As soon as you have acquired the long-awaited kitten, some problems immediately arise, one of which is the pet not sleeping at night. The owners are tired from the day and are sleeping, but he is awake, playing or meowing out of habit. First the cat meows to be let into the bedroom, then to be let out. During the day, people need to go to work or school, but the mustache goes to bed and rests until the evening. And there again...
Of course, young animals are naturally playful, but the kitten must be aware of the limits of its territory, as well as the limits of the master's bedroom. To do this, you need to know what the causes of cat insomnia are and how to deal with it.
Show your cat that you are going to bed
Cats like to live on a stable schedule, where the same actions are repeated day after day. They remember what results certain events and actions lead to. For example, the owner finished dinner, got up from the table, and the cat understands that they will now feed him. This can also be your cat’s way of going to bed. Remember what actions you always do before falling asleep, and repeat them every evening. So, your ritual could be like this: turn off the TV, open the window, brush your teeth, turn off the lights. The cat will see how your regular actions lead to one result - sleep, and will adapt to your regime.
How to solve a problem
The main way to get a cat to sleep at night is to let it get tired during the day. Play with your cat during the day if you are at home. If you work, build or buy a playground for your cat. Regularly - every 3-4 days - offer your pet new toys: this way the entertainment will not get boring.
Cats need communication, so you should pay attention to your pet. Even if you come home late at night, chat with your pet: pet, talk, treat him with a treat.
Also arm yourself with knowledge of cat instincts: a cat will not look for food at night if it ate from its belly at night. And after a good dinner, the hunter needs to conserve resources. Move your main meal to the evening.
If your cat still makes noise at night, don’t fall for such tricks. The pet is trying to attract attention and your reaction only reinforces this behavior. Control yourself and don't yell at the cat, even if it drops something.
Be sure to feed your cat at night
Check what time you feed your cat. He might be waking you up because he's hungry. It is recommended to feed cats 3-4 times a day with breaks of 6-8 hours. So that your cat can sleep peacefully for the allotted time and not wake up from hunger, feed her before you go to bed yourself.
An automatic feeder will also be useful. It will save you from the hassle of morning feeding, because it’s more pleasant to lie in bed on a day off than to run to the kitchen to feed a hungry cat. Automatic feeders can dispense food at a certain time, and the pet waiting for breakfast will hang around near it, and not near your bed.
Play with your cat before bed
Even though you are tired at work, try to spend at least 15 minutes in the evening for active games with your pet, especially if your cat is still very young and full of energy.
The same balls, a simple bow on a string, and for the most tired - a laser pointer that you can use while sitting in a chair - all cats love this toy!
And just pet the cat, comb it with a special brush, and feed it well right before bed - this will ensure it and your restful sleep throughout the night.
Entertain your pet during the day
Cats need somewhere to burn off their energy. If the cat slept all day without finding any entertainment, then when the owner returns from work he will be full of strength and desire to jump and play. Therefore, it is important to provide your pet with the opportunity to play during the day.
- Leave your pet toys. You can buy them at a pet store or make them yourself. Light items that are fun to move across the floor are suitable. They can be rustling or with ribbons. Cats also like toys filled with catnip. Don’t forget to periodically change the set of toys so that your cat doesn’t get tired of them;
- a new level of entertainment for cats - interactive toys. They can move independently and will keep your pet occupied for a long time. Before leaving your cat alone with such a toy, read the instructions and make sure it is safe;
- If there is a tree near your window, you can hang a feeder on it. The cat will watch the arriving birds. But do not place the feeder very close to the window so that flying birds do not hit the glass;
- If possible, you can leave video recordings running on the TV screen for the cat. The TV must be installed so that the cat can see it. Her attention will be attracted, for example, by recordings of flying birds, which she will try to catch.
Before going to bed, also play with your cat so that he gets tired. Cats get tired quickly: 10-20 minutes of active play are enough for them, after which the animal will lose interest in toys and want to rest.
Is it beneficial for an owner to sleep with his pet?
The main advantage of sleeping with a cat lies in its purring. Pleasant vibrations have a beneficial effect on the central nervous system, helping to relieve fatigue and tension.
Despite the obvious advantages, not all people are recommended to sleep in the same bed with cats. The main contraindications include the following conditions:
- pregnancy and lactation, which worsen the mother’s body’s defenses;
- age less than 3 years, characterized by a weak immune system;
- allergy to animal fur or saliva;
- somnambulism or too restless sleep, increasing the likelihood of injury to the animal;
- presence of diseases in the cat.
To avoid infection with infections and parasites, it is necessary to regularly vaccinate and treat your pet with antiparasitic drugs. It is better to avoid unauthorized walks on the street to reduce the likelihood of infection from other animals.
