You don’t stay at home all the time, do you? Have you ever wondered how your cat spends its day when you’re not around? Clearly, when you’re home, things are one way, but when your cat is alone, its daily routine is bound to change a bit.
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Sleeping a Lot
Cats are naturally big sleepers, and when you’re not home, they sleep even more. So, when you’re away, the main thing your cat does is sleep. Sleeping takes up about 60%–70% of their day, sometimes in long stretches, other times as short naps. If you break it down over 24 hours, your cat spends around 16 hours sleeping!
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Self-Grooming
When they’re not sleeping, another big activity for cats is grooming themselves. They spend about 10%–15% of their time licking their fur, cleaning their body, and washing their face with their paws. This is why cats don’t need regular baths yet still manage to stay clean! Grooming usually happens right after they wake up and sometimes after eating.
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Playing on Their Own
Playtime is also a significant part of a cat’s day. After all, being a carefree kitty means there’s nothing much more serious than playing! Typically, cats spend about 10%–20% of their time playing, and the amount of time they spend playing depends on various factors like age, health, and personality. Cats especially like to play in the early morning and evening, possibly due to changes in lighting. So, if you can, it’s a good idea to provide your cat with some toys like scratching posts, cat trees, and interactive playthings.
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Meal Time
Cats spend about 5%–10% of their day eating. As “grazer” animals, cats don’t eat three regular meals a day like humans. Instead, they prefer to eat small meals throughout the day, usually multiple times, but the total amount of food is pretty steady. This eating pattern is tied to their unique digestive system. It’s recommended to keep dry food in their bowl all day so they can eat whenever they’re hungry. You can plan the amount of food for the day to prevent overfeeding. Also, it’s a good idea to replace the food daily, as many cats don’t like eating food that’s been left overnight.
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Waiting for You to Come Home
After all the above activities are done, the main event left is waiting for you to come home. Many cats know approximately when you’ll be home and will wait by the door around that time. The waiting is filled with anticipation, and some cats may even feel a bit anxious or uneasy. So, if you can, try to return around the same time every day—it will make your cat feel more secure. Besides the activities mentioned above, your cat may also do a little “house patrol” around the place, but this doesn’t take up much time.
These are the main activities your cat will engage in when you’re not at home. However, when you’re around, your cat will likely spend more time with you, whether interacting or just resting beside you. So, when you’re away, does your cat follow a similar routine to this?
