Is Your Cat a Night Owl?

  Posted on July 28, 2011  by Joy of Living  No comments

One thing I’ve been dealing with since Marty, aka “Party Marty” joined our household is his fondness for waking up in the middle of the night.

At first the 3 a.m. wake-up calls weren’t too bad, but after a couple weeks of it, the novelty definitely wore off.  So what are some things to do to prevent your cat from waking you up at crazy hours?

One thing that’s worked for me is ignoring Marty when he starts pleading in his whiny voice.  When that doesn’t work, he usually finds things that make noise (the blinds are a favorite) to try to get me up.  Although it can be very difficult to not acknowledge him (keep in mind that yelling is a form of acknowledgement), I’ve found that it does seem to be working.

Something else I’ve started doing is playing with him more to use up some of his pent-up energy.  I’ve been breaking up our play sessions throughout the day, reserving some for the evening with the thought of tiring him out so he’ll sleep better, and hopefully longer.

If your cat is one that likes to get physical, as in sitting on your chest and looking at you, or, as Bo used to do, pull your hair, it might be worth considering making the bedroom a kitty-free zone by closing the door.

What has worked for you to prevent your cat from keeping you up nights?