Having this trait in common with mice, we’ve also learned more about why there is a strong connection with cats hunting mice as a natural food source. With a big thanks to all of the researchers who take time to study the habits of our beloved pets, we can now say with confidence that cats are not fully nocturnal, they are metaturnal. Now we have exposed the truth about our feline friends.
Although they have some behaviors in each of the other categories, they most closely fit into this description. So Which Category Do Cats Fall Into?Ĭats are mostly metaturnal, as they sleep part of the time during the day, and part, the night. Cats peak activity occurs at dusk and at dawn, explains Trupanion veterinarian Dr. Younger cats, especially kittens, tend to find hiding places during the day, and while they may take several naps, they don’t usually sleep all day. This is because cats are not nocturnal, but crepuscular. But this does not necessarily mean that they are fully nocturnal. If you watch your cat, you’ll notice a combination of all of these behaviors.Ĭats do possess many nocturnal behaviors such as increased night time activity, nocturnal adaptations in the senses such as eyesight, sense of smell, and hearing ability. Are cats nocturnal Cats are crepuscular (active at twilight and dawn) and not nocturnal (active at night). Mataturnal: Metaturnal creatures spend part of their time sleeping during the day and night time, such as cats and mice. Other animals such as skunks and rabbits also fit into the crepuscular category they are not nocturnal as commonly believed. This is particularly true for house cats who don’t have to worry about hunting for food, or hiding from predators through the night. This behavior is considered to be diurnal.Ĭathermal: Species that are active both day and night are cathermal, such as lions and fossas.Ĭrepuscular: This describes animals that are more highly active in the dusky hours such as dawn and around sunset.
Most cats are out and about hunting birds, butterflies and just outright being curious during the day. Nocturnal: When cats sleep during the day and carouse during the night, their behavior is nocturnal.ĭiurnal: Daytime activity and sleeping at night is diurnal behavior, such as you will find in dogs, barnyard animals and birds. A little further research shows that they actually fit into other categories, as well, so if we must label our kitties, let’s do so properly. In fairness to our cats, we should consider this term for it’s accuracy. While this may hold true for some cats, it doesn’t apply to all of them. Cats have a reputation for being nocturnal creatures, but does this term describe them justly? They fit the definition to some degree because they are commonly most active at night and spend much of their daytime asleep.
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