Has your cat ever brought in a mouse through a special door at 3am? Has your cat ever jumped into the softest, most tender part of your body? Or has your cat ever meowed to wake you up? Cats are masters of doing things with good calculations. This can sometimes disrupt a good night's sleep. If you think you have such a problem, here are some steps you can take to keep things under control.
Step
Method 1 of 2: Changing Your Circumstances
Step 1. Understand why cats bother you at night
Most cats have an underlying and obvious reason that causes them to wake up during the night. Most likely, your cat is bored or hungry, or maybe your cat needs you to clean its litter box.
Cats are often left indoors all day when you go to work or school with little interaction. Cats sleep all day and may be bored at night because no one is playing with them
Step 2. Don't feed him
One of the worst things you can do is get up as quickly as possible when your cat meows or pounces on you and then feeds it. The cat will think that is the best way to get more food and will continue this behavior. Holding on for a long time before finally giving up is also a bad choice. This will encourage him even more than if you immediately gave up when the cat bothered you. The cat will think this is a game to see how long it will take until you actually wake up and feed him. Delayed desire seems more like a chase, which is according to a cat's instincts. Better not to give up at all.
Step 3. Eliminate things that can tempt the cat to jump
Cats like to jump from high places and pounce on things. While sleeping, you are the most perfect target. Look around your room to see if there is a place where the cat can jump. Look for a high shelf, headboard, or wardrobe that the cat can climb on to jump at you at night. If possible, you can remove the items from the room or reposition them so that the cat can't jump at you. If that's not possible, then cover the items with a slippery cloth or cover them with items that the cat can't drop. This will prevent the cat from jumping off the items and pounce on you.
Step 4. Reduce the cat's access to wild mammals
If your cat wakes you up with a wild mammal, then you need to stop the behavior. Leave the cat indoors at night if the cat is an indoor/outdoor cat. This will prevent him from carrying the wild mammals he has killed in the middle of the night. If the cat doesn't use the litter box, but uses a cat door to get out of the room, this may not be an option. If this is the case, then leave the cat in the room that has a small cat door. This way you can keep the cat out of the room, but the cat can't enter your bedroom, so the cat can't bring you mice in the middle of the night.
Step 5. Keep cats out of the bedroom as much as possible
You can try locking it in another room at night. Leave the cat in a warm, cozy room with food, drink, and a comfortable place to sleep. This will keep it away from your bedroom at night and you can sleep well.
If you want to reward your cat for good behavior, you can use a compromise. Keep the cat out of bed on weekdays, but allow the cat into your bedroom on the weekends if at least you can still sleep when you wake up in the middle of the night
Method 2 of 2: Training the Cat
Step 1. Ignore the meowing cat
When the cat starts meowing at night, make sure that the cat is okay. If you are sure that your cat is not sick and has enough food and water, then it may just be that the cat just wants your attention. If this habit occurs every night, you should ignore it. It may be difficult at first, but it will be worth it in the end. If you serve him every time the cat meows, then you will forge a negative habit.
- Don't give any punishment or attention. Cats are trying to get your attention, even if you're disciplining them.
- If the cat doesn't stop, then leave a toy hanging from the claw post at the end of the bed so the cat can play and not disturb you.
- If your cat doesn't stop, you can buy earplugs or headphones so you can't hear them until they understand.
Step 2. Feed the cat before you go to sleep
You can feed your cat right before bed if your cat wakes you up for food in the middle of the night. It's not necessary to give him a full meal, but make sure that the meal is big enough and not to impress him just to keep him quiet. This reflects the cat's natural rhythm. Cats hunt, eat, lick themselves, then sleep to get more energy for the next hunt. If you feed your cat before bed, the cat will feel full and will want to sleep to get energy for the next hunt. This will also train the cat to know that dinner means bedtime.
You can also purchase a scheduled feeder that will dispense food for the cat in the middle of the night. The cat will learn to go straight to its food bowl and not wake you up again
Step 3. Play with them
One of the main reasons that may cause a cat to wake up at night is because it is bored. If the cat is alone all day, it will feel like playing and draining energy when you are home. Try to spend some time playing with your cat every day. Drag a toy across the floor and let your cat chase it. You can give him something to distract him and let him play on his own. As long as the cat can use some of its energy, it will usually sleep better at night.
- Get toys that mimic the movements of animals such as birds or mice. Play catch with a table tennis ball or a fluffy mouse toy. You can leave toys with catnip in them during the day so the cat can play alone when you're not home.
- Play with the cat until the cat looks tired. This will ensure that the cat will sleep more soundly at night.
- If your cat is social, then try letting him play with other cats. You can also get another cat to help them be more active during the day.
Step 4. Stop the cat biting habit
If your cat likes to bite your fingers or toes, then try to prevent her from doing so at night. Before you go to sleep, cover yourself thoroughly with a blanket. You can also wear socks so your cat can't see your moving toes and think your toes are prey. Give something else that can be bitten.
Give your cat access to catnip toys, sisal balls, claw posts, or anything else she likes to chew on
Step 5. Have a firm attitude
Don't worry about your decision about the cat. If you decide to keep cats from entering, both from the bedroom and from other rooms in the house, then stick to your plan. When the cat has understood what you mean, it will adjust to the new situation. If you give up, the cat will know that everything is back the way it wanted it to be.