Provide your pet with a sleeping place
Cats don't sleep for 8 hours straight, they are bound to have at least short periods of wakefulness during that period of time. Therefore, it is best to arrange a sleeping place for your cat that is not in your bedroom. This way, your pet won’t wake you up with his play, and you won’t wake him up by tossing and turning in his sleep.
If the cat has his own, familiar resting place, he will have no need to come to you in the middle of the night. To make the cat feel its territory, place all its things (bedding, toys, bowls of food and water) close to each other. In addition, you can place additional pillows and bedding in the secluded corners of the apartment so that your pet can choose a suitable place to sleep for the day. A pillow in the middle of the room is most likely not suitable: cats need to feel protected when sleeping, which is impossible in an open space.
If you follow these tips, very soon you will begin to get enough sleep at night, and your cat will become a little happier, because she will have a clear daily routine, toys and her own secluded corners, which she will consider her territory.
What reasons are usually given?
Possible causes are divided into 4 large groups. Some of them have a fairly logical explanation, so it’s hard to disagree with them. Others make atheists and skeptics smile. Despite this, each of them has the right to exist.
Behavioral
Behavioral reasons include the emotions displayed by our pets. The appearance of a cat in your bed may mean:
- Love, affection, gratitude, trust and any other positive feelings.
If your pet purrs peacefully, moves its paws or lets you scratch its tummy, you can be proud of yourself. Being with you, he feels safe, so he easily falls into a deep sleep, snoring funny.
- Jealousy and possessiveness.
By actively rubbing against the owner and his personal belongings, the cat leaves its invisible marks that scare away potential rivals.
- Boredom.
Cats haven't walked on their own for a long time. Some of them become much more attached to people than dogs. When left alone, they feel very sad, and immediately after the person returns they try to curl up in a ball next to him.
- Subordination.
Most often, mustachioed pets choose only one bipedal favorite. By going to bed with him, they recognize him as a leader and accept their secondary role.
These explanations are based on the owners' guesses, so you can easily choose your own version. More interesting versions include physiological ones, but their inherent reasoning is no longer so romantic.
Physiological
If a cat sleeps at their feet, then most likely this is due to the peculiarities of their behavior. The mustachioed pets love secluded boxes, warm radiators, the smell of milk and delicious food. It sounds strange, but all this can be found next to the owner:
- Safety.
In addition to the least threat from an accidental coup, the cat is attracted to the feeling of security created by a fence of legs.
- Warm.
A special love for sleeping together manifests itself in winter. Additional heating is provided by a blanket or blanket.
- Smell.
Animals often climb into a baby's crib, attracted by the sweetish smell of the baby. Adult owners smell differently. Their pet associates them more with maternal warmth and safety.
- Practicality.
Being in the feet, the cat will very easily feel the awakening of their owner. Thanks to this, the mustachioed scoundrels easily adapt to your regime, trying to beg for something tasty in the morning.
The next theory is based on the mystical ability to sense illness. But there is a logical explanation for it too - love for warmth.
Theory about foot diseases
Inflammatory processes are accompanied by an increase in local temperature in the affected areas. If the mustache is increasingly attached to your knees, check with a doctor for arthrosis, myositis and other joint pathologies.
From the realm of the supernatural
Trying to understand why a cat sleeps at a person’s feet, esotericists came to the theory of energy fields. According to it, in the lower part of the body there are chakras with negative energy, and in the upper part - with positive energy. Our pets sense this difference and remove negativity, sucking out bad energy, like energy vampires.
For a long time, most folk superstitions have reduced sleeping together with a mustachioed pet to imminent misfortune. But such considerations have long been left aside, since over the years love and affection for pets has only increased.
How to train a cat to sleep at night and in the morning?
A feature of the body of an adult cat is the ability to sleep up to 20 hours a day. This is more than twice the normal amount of sleep for a person. Therefore, keeping your pet awake should not pose a problem. However, many owners face significant discomfort. At night or early in the morning, the cat becomes more active and does not give people the opportunity to get enough sleep. Often this period of his wakefulness occurs precisely at the hours when the deep sleep phase begins for a person. There is a need to find a way to teach your pet to sleep at night and in the morning.
Reasons for cat activity at night and in the morning
The owners sleep peacefully at night, early in the morning, and the cat decided to play. He jumps on the curtains, climbing up to the cornice, turning over flower pots, fiercely sharpening his claws on the door of a polished cabinet, enthusiastically tearing a plastic bag, chasing a found ball throughout the apartment. From time to time he jumps on the bed and begins hunting for the hands and feet of his owners. It is quite difficult to withstand such tests when you really want to sleep. The situation becomes unbearable if there is a small child in the house, who will take a long time to put to bed after such a wake-up call.
