Does your frisky kitty keep waking you up while you are sleeping at night, asking for food, or wanting some cuddle time?
If you are a light sleeper, chances are you might have noticed your cat’s activity level spikes while you are sleeping.
While a good night’s sleep is essential for your health, it does not have to be interrupted by your kitty. On the other hand, it can be much worse for cat parents with sleep disorders.
However, if your cat doesn’t let you sleep, there are easy ways to calm a cat down at night to help you get the much-needed rest.
How to Calm a Cat Down at Night?
Nighttime is usually a natural time for cats to be active. However, nighttime activity in cats for some cat parents can be bothersome, and we agree.
However, there are many ways to train your cat to prevent disturbing your good night’s sleep.
Here are 12 easy ways to reduce your cat’s nighttime activity!
1. Change Your Cat’s Playtime
When you are away at work, your kitty has been alone most of the time throughout the day, she is bored, but all set to play when you come home. Daytime play and stimulation are still essential for cats, and if she has been inactive throughout the day, it is likely that your cat will be active during the nighttime.
More attention and stimulation can often reduce such cat behaviors at night. You can provide your cat with plenty of toys and related outlets for their hunting impulses. Likewise, cat towers that allow cats to climb, scratch, and perch can also be a good option.
You should also play and cuddle with your cat towards the end of the day, this can help your cat get out excess energy and reduce the chances of being active during the nighttime.
2. Change the Sleep Schedule
Generally speaking, nearly all cats do most of their sleeping during the daytime, since they are more active during the nighttime. It is because cats are predators by nature, and their brains and bodies are made to do the hunting mostly at night.
Though domesticated, most of our cats still show instincts that are seen in wild cats such as lions and tigers.
However, one way you can get your cat used to going to sleep at night is by creating a regular bedtime routine. You can try changing your cat’s sleeping schedule slowly by encouraging playtime and feeding during the day, such that it closely matches the overall schedule of your household.
3. Create a Safe Space
If you have a cat with CDS (Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome), not being able to hear well, or just feeling cold at night can all make her feel very anxious. And anxious cats are more prone to making weird sounds at night, this is especially true if you have moved into a new house.
As some cats tend to get stressed and become more vocal when moving into a new house; a new environment can leave your pet feeling disoriented, confused, and tensed. However, there is a simple way of boosting your cat’s feeling of safety in her personal space.
Provide your cat with lots of hiding places, familiarize her with the cat bed, and encourage their use by giving treats and comfortable bedding. Overall, creating a safe place is all about making your cat feel secure in her own core territory.
4. Give Your Cat Time for Some Affection
Yes, we know, you just came home from work, and you’re tired. But it’s for your cat’s advantage, as well as for the benefit of those deep circles under your eyes, that you spend around 10 minutes playing with your cat.
Some cats are very attached to their owners, and they may start crying out of loneliness or boredom, particularly if you have been away at work all day. Your cat needs interaction and companionship, and when you come home, the only thing that comes to your mind is those fluffy pillows.
Instead, you should have daily one-on-one time with your furry pal to bond with your cat. Spending evening time with your kitty cat can be fun and rewarding for not only you but your cat as well.
5. Feed Her Before Sleeping
Along with other factors, you should also consider providing essentials such as meals and water to your cat before going to sleep. Most of the time, cats start meowing in the middle of the night, and this could be their way of telling their owners that they are hungry.
Night-time crying for food should end if you feed your cat on time before going to sleep. Likewise, if you are not able to make the arrangements, consider getting a cat feeder that works automatically. By using an automatic feeder, you can not only know how often your cat is being given the cat food but also control the amount they are being offered.
Likewise, an automatic cat feeder makes taking care of cats much easier for parents, while also eliminating the concern of overfeeding your cat during your absence.
6. Keep the Litter Box Clean
Cat’s feel the same way about dirty litter boxes, like how we feel about using a dirty toilet, whether it is a public toilet or a dirty toilet at home.
