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Cat nap

Posted by ESC on February 05, 2005

In Reply to: Cat nap posted by Brian Drab on February 05, 2005

: My wife said she was going to take a 'Cat Nap' and then said that people usually think of Cat Naps as quick "power naps" but cats usually sleep for long periods of time.

: What was the origin of this phrase?

My references (so far) don't have a first use of the term. But I live with three cats so I can give expert testimony. Cats will take long naps when they are bored. But, in general, they sleep off and on for short periods of time. In other words, they don't have a pattern of sleep like most humans -- awake for several hours and then sleeping for eight hours. The other thing is, cats don't seem to have a drowsy, waking-up phrase. They nap. They wake. Two speeds.

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