Many cat owners and breeders often face this problem when a furry pet confuses day with night and becomes more active at night. Agree, it’s not very pleasant if, after a hard day at work, someone disturbs your sleep and peace, even if it’s your favorite cat. The inability to get a good night's sleep leads to irritation, decreased performance, and nervousness. Therefore, let's look at how to stop a cat from running around at night in a house or apartment? What to do if your pet makes noise, meows and keeps you from sleeping at night?
Why are cats active at night?
Cats by nature are incredibly inquisitive, quite energetic and cheerful creatures. Throughout the day, periods of wakefulness alternate with rest and sleep. But what if your pet is active at night when everyone is sleeping? To stop a kitten from running at night, you need to find out the root cause of this behavior.
As a rule, small kittens or energetic young cats show playfulness at night. While the owners sleep, inquisitive animals explore the world and explore their home. In most cases, such behavior is noted during the period of socialization and adaptation of the animal to new conditions. During the day, when no one is in the house, cats sleep in anticipation of “night games”, so their “day” begins with the onset of darkness or in the evening.
Important! Adult, elderly cats adapt to biorhythms, the schedule of their owners and sleep at night. Even if the pet wakes up at night, it does not necessarily mean that it will make noise; most likely, the cat is hungry or wants to get around its property.
Manifestations of night activity in cats manifest themselves in different ways. Some pets run around the apartment, climb all the heights, use various objects as toys, happily rolling them along the floor, and climb curtains. Others, after running around the house, climb into their owners’ beds, begin to bite their hands, and meow loudly. At the same time, maximum night activity is observed in the period from three to five hours.
Adult male cats can scream heart-rendingly at night during the rutting season. Typically, this behavior occurs several times a year, and especially in early spring.
Reasons for night wakefulness and activity in representatives of the cat family:
- the pet is hungry or there is no water in the bowl;
- the cat is worried or in pain;
- lack of physical activity during the day;
- the cat experienced severe stress, nervous shock;
- the pet attracts the attention of the owners.
If a cat is shy and there are other pets (cats, dogs) in the house, it tries to sleep during the day, hiding in secluded places to avoid unnecessary contact, and stays awake at night.
Also, do not forget that cats are excellent and very cautious hunters, so they prefer to go hunting at night. The hunting instinct makes cats very sensitive to sleep and dozing. Animals hear and distinguish sounds that are elusive to the human ear. If the cat has shown activity, it is possible that someone has disturbed her sensitive sleep (a bird, a night moth).
What to do
Give the animal enough attention
If you have been away from home all day, don't forget to feed and pet the animal when you return. And of course, you need to play with it. The later you start the game, and the more intense it is, the more likely it is that the cat will spend a lot of energy and will no longer want to be active at night.
Offer your cat toys
To diversify the game, you can buy various toys and devices for cats. Some of them do not even require the presence of the owner. For example, various tunnels with a rolling ball inside that can be driven back and forth. In addition, you can buy a laser pointer and give your cat active movement without wasting your own energy. At the same time, you can sit more comfortably in a chair or on a bed, and the pet will independently chase the “naughty” red dot.
Get your pet a friend
If you don’t have the energy and time to entertain your cat on your own, get him a playmate. A second cat is not the easiest option, but it will definitely help save the animal from loneliness and you from the need to spend a lot of time playing with it.
If the reason for nocturnal activity is “cat spring,” even if it’s still February, this issue can be easily resolved in two ways: find a mating partner for the animal or buy a special medicine. When choosing a drug as a solution to your problem, be sure to consult a veterinarian first. Drugs such as “Sex Barrier” and “AntiSex” are hormonal and can cause serious harm to the animal, especially if they are used regularly for many years. In this case, it would be more humane to castrate or neuter your pet.
Correcting cat behavior
If the pet is absolutely healthy and is awake at night, the heart-rending meowing is not associated with any diseases or pathologies, using our recommendations and advice you can wean the cat from making noise at night.
If your cat runs around your apartment or house at night, organize a variety of active leisure activities for your cat. Buy toys that imitate the movements of animals and birds. They will help realize the hunting instinct, and the pet will be interested. Games with balls and wind-up mice will provide great entertainment for cats who love to chase prey. You need to play with your pet until you are sure that the animal is tired. Organize a play complex, climbing shelves, vertical supports with a platform, buy interactive toys.
Play with your pet an hour or two before bedtime, then feed him. It is best to give your cat chicken, beef, or any other meat food before a night's rest. After physical activity and a satisfying meal, cats usually go to bed.
Important! A well-fed, tired cat actually falls asleep quickly, but this does not mean that after a while the animal will not wake up and be active. So think about what you can do to interest your pet during the day. The more cats are awake during daylight hours, the less desire they will make to make noise and play at night.
If a cat is nervous, behaves restlessly, reacts inadequately to external stimuli, walks around the house at night, meows pitifully not only at night, but also during the day, it is possible that the cat is experiencing discomfort and pain due to an illness or worsened chronic pathology. Carefully observe the condition and behavior of your pet. If you notice symptoms of malaise or a deterioration in general condition, take the cat to the clinic for examination and diagnostic testing.
If your cat meows due to lack of affection or attention, pay him some attention before going to bed. Hygiene procedures can be useful for business. Comb the fur, clean the ears, and inspect the eyes. After a portion of affection and attention, making sure of the strength of the emotional connection, the cat will sleep sweetly until the morning.
