Although cats evolved for nocturnal activity, they adapted to human lifestyles during domestication. Domestic cats tend to be most active in the early morning and at dusk, rather than in the middle of the night. They also alter their activity cycles to suit their human housemates.
Often this means that when you sleep at night, your cat needs to rest as well. And many people sleep with their cats. In a survey of women in the USA, it is seen that about 30% of them sleep with at least one cat.
However, many pet cats will want to wake you up very early. Understanding why your cat is waking you will help you figure out how to stop this behavior.
Is your cat hungry?
One of the most common reasons is that your cat is hungry. Unfortunately, one of the first things a sleepy person does is feed their cat. This is equivalent to rewarding it for waking you up and increases the likelihood that the cat will do the same again.
To start solving this problem, make sure your cat eats enough during the day. Just before bed, you can give them food or a hearty snack.
If you usually feed your cat in the morning, you need to make sure that your cat doesn’t associate wake time with breakfast time. Leave a gap between when you get out of bed and when you feed the cat. Try to wait at least half an hour after getting out of bed.
You can also call your cat, for example, “it’s breakfast time!” you can train her to associate nutrition with something else.
Deviations from daily routine
Another reason could be that your cat doesn’t have a daily routine. Cats love predictability. Maintaining a regular routine has even been associated with reduced stress levels in cats.
To maintain a routine, try to schedule mealtimes, playtimes, and grooming at approximately the same times each day.
Remove grit at regular, predictable intervals. Dirty or spoiled sand may be a reason why your cat is waking you up. Try not to move litter boxes, food containers, or scratching posts unless necessary.
If something changes in their environment, for example, if you go on vacation, change your furniture, or have a new guest or pet staying at your home for a while, your cat may revert to an early morning wake-up habit. This is typical for cats. Keep the routine as consistent as possible and after a while your cat will get used to the new normal.
Does your cat play enough?
Although it is common knowledge that cats like to sleep, they also like to play and move their bodies just like us. If you are not at home for most of the day, it is important to provide your cat with a variety of toys and objects at home to play with or mess with.
Scratching posts offer cats a place to climb and yawn. Balls, soft and motorized toys give them the opportunity to play and exercise.
While at home, play your cat with an interactive toy (like a cat wand) or play a game of chase inside the house. You can also try to find a new game that your cat will enjoy.
Cats get bored quickly. Maintain diversity in games. And don’t play with your cat an hour before bed. Ideally, a play session before you go out and when you get home will help keep your cat quiet through the night.
Your cat’s habit of waking you may continue for a while. This behavior may worsen in the short term as your cat gets used to it. The key is to ignore your cat’s behavior at night or early in the morning. Do not stand up and, if you can, do not interact with your cat when they wake you up. Such interactions will cause your cat to associate you with doing something it wants to wake you up.
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