Did you know that cats spend about 16 hours a day sleeping? Well, unfortunately, they do most of the sleeping during the day. This can leave him underexercised and quite active at night. If your cat won’t stop meowing at night, we are about to help you get rid of this behavior.
Why do cats meow at night?
Cats are generally crepuscular, meaning that they are more active at dusk and dawn. Well, given that they spend most hours of the day sleeping, he can keep you awake with excessive meowing. How does this work exactly? Before you can be able to stop a cat from meowing at night, we need to highlight why he is doing so:
Your cat’s body clock
As we have mentioned above, cats are crepuscular. This is why you will hear your kitty up at 3 AM when everyone is asleep. Most cats, however, adapt to their owner’s schedules. However, you will need to be patient, especially when you are dealing with a new kitty.
Cats are also natural hunters. He will rise during the night and start patrolling the house.
Kittens tend to stay awake at night as compared to adult cats. This is because they are yet to adapt to the household’s schedule.
cats meow at night because of their crepuscular nature. However, you have probably locked all the doors and windows at night. Your cat might get bored since there is not much to do when he stays up awake at night on his own.
When a cat is bored, he will try everything to deal with it. Most cats result in excessive cat vocalization at night. Cats who are under-exercised will stay awake more often than tired ones.
He will try to seek your attention by meowing through the night.
It could also mean that your cat is sick and thus excessive vocalization at night. You will, however, have to concentrate on how he is meowing. .
You should check with your vet to rule out any medical issues causing your cat to meow all night.
Aging cats may develop CDS ( Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome). As a result, your cat may lose a sense of awareness. This could lead to your cat changing his sleep cycles and forgetting the routine.
Also, your cat might seem confused and even stay awake even after bedtime. CDS can also cause loss of vision which means that your cat will not have the ability to keep moving around the house. This can make your senior cat complain by meowing all night long.
Some cats prefer to be let outside at night. Failure to which your cat might develop excessive vocalization. You may not get to sleep due to his nagging if you do not let him out.
Only let him out if you live in a safe neighborhood. Otherwise, you might have to modify his behavior to curb this feeling.
If your cat is outside, he might keep you awake during mating. During the mating season, you may find it hard to sleep especially if your cat is unneutered/unspayed.
Cats are expressive and at the same time quite vulnerable to anxiety. New cats are usually anxious and nervous and may not sleep for the first few nights.
Also, if you keep changing residence, your cat will develop anxiety and this will keep him awake at night. You might need to comfort a new kitty before he gets used to the new environment.
If your cat is having problems staying calm at night, it means that you will have a rough night as well. To stop him from meowing at night, you must first identify the reason why he is doing so.
Since we have already discussed the reasons why your cat won’t stop meowing at night, we are going to discuss how to curb this behavior right away.
Rule out any medical issues
We have already identified illnesses as a cause for night-time meowing. Now, if your cat suddenly starts nighttime meowing, you may consider checking with your vet.
Sometimes a cat won’t fall asleep because he is in pain. It could also be other progressive diseases such as hyperthyroidism or kidney disease.
Observe other symptoms such as frequent urination, weight loss, pale gums and decreased appetite in your cat. It is why you must set aside some time to spend with your kitty. You will be able to identify these symptoms as soon as they emerge.
Your vet will conduct a thorough examination before giving a conclusive diagnosis as well as treatment.
Reset your cat’s body clock
We mentioned that cats are more active during the night than daytime. Having this in mind, it can be a challenging task when you want to establish a routine.
To avoid excessive meowing and other behavioral issues, you must develop a routine for your cat. I mean, you must set a schedule to feed, play, wake and even sleep for your kitty.
Wise cat owners will push these schedules close to their schedules.
To set a routine, you must reset your cat’s body clock. For instance, if he is used to staying up all night after napping the entire day, you must figure out a way to stop him.
