 Outdoor cats are active both day and night , although they tend to be slightly more active at night . The timing of cats ' activity is quite flexible and varied , which means house cats may be more active in the morning and evening , as a response to greater human activity at these times . Although they spend the majority of their time in the vicinity of their home , housecats can range many hundreds of meters from this central point , and are known to establish territories that vary considerably in size , in one study ranging from 7 to 28 hectares ( 17 – 69 acres ) . 
