Deep Sleeping Cat

[Deddajay]

Hello, being the proud slave of a recently adopted FIV+ male cat, aged approx 3 years old, I was wondering if the strange thing about him is due to his FIV or just him. He sleeps! And by that I mean he goes into what could be considered to be an almost comatose sleep.

I've had cats of many kinds over the past 40 odd years from pedigrees to rescues, but I've never come across a cat before who didn't keep one eye or ear alert even when sleeping. This one, however, turns into a dead piece of wood when he sleeps, barely breathing, and even being stroked or prodded to see if he is still alive doesn't even raise an ear flick or a grunt. If I pick him up he might notice, but it's a sort of "where am I" reaction.

I'd like to think that he feels so secure that he can totally switch off after having lived as a stray and then spending 18 months in a rescue centre, but I do wonder if it's his underlying condition that is contributing towards this deep sleep that can last for hours. The only time I've come across anything similar was with my previous cat who sometimes had to be checked to see if she was still with us, but she was deaf, blind and 26 years old by then, and also had thyroid and kidney problems.

I'm just curious, as he seems otherwise healthy, very active when he feels like it, and enjoys his food.

Cheers, Deddajay

[Crewella]

Funnily enough our latest addition, ex-stray FIV+ Paddington, is a very heavy sleeper - unusually so. To be honest I've done the same as you and put it down to him at last having a warm safe environment (and boy does he love his bed!), but it's an interesting point. Paddington is an elderly cat (no idea how old) and I've no other worries about his health at the moment.

[MikeTrump1]

My neighbor's cat has a similar condition. I'll go visiting for around 4 hours, we'll play FIFA , shout and make all the noise but the cat shall never even turn. It's really quick to wake when it's time for meals though.

[Cussypat1974]

Could he be deaf?

I have known two cats to sleep like this. You think they are dead on the stairs. Both were actually deaf!

[Crewella]

Paddy definitely has some hearing issues, and has suffered inner ear infections, but he definitely does have some hearing. As Mike says, he hears his food bowl OK!