Why Do Cats Stretch?

Cats are well-known as one of the most relaxed animals that spend most of their time sleeping. What fascinates cat parents the most is their stretching habit. They get an impression that cats stretch all the time. Cats stretch several times during a sleep, after sleep, after a nap, during a nap, after staring through the window and sitting for too long in the same position. Especially funny is a moment when a sleepy cat, takes a moment of her sleep to make an exceptionally intense stretch and then continues to sleep. They also stretch when prepare to hunt. Even an exercise has been called by this characteristic cat habit. But, why do cats stretch? And, why do they stretch so much? According to feline experts, the answer is simple – they stretch for the same reasons as humans. During sleep, our muscles rest. When they are not moving, our body becomes stiff. To enable blood supply to muscles and avoid stiffness, cats stretch. Often. Another reason is blood pressure. Namely, during a sleep, blood pressure decreases and circulation becomes sluggish. Cats in the wild do not have a luxury waiting blood pressure to normalize. Frequently, they have to take action immediately. In this term, stretching helps a cat to become ready for action quickly. To find out more about why do cats stretch, the article “Feline Body Language: Why Cats Stretch So Much” gives us the following three reasons.

• Stretching to show affection
Cat Behavior Associates says stretching is a vulnerable posture for cats. This kind of behavior shows a cat feels comfortable with you.

• Stretching to drive away predators or attack when needed
Stretching is also a fundamental tactic for defending themselves from their possible predators and for hunting their prey.

• Stretching to relax
As mentioned, cats can remain immobile for hours. In fact, cats commonly sleep between 12 and 16 hours a day – more than most mammals and up to twice
as much as humans, Huffington Post reports. Therefore, just like humans, cats need to stimulate blood circulation in their body as soon as they get out
of their stationary state. Andrew Cuff, a postdoctoral researcher of anatomy at the Royal Veterinary College in London told Live Science that cats
stretch simply because “it feels good and increases blood flow.”

Feline experts also believe that stretching helps cats to boost their immunity, optimize the flow of lymph and lubricates the joints. Moreover, some of them even claim that stretching is good for the skin. The same health benefits of stretching can apply to humans. As we have seen, cats know very well why they stretch, at least instinctively. But, many of us often forget to stretch, even though this habit is also part of our biology. The next time, when we forget to stretch, our cat will certainly remind us to pause and make a good stretch.