Raising Animals
But what can you do to stop cats bothering you at night? This issue has been studied for a long time and veterinarians advise regulating the sleep patterns of pets. That is, you need to make sure that the animals are active during the day and go to bed with the owner. To do this, it is necessary to provide them with conditions for daytime activity. You can buy or make all kinds of mazes from boxes, as well as toys in the form of balls. Even a rustling bag left on the floor will do, and should keep predators occupied for several hours. The main thing is to cut off the handles of the bag so that they don’t get tangled in them. Having wasted energy during the day, pets are unlikely to be active at night.
The box is one of the best toys for cats
It is also worth thinking about the cat's diet. Veterinarians recommend giving food little by little in the morning and afternoon and at strictly defined times - for example, at 8:00 and 14:00. But in the evening the animals can be allowed to eat to their fullest. As a rule, after a heavy dinner they do not want to run and prefer to just sleep soundly until the morning. And in the morning, the likelihood that furry creatures will wake up their owners, demanding food, decreases.
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Cats should not be punished by dousing them with water from a spray bottle or throwing slippers at them. The best thing to do is to be patient and explain to them day by day what can and cannot be done. In the evening, it is better to play with them on your own and restore the emotional contact lost during the day. Believe me, these furry creatures really want this. After all, the fact that cats perceive their owners as parents has already been proven by science. An article on this topic can be read at this link.
What not to do
If your cat meows, yells for no reason, and doesn’t let you sleep at night, never get up to see your pet. Even if the animal is hungry. Cats are great manipulators and, having achieved their goal, will constantly take advantage of the kindness of their owners. Therefore, the only right decision in such a situation is not to pay attention to the cat.
You should not lock your cat in a separate room. The animal will not understand why it was isolated from the rest of the family. The pet will become sad and lonely, and in order to attract attention, it will begin to make even more noise.
If the cat is awake at night, do not yell at him, much less hit him. This won't work and will only make the situation worse. The cat will do things out of spite.
It is impossible to force cats to sleep at night, but you need to try to do everything to ensure that the pet is active during the day. Following our advice, do not indulge in night awakenings, be patient, the kitten will eventually adapt to your schedule and sleep peacefully at night.
Reasons for cat activity at night
Nocturnal activity in cats can be due to various reasons.
- The animal was not tired during the day and did not receive the necessary physical activity. And with the onset of silence and darkness, he tries to attract the attention of the owner, shows a desire to play and communicate with him.
- The pet is showing signs of heat. If an animal becomes sexually aroused, then the time of day or night is the least of its concerns. Regardless of gender, the pet will meow heart-rendingly, calling for a partner, and can sometimes show aggression towards others. To regulate sexual heat, it is advisable to use special drugs to suppress the sexual instinct, which can be purchased at a veterinary pharmacy.
- The cat is thirsty or hungry. To avoid such situations, you should ensure that the animal always has access to food and clean water.
- Pet illness. If an adult cat suddenly starts waking up its owner at night, this may be a sign that something is hurting her. It is necessary to observe the animal; other symptoms of the disease may appear, then you need to contact a veterinarian.
- Discomfort and tightness. Loud meowing is the main sign of discomfort experienced by a pet. Using its voice, the animal tries to convey to the owner about the problem that has arisen. Kittens, separated from their mother and finding themselves in a new environment, are afraid of everything at first and scream at night, but then they get used to it and stop being timid and crying.
To ensure that the cat, in the absence of its owners, does not get bored and is active during the daytime and not at night, it is necessary to correctly distribute its energy during the day. Morning and evening, for a few minutes, you need to pay attention to your pet, play with him, pet him and talk. When your pet is left at home alone, you need to leave him toys. Communication with the owner, his love and care is a prerequisite for the emergence of a close emotional connection and the well-being of the pet.
The cat is hungry and needs attention
Cats are nocturnal animals and cannot go long without food at this time of day.
The feeling of hunger leaves them no choice but to meow and bother their owner all night, even if he gets up early for work in the morning.
Not all cats will wake up their owners to be fed in the middle of the night. Some adapt well to people's schedules.
Train yourself to feed your pet before you go to bed, or purchase an automatic feeder.
Helpful advice for cat owners: do not feed your pet as soon as he wakes up. Then the cat will not draw an analogy between the two actions: “waking up” and “feeding”
The cat is bored and wants to play
Being nocturnal animals, cats are more energetic at night. And as humans, sometimes they want to have fun. It's not weird or bad, it just might interfere with your sleep.
Cats treat everything in the house as toys and can figure out how to have fun with many things. Some may even stomp on your face or start crossing your legs to invite you to play while you are having your seventh dream.
If the cat fails to wake you up, or if you lock it in the bedroom, the animal has no choice but to entertain itself. He might be busy with cat toys, or maybe he'll be chasing his own tail.
This could be a sign of infection or health problems
If the cat not only runs around at night, but also meows, it could be a flea bite. This causes itching and discomfort in the cat.
Running around in the middle of the night can also be the result of a skin disease that worsens at night. Hyperesthesia can cause this reaction.
This disease causes a general increase in activity, causing the animal to behave aggressively, attack its own tail, lick furiously, and scream. Pupil dilation is also observed.
Hyperthyroidism in cats is known to result from increased production of thyroid hormones and causes hyperactivity.
If you think your cat's health has changed, it is best to take her to a veterinarian for a check-up.
How to relieve a cat's suffering during heat?
If the cat
If it is very difficult at this time, it is better to ask the veterinarian to prescribe something sedative.
Typically, such medications are started a couple of days before the expected start of estrus
, because they do not act immediately. The most famous drops - “Cat Bayun” or “Stop Stress” are based on herbs and also help well.
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