How to Get a Cat to Stop Waking Me Up at Night

Cats are nocturnal creatures, and their internal clocks don̵7;t always mesh with ours. At night when we̵7;re sleeping, instinct tells even house cats they should be hunting for food. While most cats manage to occupy themselves quietly while their humans sleep, some demand attention in the wee hours of the morning. Although you can̵7;t reprogram your cats to sleep all night, with some accommodation to their needs, you can persuade them to leave you alone.

Things You'll Need

  • Interactive "wand" or "fishing pole" toy
  • Timed feeder for wet food
  • TV or radio with the volume at the lowest setting
  • Small dishes of dry food or treats
  • Cat door
  • Vet appointment
  • Nightlights
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Instructions

  1. Cats of All Ages

    • 1

      Play with your cat with an interactive "wand" or "fishing pole" toy and give it a meal right before you go to bed. Outside, a cat hunts, eats what it catches, takes a quick bath and then curls up for a nap. Try to replicate the cat̵7;s natural way of doing things before your bedtime.

    • 2

      Make sure your cat has access to food. Outside, cats are most likely to hunt and eat their prey at dusk and dawn. Your cat thinks it̵7;s time to eat as the sun is starting to rise and may wake you up for food if it can̵7;t find any.

    • 3

      Put wet food in a timed feeder and set it to open at dawn. Then there will be no need for your cat to wake you up asking for breakfast. Most pet supply stores sell timed feeders.

    • 4

      Leave some blinds and curtains open so the cat can see outside. Watching the action outdoors will relieve boredom and keep your cat busy so you can sleep.

    • 5

      Leave a television on at night to keep the cat company. Since a cat's hearing is much more acute than ours, the volume can be near the lowest setting.

    • 6

      Hide small dishes of dry food or treats in various locations around your house. Hunting for a snack will keep your cat occupied and quiet.

    • 7

      If you have indoor/outdoor cats, consider giving them a cat door so they can go outside when instinct tells them it̵7;s time to start hunting for breakfast. Kittens should not be outside unsupervised, however, especially at night.

    • 8

      Practice tough love. If you ignore your cat, it will eventually stop waking you in the middle of the night. Any kind of attention, even yelling at the cat to be quiet, reinforces its "bad behavior."

    Older Cats

    • 9

      Have your senior cat checked over by a veterinarian. Hyperthyroid cats often yowl and vocalize, especially at night. Starting the cat on medication should end the middle-of-the-night howling.

    • 10

      Put nightlights around the house so it̵7;s easier for the cat to see where it̵7;s going as it moves from room to room.

    • 11

      Leave a radio on. Hearing sounds other than its own meow is reassuring to an older cat. Classical music is soothing to cats, and the volume can be very low so the radio doesn̵7;t disturb you.

    • 12

      Put your cat in its own room at night. Make it a comfortable room with something soft to sleep on, windows with blinds open, a radio playing softly, food and water and a litter box.