Why Does My Cat Yowl at the Same Time Every Morning?

If your cat consistently wakes you up at the same time each morning with loud yowling meows, it is trying to communicate its desire for your attention and care. Because cats are naturally active in the early morning hours, your cat reacts to the morning light as a sign to wake up. Unfortunately, it will also want to awaken you too, if you do not take steps to stop this behavior.

  1. Hunger

    • A hungry cat will yowl in the morning to wake you for a feeding. If you regularly feed your cat upon waking, it learns to associate waking you with food, creating a kind of "alarm clock" cat for you to deal with. Feed your cat before bed so that it has a full stomach throughout the night and will not feel the need to wake you to eat. Leave out some dry food for it to nibble on, if it wakes earlier than you, or set up an automatic timed pet feeder to dispense the cat's food at a certain time before you wake.

    Attention

    • A bored or lonely cat will want to wake you in the morning with loud yowls to summon you to play with it or give it attention. Some attention, even negative attention such as pushing the cat away or telling it to stay quiet, often provide the cat with a reinforcement of its attempts to wake you. Discourage this behavior by playing with the cat late in the evening, before bed, using a fishing pole toy or other interactive cat toy to tire your cat out, while giving it the attention it craves, recommends the Cat Channel website. Also leave out some toys for it to play with if it wakes before you, to prevent boredom.

    Prevention

    • To prevent your cat from waking you up with loud yowling or pawing, confine it to a separate room before bedtime. Provide the cat with a comfortable bed in the room, some food and water, a litter box, and some toys to play with. Make the room as cat-friendly as possible, so that the cat does not feel like this is a punishment. In the evening, lure the cat to the room with a treat and play with it to tire it out, then close the door behind you. The cat may cry in its room during its first few days of nighttime confinement, but this behavior should subside.

    Considerations

    • Because cats tend to wake up at the first signs of dawn, put blinds or thick curtains on your windows to completely block out the morning light. Although cats have excellent night vision, they actually cannot see in the dark with no light at all, which is why they tend to sleep in darkness, according to PetPlace.com. For a lonely cat who wakes you for play and companionship, consider getting your cat another cat as a playmate. With a fellow feline around to play with, the cat should stop its early morning yowling to get your attention. Also establishing a consistent routine of sleeping, waking, and feeding times can help curb unwanted behaviors.