When Your Cat Is Nocturnal

Many cats are nocturnal and like to stay up all night running around and playing. If you are not nocturnal, however, this can cause a rift in your relationship.

When your cat is up most of the night playing and wanting to go outside then wakes you up in the wee hours of the morning this can be inconvenient. Once you let him out, you may not get him to come in until the next evening when the cycle starts all over again!.

Does this behavior sound familiar to you? Cats that have nocturnal behaviors can be trained to have activity time when it is convenient for you.

Few step that you may want to change to help with this problem:

  1. Change the feeding time to around the time you are making dinner for the family. Cats usually have to go potty shortly after they eat. This gives you time to feed him , then let him out side for potty and some play time before you sit down to enjoy your dinner.
    Feeding him to close to bedtime will only result in getting up in the middle of the night to let him go out for potty.
  2. Allow the cat water until a couple of hour before bedtime. He will have to go out to potty and give him playtime at that time. Letting him have water all night long, will only allow him to have to go out in the middle of the night to go potty or you will have accidents in the hallways in the morning.
  3. Set up good playtime in the evening for him. Good exercise, with fun filled activities will help him to sleep better.
  4. If possible do not allow him to sleep during the day; this will also get him to sleep during the night. If he is going to be up during the night, do not allow him to have free ring over the house. Set up an environment that is some what contained with quiet actives for him to play.
  5. When he comes in your room in the middle of the night have something that will make a noise to chase him out. Cats do not like sudden loud noises, so this will make him run.
    After a couple of times, he will not want to come in again.
  6. Patience is going to be the biggest thing for you and the family to get his routine to change so that he is not up all night and sleeps during the day. When you and a family member find him sleeping during the day, you will need to wake him and play with him. Letting him sleep will not end the night activities.
  7. When you are all out doing your daily activities and he is left alone all day, well yes he is going to sleep. One good suggestion is call him at home. Set up the answering machine to be able to play a section that you have recorded just for him. Maybe once or twice a day you will have to call, but in the end kitty will not sleep all day and start sleeping at night.
  8. Are you a user of catnip for your cat, you may want to put this up for the nighttime. Catnip is a mint smelling, taste that cats love. By removing this out of the area, the cat cannot smell with help with the training a lot. Cats’ keen smelling sense will put up any scent that is left behind.
  9. Nocturnal behaviors are natural behavior for your cat. However, you do not have to follow their routine of being up all night and wanting to play. You can change their routine slowly and quiet easily to allow you and family member to sleep and keep your routine. Do not allow kitty to train you, kitty will allow you to train him with time and patience.
  10. Giving in to your cat for routine will not give you the relationship with your cat that
    You are looking for. When you are able to change the routine, remember to reward the cat for the change. This will help with the companionship that you and your cat needs.