Why it happens
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A twilight hunter
A cat is not truly nocturnal, but it is liveliest at dusk and dawn, when mice and birds are on the move. That rhythm stays even in a cat that has never been outdoors.
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It slept all day
While you are at work, the cat does little but sleep. By evening it is rested and full of energy, and it tries to burn it off once you are in bed.
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Bursts of energy
Sudden sprints around the flat, leaps at the curtains and back again: that is pent-up energy bursting out. It is especially typical of kittens, young cats and cats kept on their own.
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Hunger before dawn
If the cat is fed the moment you get up, it may start waking you earlier and earlier. Every time you get up and fill the bowl, it learns that waking you works.
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Boredom
In a flat with nothing to explore, climb or hunt, life is too quiet for a cat. Night-time mischief becomes its entertainment.
What helps
- An evening hunting game Before bed, make time for an active game with a wand or feather toy: let the cat stalk, run, jump and finally catch it. Wind down calmly and let it make the catch.
- Play first, then food Give the evening meal after the game. Hunt, eat, groom, sleep is the cat's natural sequence, so with a full stomach it settles for the night more easily.
- Puzzle feeders and slow feeders Put part of the day's food in a puzzle feeder or a slow-feeder bowl. Searching for its food keeps the cat busy during the day and at night while you sleep.
- Do not respond to wake-up calls When the cat wakes you at night or at dawn, stay in bed and do not feed it then. It may try harder at first, but if waking you gets it nothing, it gives up in time. Do not scold it or throw things: that is attention too.
- Things to do during the day A windowsill with a view of the yard, a cat tree with high platforms, cardboard boxes and paper bags give the cat something to do while you are out.
Related product categories
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When it is a question for a vet
See a vet if the night-time restlessness started suddenly or in an older cat, if the cat yowls loudly at night, wanders or seems confused, or if it also eats more but loses weight, drinks more or starts weeing outside the litter box.