Our family cats are intriguing characters and their daily habits are usually a topic of interest for all. One of the main habits of our furry friends is stretching. But why do they stretch so much?
The easy answer is that just like humans, cats stretch after hours of inactivity because it increases blood flow which helps to get them moving again and, it feels good. But there are a few other reasons too…
Cats spend up to 16 hours of their day sleeping and due to being curled up for so long their body changes its functioning. Just like humans, the cats brain paralyzes most of their muscles when they are asleep. This is to prevent them from sleep walking or falling off that slippery ledge which they’ve decided to nap on.
A cat stretches as it wakes up to help to get the blood moving again. Stretching increases the blood pressure and allows the blood to move through the muscles and to the brain. Along with waking the muscles up, stretching also helps to flush out toxins such as carbon dioxide and lactic acid which have built up during the period of inactivity.
Stretching also allows the cat to be ready at all times. For instance, if an insect were to move across their path their muscles need to be ready to pounce. Stretching readies the cat to capture any prey.
