Watching cats stretch often fills us with affection. However, they do it so frequently that one can't help but wonder: why do our beloved pets stretch so often?
Cats sleep for 12 to 16 hours a day, which is about twice as much as humans. During sleep, the human brain paralyzes most muscles to prevent sleepwalking and avoid repeating movements that occur during dreams. The same happens with cats when they sleep. Therefore, for most of the time that the animal is dreaming, its muscles remain at rest.
However, as soon as a cat wakes up, it needs to groom itself and quickly prepare to carry out its “duties.” During sleep, just like in humans, a cat's blood pressure decreases. After waking up, it needs to be raised, and stretching and yawning help with this.
When the muscles start to move during stretching, toxins and byproducts of metabolism that accumulate during periods of inactivity are also expelled. For example, carbon dioxide and lactic acid can build up in a cat's body, but stretching promotes better blood and lymph circulation, which helps eliminate toxins.
Moreover, stretching prepares the muscles for physical activity. If a mouse runs by — or, let’s be honest, a spider when it comes to house cats — the animal will be ready to pounce on its prey with prepared muscles.
