Accelerometer study quantifies feline lounging habits
A New Zealand study fitted cats with accelerometers to track their daily activities, revealing that they spend the vast majority of their time lying down or sitting. Free-roaming cats were the most active, yet still only moved around for under 4 percent of the day in summer. The research categorised behaviours into eight groups, with lying occupying up to 52.9 percent of their time.
The study, published in the journal *Pets*, tracked 36 cats across three living arrangements: indoor-only pets, free-roaming pets, and semi-outdoor research cats. Using collar-mounted accelerometers, researchers classified behaviors into eight categories, from active movement to grooming. Seasonal differences emerged, with free-roaming cats active 3.9% of the day in summer but only 2.7% in winter. Indoor and research cats moved even less. Eating occupied up to 7.8% of time, while grooming reached 7.9%. Standing ranged from 9.3% to 15.6%, leaving sitting and lying to dominate the daily schedule.
The findings align with common feline stereotypes but provide precise measurements. Lying alone accounted for 34.8% to 52.9% of observed time, while sitting added another 20.1% to 41.4%. Combined, these sedentary behaviors consumed roughly three-quarters of a cat's day. The research offers a quantitative baseline for understanding feline energy budgets, though the sample size was modest and included only pet and facility cats, not feral populations.
This study could reshape how owners interpret cat behavior, potentially reducing guilt over indoor cats' inactivity or prompting more enrichment for free-roaming felines. Veterinarians may use the data to set realistic activity expectations, while animal welfare groups could reference it when designing indoor environments. However, the small sample and specific New Zealand context limit broad generalization. The findings may also influence public conversations about pet obesity, though they do not directly address health outcomes.