Predicting cat behavior can be very difficult, and its reasons sometimes remain a deep mystery to the owner. Cats screaming at night is a very common phenomenon, but it is difficult to talk about clear reasons for it. Night “concerts” can be either a good old tradition for some pets or a completely sudden exception to the rule that stuns the owner. In this regard, the question of how to wean a cat from yelling in the morning requires special consideration.
How to stop a cat from yelling in the morning
Even owners of the most docile and quiet cats may one day encounter such an acoustic phenomenon. The desire to re-educate a cat and remove its need to scream is quite natural. We will talk about how to do this without harm to the pet’s health and the owner’s sleep in this article.
Rhythms of a cat's life
Some individuals wake up their owners with such precision and consistency that one might suspect that they have their own Swiss watch, with which the animals check the time of their vocal training. This is partly true, but only partly.
The owner always takes an important part in the cat's sleep and wakefulness patterns.
Cats do not have the abstract, abstract understanding of time that humans have. Time is important for them only from a utilitarian point of view - as an indicator of satisfaction of their needs. Therefore, the most common reason for morning cat “concerts” is the need for food. As soon as the sleep-deprived, irritated owner pours the treasured delicious granules into the cat’s bowl, he calms down and goes about his business.
Even though cats are designed to be nocturnal, their biological clocks can shift.
Felines – wild or domesticated – always adapt their own rhythm of life to the conditions in which they find themselves. Having no idea about human daily routines, cats very quickly figure out at what time it makes sense for them to leave their homes and go outside, and at what hours it is preferable to stay in the shelter.
Cats get used to the routines they establish together with their owner.
In the same way, domestic cats measure their behavior with their owner’s lifestyle. From this we can conclude that many cats that scream in the morning, one way or another, received positive reinforcement from the owner. Often such reinforcements are not noticed by the person himself, which leads to mutual misunderstanding.
Longing for mother
If a kitten has just moved to a new home, then there may be many reasons why he is making meows and other sounds. All of them will be discussed below, and the first will be called longing for a cat mom.
It is recommended to adopt kittens at 1.5-2.5 months. At this age, they already know how to feed themselves and have learned most of the “cat wisdom.” However, separation from the mother still brings discomfort to the kitten. He can meow pitifully and look for the usual warm barrel.
You can help a small pet by taking him in your arms when he is crying pitifully, warming him with your own warmth, stroking him, caressing him. It is advisable to talk to him in a peaceful and calm voice.
Often kittens wake up at night and, not feeling the usual warmth and smell, begin to meow. At such moments, it is important to calm the pet with tactile contact. Over time, the kitten will stop looking for its mother. The time to get used to new conditions varies from person to person, but as a rule, it does not last too long.
Nocturnal lifestyle
Before moving on to the reasons for unwanted behavior in cats, it should be remembered that all felines are active primarily at night or in the early morning hours. This rhythm of life gave wild cats an advantage over prey and other predators, which were less active after sunset.
Cats' visual organs are also geared towards a nocturnal lifestyle; they function even worse in illuminated conditions than in twilight. In a word, even cat physiology is on the side of their activity from dusk to dawn.
For wild cousins of domestic cats, night hunting is a way of survival
However, the millennia lived side by side with humans were not in vain for cats. Pets, in the process of long evolution, have learned to adjust their rhythms of life to human rhythms. Nowadays, it is not uncommon to find cats sleeping side by side with humans. But you need to keep in mind that cat sleep has little in common with human sleep.
Instead of sleeping once a day, cats take short naps of a few minutes each.
Cats sleep very lightly and often wake up, since full, deep sleep is an unaffordable luxury for them. Wild cats couldn’t afford it and slept in “portions.” This sleep order was passed on to their distant domestic descendants.
The role of the owner in raising a cat
As already mentioned, unwanted behavior in pets is most often associated with unconscious reinforcements from the owner. A person should never forget that cats are very sensitive to the sequence of his actions. Even if the owner does not undertake to raise his pet, he still, one way or another, educates him, introducing him to the principles of desirable and undesirable behavior in his own way.
