Newborn Kittens Sleep A Lot

A general rule for kittens is that the younger the kitten is the more sleep they need.

Newborn kittens sleep a lot. Once kittens are a few weeks old and out of the newborn stage of nearly constant sleeping they tend to be asleep for between 60 and 70 percent of each 24 hour period much more than the average sleeping time of fully mature felines. Elderly cats often have kittens beat in that department however. Kittens are supposed to be inquisitive and constantly bouncing around. If you have newborn kittens who ve been separated from their mother consult with a veterinarian shelter or experienced foster care giver who can help you find a new mother cat with a small litter she may be able to nurse the orphaned babies.

But even at six months of age they still manage to spend about 16 to 20 hours a day dozing and dreaming away. Newborn kitten care means letting the kittens spend their first days either sleeping or eating. If you cannot find a foster mother please consult with your veterinarian about the proper way to bottle feed with a commercial milk replacer. If you see your little kitten twitching during sleep don t worry.

As kittens mature beyond the newborn stage they will sleep less. While they also require a lot of sleep there s a noticeable difference between a kitten who is tired and one that is lethargic. You probably won t notice much of a difference between a newborn kitten and a one week old kitten but it will start to be more active as the week goes on. So don t be concerned if your brand new kitten isn t running around and exploring at all times.

Newborn kitten sleeping pattern the first week your little kitty can sleep more than 20 hours a day. Lethargic kittens sleep the whole day away and when they aren t sleeping they re disinterested in playing or doing anything that isn t. Little twitching movements while sleeping are normal. A newborn kitten s daily routine is made up of sleeping 90 percent of the time that is almost 22 hours of shuteye.

You can read more about this under kitten development. Behavior changes of newborn kittens. In reality sleep is the very best thing for her little body. Her sleep is light agitated with small fast contractions of her face muscles and ears and she may make small sounds.