Why do cats like to be lazy? Did you know that this is a survival instinct in their case?

Most stereotypes hold that cats are very lazy animals. Well, this is actually not such a far-fetched statement, since they can spend 16-18 hours a day sleeping. For people who sleep 8 hours a day at best, this can be really shocking. However, with cats, this is a completely natural thing, and there are actually evolutionary reasons behind it.

In order to understand what is behind the laziness of cats, it is worth examining the big cats, because the love of laziness can be observed similarly in the case of lions, tigers, and even wild cats.

The evolutionary origins of laziness

If you have ever been to a zoo and observed the behavior of lions or tigers, you have certainly experienced something similar, because there are few times when we see these big cats not sleeping. This can be eerily reminiscent of your cat, which can sleep for up to 18 hours. Well, this is not a coincidence, since big cats and our small domestic cats are extremely similar in many ways.

However, there is a very simple reason for this, because these big cats, such as panthers or leopards, can use an amazing amount of energy during hunting. Because they can run amazingly fast, and they use a huge amount of energy to do it all. However, when they have acquired the prey, they are forced to replenish their depleted energy stores in order to be able to rush after the prey with maximum effort during the next hunt.t.

Laziness is a recharge

So this lazy period is when the animals try to recharge. At this time, they rest, but mostly they sleep a lot. It is worth imagining that during a hunt, their energy simply runs out, and in order to be able to get prey again, they have to recharge. In fact, in this case, they switch to energy-saving mode so that they can provide maximum performance again during the next action. In their case, the energy-saving mode means doing nothing. However, if this rest does not happen, the animal will not be able to hunt its prey, which also has outstanding performance. And if that doesn’t work out, he has absolutely no source of energy, so it’s understandable why recharging is so important.

Why is energy conservation important?

As already mentioned, energy conservation is the key to successful hunting. However, you may wonder why, depending on the fact that you are not hunting, only sleep is the only thing that recharges you. Well, let’s think about it, if there are two lions, one of them roams for an hour or two after the hunt before going to rest, while the other is active only during the hunt and starts to rest when it is finished, which one will have a more successful hunt in the future? Definitely for those who focused on active rest after hunting.

Why are domestic cats so lazy?

So this laziness can primarily be traced back to evolutionary reasons. However, what about those cats who don’t even have to hunt at home, since their owner does everything for them? Do they also need constant laziness? The answer is simple and can still be traced back to evolutionary reasons. Because the cat is always ready to be able to get by on its own and not depend on anyone as much as possible. No matter how much she loves her master, she cannot rely on him to the fullest, as she has to survive on her own. That is why he is in constant readiness by resting and lazing around. Because the more the cat purrs, the more energy it gathers for a possible emergency. So a lazy cat has a better chance of survival than an active one.

Movement is extremely important for domestic cats

However, it is important to note that despite this, cats that live in the wild move around enough while hunting, while cats that are given food are not necessarily as active as their hunting companions. However, lack of exercise can lead to serious weight gain, which can ultimately trigger many diseases. Therefore, it is definitely important that the kitten is regularly moved for at least 30 minutes a day. If we pay attention to this and find the perfect balance between rest and occasional exercise, our cat’s weight will probably be appropriate.