A common mistake an owner makes is to assume that the cat will be able to immediately understand what is required of him.
Of course, felines understand everything in their own way. Therefore, what seems elementary and self-evident to a person may not be so to a cat. For example, if on weekdays a cat comes to you when you are already up and pours food for him, then this behavior is reinforced in the form of food. However, on weekends, when the cat is already ready to feast, he encounters a sharp rebuff from the owner.
For your cat to correctly decipher your instructions, they must be consistent and predictable.
Such unmotivated, from a cat’s point of view, behavior leads to frustration for the pet. Cats are not familiar with the concept of weekends. The pets have learned their schedule, created in partnership with the owner, and their desire is very simple - to adhere to the “rules of the game” and get what they want. But as soon as they get used to the schedule, the owner breaks it and delays breakfast by two or three hours.
In trying to achieve the desired results, some cats do not know the limits
In such situations, cats inevitably experience stress - on a larger or smaller scale. Vengefulness, coupled with unsatisfied needs, sometimes pushes cats, depending on the degree of their depravity and ingenuity, to perform various tricks. All means available to the pet are used:
- Monotonous scratching of glass;
- Biting a person on different parts of the body;
- Pulling the blanket;
- Relieve yourself on the pillow;
- Ripping off wallpaper nearby;
- Sudden jumps on the owner.
What to do if the kitten does not sleep at night, walks and meows
When the adaptation period has passed, the time has come to gently force the kitten to its biorhythm. If the pet is bored, then in the absence of the owner he will sleep and gain strength for nightly adventures. If there is no one at home, you need to ensure that the kitten does not overeat at this time, does not sleep, but has fun.
For this purpose, there are toys that should be changed every 3-5 days: scratching posts, multi-level cat furniture, houses in which you can hide. Cats love enclosed spaces. Therefore, a tunnel made of rustling material may become a favorite place for games.
The kitten will be provided with a place to rest. It’s good if it is away from the radiators and closer to the window, so that the pet does not sleep, but finds out what is happening behind the window glass.
You should delineate the area accessible to your pet and keep it out of the nursery and bedroom. If penetration has occurred, a lot of effort will have to be made to wean the animal from visiting prohibited places.
Be sure to read:
A cat yells at night: what to do, the main reasons, how to calm the animal, what not to do
Finally, the pet just needs to be tired. Organize active games, it is important for the kitten to play enough. For the first time, a candy wrapper on a string will do. Then they offer him fishing rods, teasers, and squeaky mice. You can open a plastic bag for the animal, he will happily jump into it. It is necessary not only to provide your pet with toys, but also to take part in the game with him.
After playing, the tired pet is fed well. The food puts you to sleep, and the animal will not bother anyone at night.
Reasons for cats crying in the morning
Vocal exercises are not always a result of hunger or a desire for attention. The reasons for cat screams are varied - from the most harmless need to communicate with the owner to serious pathologies. Therefore, it is advisable for the owner of a vocal cat to monitor not only the fact of screams, but also their frequency, the conditions in which the screamer manifests itself, and so on. The most common reasons for cat arias are presented below.
