cats are nocturnal but they tend to display crepuscular behavior. This means that they are active both during the night and the day.
So, are indoor cats nocturnal? Of course yes. But this happens when you subject your feline friend to certain conditions.
Many cat owners tend to go for a job during the day and they are forced to leave their cats alone in the house. This forces them to sleep due to boredom and become active once the owner is at home in the evening.
On the other hand, if there is someone left at home with the cat during the day, they tend to be diurnal. But still, they will be awake at night.
However, cats tend to exhibit crepuscular behaviors. Many of our cats are nocturnal but not all of them.
Are Indoor Cats Nocturnal
Are cats nocturnal or crepuscular? I will say both. But cats tend to be more active at night than during the daylight.
The behavior of being active perfectly suits them since this is usually the ideal time for them to hunt.
Also, some of them tend to be active in the wee hours of the morning. One may ask, why? This is the typical time most of them tend to be hungry hence the reason why they start to meow.
The behavior of being active during the day and at night is something they inherited from their ancestors. Hence, it is quite difficult to separate them from the behavior.
Are Stray Cats Nocturnal?
Feral cats tend to fear a lot and most of them hate being seen during the day. They can spend most of their time hiding.
At night, they tend to come out from their hideouts and this is the reason why you have seen many of them in the dark streets.
So, feral cats are nocturnal. They use the darkness to hunt for food and stay away from people. The darkness is also a perfect hideout for them.
Do Cats Have Night Vision?
Is true that cats have great night vision? Well, the cat-eye has tapetum lucidum which is a layer behind the retina.
The layer has the ability to reflect the incoming light in their eyes and this is the reason why you see a shiny green hue in a cat’s eyes at night.
The fact is cats cannot see in total darkness. But cats tend to have a clearer vision than human beings.
When Are Cats Most Active?
Cats are curious and funny creatures. They tend to be active anytime they feel like it. Many indoor cats want to be where food and people are in most cases.
Sometimes, they will save their energy and find a quiet place like on the sofa then sleep. On the other hand, outdoor cats are not fond of people and they tend to be nocturnal.
The behavior is only meant to help them avoid people and hunt for food. This is the moment when all mice and crickets are out.
Do Cats Sleep At Night?
The domestic cat nocturnal behavior does not imply that they tend to stay awake the whole night. Cats generally tend to sleep at night.
Most of them tend to snooze when their stomach is full. They will be active when they have eaten but once they eat a couple of mice then they opt to sleep. Resting is quite important even to animals.
How Long Do Cats Sleep At Night
According to research domestic cats tend to sleep between 16 to 20 hours per day but they do not sleep continuously per day.
Most of the time, they keep on alternating sleep periods and being active at night. They sleep for a few minutes and get up to start hunting. This keeps on until morning.
All house and outdoor cats have a funny sleeping schedule but it is quite easy to tame indoor cats at night.
The poor sleeping habits of indoor cats can’t be tolerated since the meowing sounds can be disgusting at a time. The sounds can keep you awake the whole night.
You can read one of my articles and get to know the reasons why is my cat yowling at night.
How to Get A Cat To Sleep At Night
Here are some proven tips that can make your cat sleep at night and give you peace of mind. The tips include:
Keep the cat out of your bedroom at night and your kitty will have a pretty nice sleep alone.
Ensure the curtains in the room where the cat sleeps is fully open so that they can have the opportunity to see outside.
Do not give in when the cat starts to meow at night due to hunger instead devise a feeding schedule for your furry friend.
Ignore giving attention to your cat at night even if she starts to meow.
Ensure you play with your kitty during the day so that she can feel exhausted.
Bring a new cat into the house and try to socialize with them. The company will help her sleep at night.
Sources and References
- Maurice H. Bernstein, Daniel C. Pease. “Tapetum Lucidum of the Cat.” Journal of Cell Biology.
- Sarah Zielinski. “The Secret Lives of Feral Cats.” SMITHSONIAN.COM
