Cats can beautifully enrich anyone’s life with hungry meows at 3 am and scream of distress when stuck in a most peculiar places. However, it can also add a lot of distress and confusion, especially when your favorite tuna magician has suddenly changed their behaviour and became lazy. In this article, we look at possible reasons why your kitty is less active and how cat parents can manage this new, and often hard to find solutions for, situation.
Reason #1
It’s a well-known fact that felines are world champions in sleeping. Cats can spend up to 18 hours daily on just sleeping and lazily watching over the house napping, which, believe it or not, is not the record. Cats experience different stages of sleep, and kittens might fall asleep even during the playtime. If your cat’s habits haven’t changed and you have not noticed other alarming signals, there is nothing to worry about. Even humans can wake up cranky and unhappy, or be even slow and unresponsive until they’ve had their coffee. Being the sole protectors of any households, cats especially need those very few hours of sleep.
Reason #2
Personalities of cats vary, and some breeds are more active than others. Before bringing a new member into your family, think about what personality you prefer, and which would fit best with your lifestyle and work/study schedule. Would you like to have a coach potato in your house or a volcano of energy? Some breeds, such as Ragdolls, are very calm, while others, for e.g., Bengals are incredibly playful and energetic
Reason #3
Your cat lying around all day doing nothing may be a sign of them getting older. Older cats tend to be less energetic, and calmer.
Reason #4
Let’s be honest, if you are reading this, your cat is probably very spoiled. Fluffy balls are used to getting whatever they want whenever they want. A new scratching post because the old one smells funny? Drinking tap water near you when five minutes ago they run away from ear scratches? As a result, cats have no motivation to do anything.
Introduce more play time in your daily routine, start rotating toys to avoid your kitty being bored, observe what kind of specific toys your pet favors. Also, the playing time should be of two types: solitary play with toys such as a small fur mouse or a catnip banana, and interactive play with other people. If your cat needs motivation, find the right window for playtime and the special toy that excites your pet.
Reason #5
Your cat might be overweight, and this can lead to a reduced activity level.
The study looking at the behavior of nearly 200 cats found that felines with obesity were more likely to spend less time moving around, and more time lying down. The researchers suggest that this could be because obese cats feel being uncomfortable and try to avoid movement in order to protect their joints. If this sounds familiar, and you can see your cat looking a little bit chubbier than they should be, talk to your vet, discuss your concerns, and find the best dieting formula for your cat.
Reason #6
According to the study published in the Journal of Veterinary Behavior, there may be a link between laziness in cats and health problems such as dental problems, severe dehydration, overall pain, anxiety, liver or kidney disease, diabetes, thyroid problems, heart disease, cancer etc. If your cat has suddenly become lazy with no warning or no explanation whatsoever, and you have also noticed other alarming signals such us increased drinking or urinating, or decreased appetite, take your cat to the veterinarian for a check-up.
Why is my cat lazy—final thoughts
By understanding the reasons why your fluffy ball is lazy, cat parents can try to provide the best possible environment and care, to keep their pet healthy and active as long as possible.