Table 1. Causes of morning cat crying
| Cause | Description |
Hormonal background | Hormones have a particular effect on uncastrated individuals. Changes in behavior accompanied by a prolonged loud meow may be associated with the onset of sexual heat in females. The calls of females are an important ritual for attracting males for the purpose of having offspring. Males prefer marking corners to acoustic manifestations of sexual need. This problem can only be solved by timely castration, since no educational influences can lull the sexual instinct in a pet. However, it is worth considering that residual elements of sexual heat may remain even when the reproductive organs are removed |
Disease | Some diseases worsen at night and in the pre-dawn hours, which sometimes makes their identification difficult. A seemingly healthy cat during the day begins to scream at night, as if possessed. Diseases that manifest themselves fully under the cover of darkness include all kinds of parasitic diseases, urolithiasis, arthritis and arthrosis. If a previously calm cat begins to stage concerts, you should carefully examine him, or, even better, entrust the examination to a veterinarian. Excluding physical pathologies in advance will simplify the education process and will not allow the disease to quietly become chronic. |
Intense experiences | Increased anxiety may occur in a cat when the environment changes or any change in the usual rhythm of life. Moving, the arrival of new people or pets in the house, renovations - all this is acutely felt by pets and affects their internal sense of comfort. Moreover, cats never remain indifferent to the psychological climate in the family. There are cases when, after the owner's quarrels, the cat did not find a place for itself for a long time. Anxiety and nervousness are common to varying degrees in both people and their pets. At such moments, trying to suppress the meowing of a distressed cat will only worsen the situation. |
Territorial issue | This reason applies to a greater extent to small apartments in which the cat shares a common room with the owners. However, in spacious houses a similar problem sometimes appears. The fact is that a cat needs its own “corner” - both in the wild and in domestic conditions, the distribution of boundaries is very important for cats. In their absence, pets' behavior may change for the worse. Cats wake up for various reasons, since they are sensitive to the slightest rustle due to their developed hearing. If they have their own territory, where they can hunt for flies and look out the window, then they will not come to visit someone else’s |
Excess energy | Cats, sleeping 16-20 hours a day, just like other living organisms, need to relax. If your pet's short waking hours occur in the pre-dawn hours, prepare for surprises. Not only screaming will be used, but also the famous running along the corridors, climbing through closets and extreme descents from curtains - depending on the physical inclinations of the cat. Owl cats are prone to hunting at night, trying to catch flying flies or spiders running under the baseboard. |
To attract attention | Despite the fact that cats rarely seek a human reaction for the sake of the reaction itself, there are individuals who want to occupy all the owner’s time with themselves. Keep in mind that there are breeds that require increased attention due to their temperament. These breeds include Siamese cats, Ukrainian Levkoys, Orientals, etc. More often, such behavior has very specific utilitarian goals, which the pet hints at. The reason for the scream is not always a whim - the cat can convey information about a dirty tray or empty bowls of food or drink. To avoid such situations, leave food and fresh litter for the cat overnight. |
Mental pathologies | Some cats have an unstable psyche and react violently even to situations that do not involve such behavior. Since educational measures in this case are of little use, only a veterinarian can help. There are special sedatives for cats that help pets come into harmony with themselves. However, they are prescribed only when necessary and are taken under the close supervision of a doctor. |
Many owners lose sight of the likely painful underlying cause of cat cries and recognize pathologies in the later stages. To avoid such situations, it is advisable for cat owners to have basic knowledge about common ailments among their pets. You can find out more about the main cat diseases and their symptoms on our portal.
Cases requiring contact with a veterinarian
If a cat constantly meows and itches, then he may have fleas, lice eaters, or other ectoparasites (living outside). Allergies and ear mites may also have such manifestations. It is necessary to show your pet to a doctor to determine the cause of this behavior and determine measures to help.
A hard, inflated belly speaks together with a loud meow, serious anxiety or, conversely, lethargy; increased appetite or its absence indicates a helminthic infestation.
In such cases, you should consult your veterinarian. He will prescribe an anthelmintic and tell you how long to give it.
If the kitten cries loudly and trembles at the same time, you can try to warm it or feed it. If the cause is not hunger and cold, then you need to see a doctor, as this may be damage to the spine.
Refusal to eat, diarrhea, or, conversely, cleanliness in the tray for a long time, accompanied by plaintive and constant meowing, is also a reason to seek medical help.
A caring owner always understands his pet. Cats have almost no means of expressing their complaints or wishes other than by making sound signals. It is important to understand what the pet wants to communicate and provide him with all possible assistance.
