Being a cat owner, it might be tough for you to see your cat’s strange behavior; in fact, many cat owners love the weirdness in their cat (they claim that it played a significant role in their charm). You will come to know about their craze and love once you go through the YouTube videos.
Did you ever notice your cat sleeping with its eyes open? At some point, it might have even freaked you out because we humans have a habit of sleeping with our eyes closed. But other than that, humans find some habits (especially sleeping habits) of cats very strange.
So is it normal for cats to sleep with their eyes open? Is it something a cat owner must be worried about? We will be discussing everything in the article below.
Do cats sleep with their eyes open?
Yes, they can. If you observe your cat a whole day, and if you find out that your cat is sleeping through the day with its eyes open, then it might keep you surprised, but not all cats do that, it is not a usual thing for cats to do, so might end up starting to worry about her.
In most cases, it is found that cats sleeping with their eyes open are not a thing to be worried about. Many cats sleep while keeping their eyes partially open, and researchers have said that this trait is found mainly in older cats.
As already mentioned, it is not a thing to worry about, but still, you should not stop observing your cat because, in some rare cases, you keep your eyes open.
At the same time, sleeping can indicate specific medical issues.
It would be best if you appointed a vet when you notice that your cat is sleeping, but her eyes are twitching because it could be a sign of a disease called epilepsy. In these types of cases, it is advised not to take any risk and talk with a vet to be on the safe side.
It can look a bit strange and spooky when cats sleep with their eyes open. Some might think that there is something seriously wrong. You might also wonder as it might appear dead to certain owners (but you do not need to worry about that).
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What does it mean when a cat sleeps with its eyes open?
As already mentioned, it is not strange behavior, and it is normal for cats to sleep with their eyes open. There can be several reasons behind it. The cats are hunters in nature, and they are made to conserve their energy (during the day) by sleeping, and this is why they keep their eyes open (slightly) when they sleep.
They were designed to always be aware of their surroundings, and they can take immediate reaction to a situation (mostly danger). Other than that, their sleep cycle might also play one of the reasons behind this.
Like humans, cats, too, have a sleep cycle with many stages. So, when you see your cat’s eyes partially open, that might mean they are in light sleep, or they might be in their initial sleeping stage (this stage in the sleeping cycle is known as NREM/ Non-Rapid Eye Movement).
When they go into a deep sleep or in the REM stage (Rapid-Eye Movement), they will most likely sleep with their eyes closed, but it is still possible for a cat to have a deep sleep with their eyes open or partially open.
Why do the cats sleep with their eyes open?
This can be strange for human beings to see their pets sleeping with their eyes partially open, and you might still be thinking about the reasons behind it. Just like humans, cats also experience different stages of the sleep cycle.
When they are in light sleep, their eyes are likely to open more.
Though they are resting, their body is always aware of its surroundings; this is how they are designed. You can also observe some ears twisting or the ear’s movement towards where some sound is coming from, etc.
Even when you feel safe in your own house, your cat’s instincts will never stop or have a break. When they sleep with their eyes partially open, it makes them feel more in an easy state.
And allows your cat to keep track of the movements occurring in the environment. When they slip into a deeper sleep, they usually do not keep their eyes open, but there are still many chances of its possibility.
A cat might also keep its eye open while sleeping because of an injury; the cats have a translucent third eyelid behind the other two of their eyelids. If this translucent layer gets injured due to some reason, then it might be the reason why your cat cannot close its eyes while he/she is sleeping.
Please make sure that an injury on the eye might be severe, and your cat might need surgery; hence it is always safe to consult a vet just to be on the safe side. Usually, eye damage in cats is infrequent and might not be the reason why your cat keeps its eye open while sleeping.
But if your cat is experiencing some other symptoms like lack of interest in food, not drinking water properly, or lack of energy, then you must visit a vet for a complete checkup without any delay. In most cases, you do not have to be concerned about this, but you have to make sure you keep an eye on her.
You have to observe whether your kitty has some other symptoms like seizing, twitching or eye trauma, or some other symptoms mentioned above. You must schedule an appointment with your animal doctor. Experienced doctors will let you know if your kitty is undergoing any medical problems or not.
Cats are very playful (except some who are very lazy), and their weird, stupidly funny nature makes us laugh or removes our loneliness. Yet, you have to remember that cats are very much aware of what is happening in their environment.
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Reasons why they sleep with their eyes open?
Natural instincts
As mentioned above, cats are hunters in nature and always aware of what is happening in their environment, plus they conserve energy in the morning by sleeping.
They are very cautious even when they sleep and keep their eyes partially closed to react to the danger if it attacks them at the time they sleep.
Sleep cycle
Just like humans, cats also experience different stages of the sleep cycle. When they are in light sleep, their eyes are likely to open more. Though they are resting, their body is always aware of its surroundings; this is how they are designed.
You can also observe some ears twisting or the ear’s movement towards where some sound is coming from, etc. Even when you feel safe in your own house, your cat’s instincts will never stop or have a break when they sleep with their eyes partially open.
Injury
A cat might also keep its eye open while sleeping because of an injury; the cats have a translucent third eyelid behind the other two of their eyelids. If this translucent layer gets injured due to some reason, then it might be the reason why your cat cannot close its eyes while he/she is sleeping.
Please make sure that an injury on the eye might be severe, and your cat might need surgery; hence it is always safe to consult a vet just to be on the safe side. Usually, eye damage in cats is very rare and might be why your cat keeps its eye open while sleeping.
But if your cat is experiencing some other symptoms like lack of interest in food, not drinking water properly, or lack of energy, then you must visit a vet for a complete checkup without any delay.
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Conclusion
For humans, this can be very odd, and in this article, it is apparent why you should not be concerned for your cat if it keeps its eyes open while it sleeps, but it is also mentioned why you should consult a vet.
Hi There, AJ Oren here. I am the founder of this amazing pet blog & a passionate writer who loves helping pet owners to learn more about their pets through my articles. I am also the content manager of this blog. I have experience in pet training and behavior, sheltering, and currently working for a veterinary clinic.