When going to sleep is the one thing you look forward to after a long, stressful day, the last thing you need is for your furry friend to turn into your fur-enemy. Whether it’s meowing, yowling or clawing the bedroom door, your dream kitty can turn into your worst nightmare for no apparent reason the minute your head hits the pillow. Why do cats do this?
One may never know. However, understanding your cat might help you teach kitty how to stop interfering with your sleep.
It’s Nature not Nurture. You cat has a lot in common with the African wildcat which is a nocturnal animal. Wildcats hunt at night when they can enjoy both the protection and camouflage darkness brings. Over the years, domestic cats have learned to adapt to being active during the day because of their attachment to humans. However, because of their genetic connection to wildcats, your tabby is hardwired to be a creature of the night.
Is it a Health Issue? When determining why your cat is depriving you of sleep, you need to consider if it is experiencing a health-related problem. Your cat’s meowing or crying will occur both day and night if it is suffering from an illness or injury. A visit to your veterinarian will help determine if your cat is sick.
If your furry friend is not ill, then most likely it has a behavioral problem. The following tips might help change the way your cat acts at night.
Playtime Before Bedtime – Cats that spend all day alone and indoors have a lot of energy built up. They need to burn it off. Schedule some play time with your cat as close to bedtime as possible. This will help tire it out so you can go to sleep.
Turn on a Night Light – Try placing a night light next to your cat’s water bowl or litter box. The light might help reassure your cat that everything is okay. Plus, it can help your cat find its way around a dark house.
A Stuffed Cat is a Sleepy Cat – Like humans, cats get sleepy when their bellies are full. Try feeding your cat its main meal after playtime and just before bedtime.
Daytime Activity – Find ways to keep you cat active during the day. Place a cat perch by a windowsill so it can watch the outside world. The constant visual stimulation will make it sleepy.
Don’t Reward Bad Behavior – While you might think that getting up to feed your cat or to pet it might calm it down, you are actually rewarding its behavior. Even getting up to scold your cat can encourage it because negative attention is better than no attention. No matter how hard your cat cries, try ignoring it. Eventually, kitty will tire itself out.
Try Cat Calming Chews – if after you have exhausted the above mentioned tactics your cat is still depriving you of much needed sleep, try some cat calming chews before bedtime. Non-habit forming they can help make kitty sleepy.
To sum it, if your cat is keeping you up at night, chances are it is due to one of the following: instincts, health issues, pent-up energy or it just wants attention. Once you rule out any health problems, chances are your cat has a behavioral problem. Playing with your cat, and feeding it just before bedtime is a great way to tire it out. Also, finding a way to keep your kitty active during the day can help tire it out at night. Whatever you do, don’t give in to its nocturnal meows and yowls, you are only encouraging it to keep doing it. If all else fails, try giving your cat some pet calming chews instead of treats, and hopefully everyone will be able to get a good night’s sleep.
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