Instructions
What Not to Do
Never respond with positive actions like feeding, petting or cooing. Actually, it's better not to respond at all, but if the meowing persists, respond with a deep, angry tone and aggressive motions like stomping or thrusting yourself forward.
Don't strike your cat. No matter how irritating it gets, never hit it. If you have to, a rough shove out of the room or picking it up and firmly tossing it a couple feet above the ground and out the room will work.
Don't give up on training your cat. One of the worst things you can do is give up because it lets the cat feel -- rightly so -- that it's won the contest of wills.
What to Do
Ignore your cat, if you can, as mentioned above. Sometimes cats will simply go away after a few minutes if they're convinced they absolutely cannot get a reaction from their owners.
Check to make sure nothing's actually wrong. This may sound counterproductive, but it's important to make sure your cat is fine. Check the food and water dish and make sure it's not hurt.
Shove your cat out of the room, with a firm, commanding tone. It'll pick up on your displeasure, and while you might have to do this a few times, your cat will understand it's not OK to wake you up just because it's bored.
Close your door. Even if you love sleeping with the door open, your cat needs to understand that when the lights are out, it's time for you to sleep.
Keep at it. You can't let your cat win. It may take several days, but continue to assert that 3 a.m. is not an acceptable play time for as long as it takes. In the worst cases, consider leaving the cat in another room for the night.
How to Get a Cat to Stop Yowling at Night
You've had a long day, you're tired, and you've just laid your head down to sleep. All you want to do is to catch a few hours of rest before your next workday starts. Then, from the corner, you hear a meow; tentative at first but growing in volume as your cat desperately tries to get your attention.