Question: Do cats like the lights off or on at night when they sleep?

Question:

I have cats and I have lights on in their room but I wonder if the light bothers them when they sleep. I mean they have light in the day (sun) and artificial light. Does it give them headaches or should I just turn the light off?

Answer:
It does matter if you have the light on or off for cats, or any animal that sleeps. Inside cat’s brains along with mammals and some reptile’s brains, they have what is called the pineal gland. This gland has been shown to be very sensitive in its reaction to light and production of melatonin which supports animals in hibernation as well as normal sleep. The pineal glands reaction to a light source is that it stops melatonin production. This is the reason why we get sleepier at night as well as during the winter time because of the absence of light increases the production of melatonin. This sensitivity to light is not limited to just humans but also cats. Depending on the location of the pineal gland in different animals, so is the degree of reaction in production of melatonin, but still there is a degree.

I suggest that you keep the room as dark as possible for any animal that requires sleep in order to operate.

-L