Cats are crepuscular, meaning they are most active in the morning and evening. However, because their prey is most active at night, some house cats who started as strays or spend a lot of time outdoors may evolve the habit of being most active at night. Your cat's natural urge to hunt and travel at these times is typically to blame. However, there may be other reasons that add to cats' excessive nocturnal habits.
What Causes It?
- Being alone at home
While you're at work or school, you may leave your cat alone at home throughout the day. Your cat may spend the whole day sleeping or relaxing at this time. All of that slumber throughout the day might lead to a nocturnally active cat.
- Boredom
If your cat spends most of the day alone, he or she may become bored and seek more companionship and attention. Your cat may have extra energy or by waking you up for attention because cats are sociable animals. This may be considered social play for your cat.
- Hunger
Cats frequently wake up in the middle of the night to eat, which fits their natural desire to hunt in the twilight hours. You can feed them some treats to avoid this situation, and Daily Nosh Functional Creamy Cat Supplement Treats & Daily Nosh Freeze-Dried Pet Treat is your best choice where it contains most of the nutrition that your meowster will need!
- Old age
As cats get older, they tend to change their sleeping habits. You may notice that your cat is more active at night, which might be due to health issues or the natural ageing process.
- Health conditions
Your cat may become hyperactive, uncomfortable, noisy, and needy at night due to certain health problems. These can include the following: Anxiety, pain, neediness, poor memory, sleep disturbances, hyperthyroidism, chronic illness and more.
What To Do?
- Training
With a few changes throughout the day, you may train or encourage your cat to sleep at night. The most critical part is to plan daytime play and feeding with your cat rather than rewarding overnight behaviour with attention.
- Play will keep your cat awake
When you arrive home from work or later in the evening, spend time with your cat. Allowing catnaps while playing with or training your cat is not a good idea.
- Change the feeding routine
After feeding, cats often fall asleep. Changing the amount of food and feeding your cat more often throughout the day will help keep your cat active while you're out. You may use an automated feeder to provide lesser amounts of food at various intervals throughout the day.
- Changing the type of food and delaying evening meals
This may help your cat sleep better before bedtime. Set an automatic feeder every early morning if your cat has a habit of waking up early for food. Feeding your cat in the middle of the night, on the other hand, will train your cat to stay up for food.
- Give your cat something to do during the day
A feeding toy filled with food or treats will provide both mental and physical stimulation for your cat. Purchasing new toys or rotating your cat's current toys might also keep your cat active.
- Medications may be of assistance
If no other changes work, your veterinarian may recommend a prescription or natural sleep aids like melatonin or valerian. Sleeping medications, on the other hand, might build up a tolerance in your cat and stop working after a few nights.
What not to do?
- Do not yell at your cat or punish her in any way
Punishment can make an already terrified cat even more fearful, leading to aggression. Furthermore, any engagement will just serve to encourage the behaviour.
- Do not get up to them, feed, or take your cat outside
Any engagement, once again, will reinforce the habit.