Does your cat wake you several times a week in the middle of the night meowing? Here are the reasons behind this problematic behavior, and especially the solutions to solve it and find a peaceful sleep.
Causes of unwanted nocturnal meows
During its evolution with man as a domestic animal, the non-feral cat has learned to perform a rewarding action towards us that it otherwise reserves only for its mother when it is a kitten: the typical meow.
When you sleep, your cat may make this sound for several reasons. First, it can be to ask you for some interaction with him or simply for attention, such as being petted, wanting to be caught, talking to you, being watched, etc. Nighttime meowing may also turn out to be the best way your cat has found to spend its energy at this time because it has nothing more interesting to do. If your pet meows rather at specific times around which you usually feed him, he wants to wake you up in order to receive his meal.
A cat that emits unwanted nocturnal meows may also be doing so because of health issues, such as anxiety. It is therefore important to discuss this with your veterinarian to rule out medical causes before treating behavioral causes.
Perform a game session and offer a delicious meal before sleeping
About 30 minutes before going to bed, play with your cat for 10 minutes, such as using a bug stick , then give him a meal so that he physically works for it. . The goal is to get him to expend as much energy as possible before you go to bed so he has little to meow at night.
If you give him wet canned food or a CatIt Creamy Treat , spread it in a soft food device, like Catit's Fish Lick Mat or Lick'n'Snack Lick Plate . If your cat only eats dry food, offer all of its servings, including the one before going to sleep, in an interactive bowl, such as the Catit Senses 2.0 Croquetier or Catit Play Senses 2.0 kibbles .
It's important not to exceed 20 minutes of daily play time with your cat, as longer play sessions will only exhaust this four-legged athlete on the spot, but the next day he'll be able to take on more. It is thanks to the autonomous activities offered by an enriched environment that your cat will spend the rest of its energy.
Ignore unwanted meows
Verbal and physical ignorance of your cat's nocturnal meowing for 2 weeks is your best defense. For example, avoid talking to him, say “no! or "shh!" », shout his name, pet him, touch him or find an excuse to go see him. Do not hesitate to bring earplugs or headphones to accomplish this difficult task.
Watch out for the Extinction Puff though! It occurs when you've ignored your cat's meows enough for him to try to get you to react by making louder sounds or performing some new unwanted behavior. Do not be discouraged, because the appearance of this puff indicates that you are on the right track to stop his nocturnal meows.
Enrich your cat's environment
Too often overlooked as a way to solve many feline behavioral problems, environmental enrichment provides your cat with autonomous activities to perform during the day so that she can expend her energy performing them, rather than to let off steam by doing undesirable behaviors. It also stimulates your little feline mentally and physically. An enriched environment should include interactive bowls to put food in, toys scattered here and there, scratching surfaces, hiding places to visit, and high places to explore, sleep and climb, such as trees to cats, shelves and shelves.
Buy an automatic feeder
An automatic food dispenser like the PIXI Intelligent Dispenser will only be useful if your cat wakes you up in the morning to get his portion of kibble. Program the item to dispense them when your cat usually meows. After a few days, the cat will have understood that he must now go to the dispenser to get his food at the scheduled time, and no longer wake you up by meowing.
If you want to stop your cat's nocturnal meowing, call on a feline behavior consultant to help you find the reasons for this behavior and to correctly apply the corresponding solutions.
Tonkigirl x doggie
An article written by Tonkigirl , qualified feline behavior practitioner.