And many cats would turn their noses up when they see a dirty litter box at night that hasn’t been cleaned in a while. However, who can blame them? Many cats are verbal during these matters, as they like to inform their owners regarding the litter box.
Thus, you should provide your cat with a clean litter box before she ruins your goodnight’s sleep.
7. Get Her a Cat Bed
Along with creating safe places for your cat, you should also make sure that your pet has access to warm and comfortable bedding. At night, outdoor cats can also get cold, let alone indoor cats.
Likewise, kittens in cold settings can start meowing to their mothers. And once they are adult cats, they may start using other vocalizations, such as hissing and growling for communicating with others, which can interrupt the sleep of many cat parents.
Thus, if the temperature at your house plummets overnight, then investing in a heated cat bed can be a good idea for your cat. A warm bed can give your cat a perfect place to curl up and sleep in without any problem.
8. Play Calming Music
It is true that playing calming music specifically made for cats at night can help to settle down their nerves, specifically if your cat is anxious. Yes, cat sleep music is a thing, and anxious cats would love hearing it.
Playing relaxing music at night can help your cat easily nod off. Music is a great tool, and with the right tunes, you can help minimize your cat’s stress overnight and increase relaxation.
Classical music can be soothing and relaxing to cats, and it is also suggested to play it to (human) babies — when they are in the womb — for brain development before birth.
And since classical music is favorable for humans, cats have complex sound preferences, so attention has recently turned to produce music specifically for cats aka cat music. Likewise, you can easily find cat music playlists online on YouTube.
9. Use a Cat Calming Spray
Well, if the music fails to do the trick, you can make use of a cat calming spray or pheromone diffusers, which are an effective method of calming stressed-out felines.
Such cat calming sprays make use of the synthetic version of the natural chemicals — pheromones, which can help create a calming effect in cats and kittens.
You can spray it on your cat’s bed before she goes to sleep.
10. Use Nightlights for Senior Cats
Senior cats that have dementia or vision issues cannot see their surroundings very well, especially during night times, which can cause them to stress out.
If they have proper visibility at nighttime, they can feel less fearful and more confident about their surrounding. Make sure there are enough lights turned on that can help turn down night-time caterwauling.
11. Turn Down The Sound
If you didn’t know, cats can hear up to 64,000HZ, whereas compared to 20,000HZ for humans and 45,000HZ for dogs — so, you may not even know what sound is bothering your kitty because you are unable to hear it.
High-frequency and high-pitched, “tinny” sounds can annoy your cat intensely. You can watch your cat’s reaction when you turn on some electronic devices.
Even a small flickering sound coming from an LED bulb can be bothersome to your cat, or flickering computer screens can also disturb your cat during the night.
Thus, make sure that such sounds are turned down during the nighttime.
12. Get One More Furry Companion
If your cat is the only pet in your house and is left alone for long periods every day, then it can be a good idea to provide your cat with some company with another furry companion.
Likewise, two cats can play with each other and keep busy during the nighttime. This can be a great solution to nighttime meowing for some cats.
When to Consult Your Vet?
Although cats are known as cat owls, sometimes cat meowing at nighttime can be uncommon, and it could be due to some unusual reason. If your cat is making sounds at nighttime on a frequent basis, we recommend that you get veterinary help about your cat’s condition.
Nighttime meowing can also be an underlying sign of health issues such as thyroid or kidney diseases.
Conclusion
Cats are nocturnal creatures, meaning they are most active during the nighttime instead of the daytime. Moreover, cats tend to sleep the majority of the daytime, and if allowed, cats will sleep all day.
And using tactics, such as making time for daily sessions of interactive play before sleeping, you can gradually reduce your cat’s nighttime activity.
Thus, this post discussed some easy ways to calm a cat down at night. At last, be patient with your kitty and both of you will be much happier in the long run.
References
- How to help your cat calm down at night — Catonsville Cat Clinic
- Nighttime activity in cats — Pets WebMD
- Cats at night — Cats Protection