Avoid free-feeding your cat as this will ruin the schedule. Instead, push his dinnertime closer to bedtime. Fix a feeding time so that you eat your dinner together. Your cat will stay asleep for longer hours when his stomach is full.
Also, play with your cat right before bedtime. Tire him out so that he will sleep for longer hours. Lastly, find a way to keep him awake during the day. Get a few exciting toys for your kitty and teach him how to play with them.
Alternatively, keep hidden food in the house for your cat to hunt all day.
Comfort a cat with anxiety disorder
Cats suffering from anxiety disorders are also likely to meow during the night. Because they are vulnerable to anxiety, you might need to comfort your cat, especially a new cat.
There are so many reasons why a cat may develop anxiety. For instance, changing owners or residence is a possible cause for anxiety. Other cats develop separation anxiety, an extreme fear of being left alone.
Monitor your cat and look out for any signs of stress and anxiety. Your cat will be restless and he may also develop excessive meowing as a coping mechanism.
If so, you will need to spend some more time with your cat. During the first few nights, you may stay with your cat. However, ensure that you stick to your established schedule. Bring him with his bed to your bedroom. It will be comforting in that you will provide companionship.
To curb anxiety-related issues, you need to reassure your cat that he is safe with you. It might take some time before a new cat settles in your home. Play and spend time with him to make him feel more at ease.
Provide enough resources
the reason your cat is meowing at night could be that he is complaining of hunger, thirst or a dirty litter box. Whether you are running a multi-cat household or you have a single cat, you must provide enough of these resources.
Unlike dogs, you will need to feed your kitty a few times a day. Cats eat small amounts of food several times. Also, at night, feed him just a few minutes before bedtime.
Do not forget to leave a bowl of water when you go to bed. He might need a drink at night and he will not have to wake you up. Also, ensure that all the litterboxes are clean before you retire to bed.
Play and exercise him
You must set aside some time to play, cuddle and exercise your cat. We mentioned that under-exercised cats may find it hard to fall asleep at night. Well, ensure that you tire him out before bed. It gives him a reason to lie down rather than meow all night.
Also, do not forget to pet and cuddle your cat. When you cuddle him, you are showing him the affection that he seeks. He will rub against you for satisfaction.
Leave the lights on for senior cats
Some cats lose sleep and their senses of awareness due to age. In case you have a cat with dementia, then nighttime meowing is not going to be easy for you.
Your cat will meow when he cannot find his way to the litter box or just a way around the house. Remember that some cats patrol the house when they wake up. A senior cat may not have a very good vision.
You may need to leave the night lights on when you retire to bed. your aging cat will use the lights to guide him around.
Play cat music
Before you get your cat to adjust to the new clock, you need to keep him calm. Soothing music is good to calm your cat but cat music is excellent.
When I talk about cat music, I mean the music that mimics cat sounds. Your cat will want to figure it out and thus it is a great way to minimize nighttime boredom.
It will also help cats with anxiety or dealing with loneliness.
Ignore nighttime meowing
Does your cat meow at night to seek attention? Well, this is an annoying habit but it grows when a cat gets his way every time. You need to teach him that excessive meowing is not acceptable.
To be able to do this, you should ignore him, even when he cries all night. Get a pair of earplugs and keep your bedroom door closed. These should get you to sleep without having to listen to his nagging.
However, only employ this when your cat cries for no reason at night. Ensure he has everything he needs before you go to bed. Also, play with him during the day and establish a bond with him.
Once your cat learns that meowing does not give him whatever he wants, he will eventually stop.
Get another cat
Even though this is not always the go-to solution, it can help keep a lonely cat calm. However, this will require you to consider a few factors. For instance, is your cat social? If so, then you can get another cat to keep him company.
If this goes all well, they will leave you alone and play with each other. However, you will also need to be prepared for a second cat, which is not always easy. Give it a thought before you adopt another kitty.
If your cat won’t stop meowing at night, I hope that the above tips will guide you to solve this problem.