Do Indoor Cats Hibernate During Winter Season

We’re all familiar with the concept of hibernation for animals. In winter, many animals become less active and some go into hibernation for survival. This is quite common for animals in the wild but do indoor cats hibernate during winter season too?

Why do animals hibernate?

The main reason why animals hibernate is because hunting during the cold season is tough. Many creatures are burrowed, hiding trying to stay warm in their respective habitats. As such, predators like cats would have less prey to hunt. Other than the lack of food source, hibernation helps animals to survive the extreme cold in their outdoor habitats. Supposedly, when cats and other animals hibernate, their bodies decrease their metabolism, temperature and heart rate thus reserving their energy. This energy will then be used for warmth and reserved for future hunts.

Do indoor cats hibernate?

Considering the reasons why animals hibernate, indoor cats become an exception. Since pets are well taken care of, there’s no need for them to conserve energy or look out for their survival through winter. With food and shelter readily available, indoor cats have no need for hibernation. So, to answer this question: No, indoor cats don’t hibernate.

Why do cats become less active during winter?

Other cat owners suspect that their cats hibernate during winter because they’re always sleeping. While sleeping a lot is common for cats throughout all seasons, some claim that their feline buddies are snoozing more during the cold season. This is not a cause for worry; even people tend to become less active or feel lazier during winter. For cats whose business are usually just eat, play, survey and sleep, the cold will entice them to eat and sleep more and less of the other activities. It’s normal but it’s been recommended that cat parents should engage their cats to fun indoor activities to avoid becoming obese over winter.

Should I worry if my indoor cats hibernate?

Once again, cats don’t really hibernate. Instead, they go through torpor, a physiological state where a creature lowers its body temperature and reduces metabolism to save energy for maintaining warmth. It’s almost similar with hibernation in terms of the slowing down bodily processes. However, going through torpor is just short term or happens when a feline is at rest.

Usually, the cause for concern during winter are for cat owners with senior or hairless cats; it’s important that cat parents help keep these kinds of felines extra warm as their bodies have disadvantages in keeping warm. Aside from this, if there are no other worrying changes in your cat’s behavior except increased naps and laziness, rest assured. Just stay cozy and happy with your kitty to keep the cold away.