In autumn the days are shorter and it is likely that, in the first days of this season, you have already observed some changes in your cat. You should know that the amount of daily light, the so-called photoperiod, not only influences us, but also the physiology and behavior of our cats. In reality, throughout the year, your kitten will experience seasonal changes related to light that may have effects on reproduction, appetite or activity, among others. In this article we help you discover them.
The alternation between day and night and the differences in the hours of light exposure during the day influence the functioning of the body. For example, it regulates the production of melatonin, a key hormone for calibrating our biological clock and that of many other species, such as cats. The release of melatonin occurs in periods of darkness. Therefore, the more hours of darkness there are, as happens in autumn and winter, the more melatonin we will generate naturally. Furthermore, this hormone is not only linked to the regulation of sleep, but also to reproductive activity.
In temperate latitudes like ours, when at the beginning of spring the light exceeds twelve hours a day, cats that have not been sterilized usually begin to show signs of heat. It must be taken into account that the sexual activity of females occurs during the long photoperiod seasons (that is, longer days), so the periods of heat will alternate with short pauses until pregnancy occurs or until In autumn, the days become shorter and reproductive activity is temporarily suspended. In males, the photoperiod also influences the production of sex hormones and prepares them for reproduction at the same time as females. What if a cat never leaves the house? By not having access to the outside and being artificially exposed to 12 hours of light, this seasonality of feline reproductive activity can disappear.
Changes in cats’ eating habits are also notable with the arrival of shorter days. In fact, several studies have detected seasonal changes in cats’ appetite, although the amount of daily light is not the only factor in regulating it. For example, cats that live outdoors and have food available to them all the time eat more when there is less light and temperatures are colder. In contrast, cats that live in a protected environment, such as a house, tend to eat less on shorter days or show no change from one season to another. Furthermore, the age of our cat is another aspect to take into account: during the colder months, older cats seem to decrease their energy consumption, while this change is not observed in young cats.
Cats are sleepyheads by nature. In them, light is not as important to regulate sleep cycles as it is in other species: cats can sleep both day and night and, whatever the season of the year, they dedicate almost half of their time to it. . They usually rest between 10 and 13 hours a day and even reach almost 16. The moment of their rest is much more influenced by the feeling of satiety and environmental conditions, such as noise, our interaction with them, the time of meal or the stimuli we give them.
In reality, the dynamics that are established in family life are important for them. If you are someone who has a close relationship with your cat, you may both end up adjusting your daily rhythms. For example, the fact that the days are shorter and there is less light will influence our rest. If as soon as it gets dark we start to slow down at home and go to sleep early, our cat may also end up resting more than at other times of the year.
But we must not forget that cats are crepuscular animals. This means that it doesn’t matter if the time of twilight changes depending on the season: dawn and dusk are the times of day when your cat will always be most active.
In terms of activity level, the amount of light is just one of the factors that causes changes in cats. In fact, it has been observed that the care they receive from humans has a key impact on their activity level, especially for cats that have access to the outdoors. For example, the latter can allow themselves to be less active in the colder months and warmer when they are well fed. On the other hand, cats that do not depend on humans to find food or shelter do show a higher level of activity in autumn and winter, as they must work harder to eat or satisfy a greater energy demand. And finally, kittens that live indoors tend to travel longer distances in spring and autumn, since they are exposed to fewer variations in temperature and humidity.
When the days are shorter, some people suffer from seasonal affective disorder, a type of depression that comes and goes depending on the season. Its origin is unknown, but the photoperiod seems to be important for its development since it usually appears in autumn and winter and subsides with spring and summer. Some symptoms are anxiety and irritability, less physical activity, alterations in appetite and a tendency to sleep more. In the case of cats, despite some changes that we can observe with the arrival of autumn or winter, there are no conclusive studies that prove the presence of this disorder.
However, if you notice something unexpected about him, such as sleeping many more hours than usual, no longer having the same appetite, hair in poor condition, disinterest in the game or what is happening around him and less tolerance for situations that usually accepts normally or enjoys, it is advisable to go or consult the veterinarian to rule out a health problem.
In the end, science shows that the amount of daylight is one of the factors that influence changes in cats’ physiology and behavior throughout the year. Seasonality is important on things like your sexual activity and appetite, but not as influential on things like sleep and activity level. The habits of the cat parents, the domestic environment and the care we give to our cat are also factors to take into account in relation to these changes.
*Source used to make this article:
The behavior of cats according to the season of the year
