You have probably seen cats around you stretch all the time. Many scientists say that cat stretching takes place for a lot of the same reasons we humans stretch. Read on to find out more about cat stretching!
Cats sleep a lot
Kittens can sleep up to 90% of the day, which translates to 22 hours! On average, adult cats sleep for up to 18 hours a day. This is also called ‘catnapping.’ This is one of the main reasons cats stretching. It is probably a common sight for you to walk into your house (if you are a cat owner) and see your cat asleep on the floor, on the couch, or in your bed.
You may go over to pet them, to which they will slightly respond, then go back to sleep. Cats love to sleep. Some adult cats can even sleep up to 20 hours a day! So, after all that sleeping, it is natural that cats stretching will take place, and they will move a little bit and warm up its’ muscles.
After all, it has been lying in one position for hours on end. Just like any human would, cats stretch after they wake up. The thing with cats is that even though they sleep a lot, they are simply ‘catnapping.’ This means they are not in a deep sleep and wake up often. The more they wake up, the more cats stretching takes place!
Ready to pounce
Cats have very quick reflexes. Indoor cats may need them as much, but they do help cats who live in the wild. It helps them stay safe from predators.
Even though indoor cats may not be at risk all the time like cats in the wild are, they still have the quick reflex gene. Cats usually sleep a lot, but they do not have a very deep sleep most of the time. This means they may wake up by small sounds, like their owner walking into a room. This may startle them. So, when they wake up, they immediately stretch to be ready to pounce on the enemy if necessary! Keeping reflexes sharp is a reason for cats stretching too.
Flexibility
Cats stretching regularly keeps muscles in the body flexible and strong. It helps to maintain motion in the muscles, ligaments, and joints. To stay in good shape, cats stretch a lot. If cats didn’t stretch so much, their muscles would become short and tight.
This means that they would not be able to run around as much or be as effective when hunting their prey! If the cat’s muscles shorten and tighten, they may become weak and unable to flex their muscles to the maximum. This translates to stretching, keeping the cat healthy and in top shape!
Posture
Cats stretching is a great way to improve posture. Posture is the position of one’s body when one is either standing or sitting. Tight muscles will always cause bad posture. When muscles are kept loose and are used frequently, they will start to strengthen.
Cats stretch to warm up their muscles too, and this helps in putting their muscles to work. When muscles are used frequently, they will eventually improve your posture, as they become strong, so a cat stretch is very important after waking up.
Relieves stress
Cats stretching can help the muscles let go of any tension and stress they are under. Cats run around a lot and are usually playful little creatures, and this may bring their muscles under stress, which can hurt them. Thus, stretching it out can help relieve any pain and prevent them from getting seriously injured.
Furthermore, stretching has been proven to relieve mental stress off of these small cuddly creatures too. Cats also get anxious and stay under tension sometimes, just like us humans. Stretching is a good way to let go of these things and help the cat feel much better physically and mentally.
Blood flow to muscles
Cats stretching allows the muscles to press on the arteries in the legs and arms of the cat. This helps its’ body release special chemicals in the blood. As they travel through the arteries, these chemicals can help loosen up and expand the arteries so that an increased amount of blood can enter. If more blood enters, more oxygen can be transported around at a quicker rate, which will help the cat run faster, keep muscles healthy and stay in good shape overall.
More oxygen flow helps transport the nutrients that muscles and organs need. This helps them use up nutrients in the body and create energy to run around and play. It also has many other benefits, such as keep the heart beating strong and healthy and a positive benefit on the cat’s lungs. This is why it is a common sight to see a cat stretching its paws.
Fix blood pressure
When any mammal is sleeping or resting, its blood pressure tends to drop. This is also the case for humans, as well as cats. Cats stretching helps in reversing this, and once the cat stretches, the blood pressure of the cat goes back up to a normal rate.
Periods of inactivity
Cats can usually be found lazing around when they are not sleeping or resting. Cats stretching helps fix the blood flow a cats’ muscles get when resting or sitting still.
Cats stretching happen for a lot of the same reasons that humans do. It keeps them healthy and helps decrease any soreness the cat may have in its’ muscles. Cats need their muscles to be in top shape at all times, so they can get up and run around or play.
Another reason is that cats in the wild need to be completely aware of what is going on around them and have the ability to jump up and run away if a threat comes near them, such as a predator. Thus, cat stretching is very important to keep cats in good shape.
