How to Get a Cat to Stop Waking Me Up at Night
While cats are tame enough to keep in the house, their habits tend to be nocturnal, so while you will need to sleep at night, cats will feel the urge to go hunting and exploring. Although most felines can keep themselves sufficiently occupied on their own, some might come pawing at their owners in the late hours of the night or the early hours of the morning. This tends to be annoying and inconvenient, but there are certain methods that can be adopted to curb this behaviour.
Things Required:
– Interactive “wand” or “fishing pole” toy
– Timed feeder for wet food
– TV or radio with the volume at the lowest setting
– Small dishes of dry food or treats
– Cat door
– Vet appointment
– Nightlights
Instructions
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1
Cats have a particular routine that is built into their systems by nature, and the best way to help your kitty settle down for the night is to try and follow this pattern. Outside, cats would normally hunt, eat what they catch, take a small bath, and then go to sleep. To begin, play with the cat using an interactive “wand” or “fishing pole” toy, to mimic the hunting routine. Follow it up with dinner, then allow your cat to clean and groom itself before drifting off.
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2
Generally, cats will wake their owners up because they are hungry. To avoid this, make sure you leave some food out. The concept of a late leisurely breakfast doesn’t exist in the cat world – felines are used to eating at dawn. Put out a timed feeder, fill it with some wet food, and time it to open up at dawn. This way, your cat will not feel the need to come wake you up. In order to satisfy your cat’s hunting instinct, you can also hide treats and small dishes of dry cat food around the house – this will keep your cat busy, and full.
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3
Make sure there are plenty of distractions for your cat – it might be waking you up because it is bored and wants company. Leave the TV or radio on at a low setting, so the kitty has something to watch or listen to, and make sure you leave its toys out. If the cat enjoys wandering out doors, install a cat door so it can let itself out at night – however, make sure you have nightlights outside, so that the more elderly cats can see where they are going.
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4
If all else fails, and the kitty is still waking you up at night, consider scheduling a vet appointment. There might be something wrong with the cat, and it might be waking you up due to some pain or discomfort. You can also get your cat checked to see whether it is hyperthyroid – these cats tend to meow a lot at night.
