This article will explain some of the nocturnal cat activity cats’ exhibit when they are up at night being active or even vocal.  Is your cat a night owl?  Why are they up all night? These are some very common questions and luckily we have the answers.

Cats normally have a sleep wake cycle where they wake up and fall back asleep a few different times during the middle of the night as well as during the day.  The last time they usually wake up is right before dawn.  This is because cats are the type of animal that normally hunts the type of critters who are awake at night and dawn.  So it is really natural for your cat to wake up during the middle of the night so don’t expect to train your cat to never wake up in the night.  The best thing you can do is to really tire your cat out right before its bed time.  A way to do this is really give them an intense play session before they go to bed for about ten minutes or more.  Then after this intense play session feed them.  This combination of tired muscles and full stomach should keep them asleep for most of the night.  If your cat commonly wakes up at dawn and tries to wake you up to feed them you can get a timed feeder that automatically dispenses food at a certain time.

If your cat is really vocal try not to inadvertently condone this behavior by responding to them when they are being loud.  Some breeds are naturally louder than others, like Siamese cats, but the less you react to them when they make noise the less they will make noise.  Reward quiet behavior only.  Some cats are really hyperactive, and this easily could keep you up at night.  Most cats will settle down by the time they are about two years old, but this varies greatly by each individual cat.  The best way to deal with this is to have regularly scheduled play sessions with your catCat Habits throughout the day to really tire them out.  Then have one extra-long session right before bed like we discussed earlier.

Hopefully these tips will help you and your cat live together in harmony.

Filed under: Cat Behaviors

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