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Cat Behavior and Nocturnal Problems

a87a3a_c6c22665313cc72a07ef1ded9bc0ae40How come cats play in the night?
Cats are active at night. This type of normal behaviour is also known as being nocturnal. If a cat’s instinctual behaviour is inconveniencing the owner in any way, the cat may be trained to play late at night or late in the morning. Punishment will not affect the cat because it is instincts that make the cat act in such a way. The owner should not let the cat play in their own bedroom. This will cause a habit that is difficult to break especially when the owner is trying to sleep at night.

 
Training Cats-Whose Doing the Training?
The first mistake usually made during training is making the behaviour worse. If you condone the behaviour it will continue. A lot of owners will feel bad for their cat thinking that the cat is lonely. Or they will feed the cat thinking that’s what they need when that is simply just a temporary fix. These actions will let the cat know that the bad behaviour will be rewarded with the owner’s attention. This is training the cat to behave badly. A cat’s needs should always be met, however the cat should be fed and played with in the late morning or late night. This will correct the habit of this bad behaviour.

 
Night or Day Shift for Cats
Activity at night for cats is quite normal being that cats are nocturnal. If the decision was left up to the cat, the only activity during the day would be their body movement while breathing heavily during sleep. Around eight or nine at night is when a cat would normally get up to stretch, yawn, urinate, and defecate. After that is all done the cat will then go around their home trying to get anyone and everyone’s attention using their play and feeding needs. Although, being nocturnal is normal it does conflict with a human’s normal everyday schedule. It is quite easy to change a cat’s schedule from night to day even if it is instinctual.
It is unrealistic to expect a cat to sleep 24/7. During the day in order to prevent a cat from sleeping the cat must be kept awake with plenty of activity. There are a lot of things that can be done to occupy a cat. While watching television shows, an owner could very easily join their cat in play on the floor. You can either get toys at the store or even make your own. Crumpled paper or a feather tied to a string will suffice as a great toy to drag around the floor. Using a box with a little catnip creates a great jungle gym for kitty play. Training can also be an awakening activity. Teaching a cat to fetch will keep them going. Training a cat to use a scratching post will require focus. Concentration will prevent the cat from trying to snooze.
If an owner is highly consistent with trying to change a cat’s schedule the cat will get used to it quicker. Feeding and playtimes should also be operated on a tight schedule. This will all help get a cat used to the new schedule all around. This will reduce the inconvenient behaviour.

 
Patience for a Cat
For all those times a cat has kept their owner awake should keep the determination for change. In the same way that cats bug their owners while they are sleeping that’s what owners should do every time they see their cat trying to nap during the day. A cat needs to be kept awake during the day. In 10-14 days the cat will be so tired from not sleeping during the day that uninterrupted night sleep will be the only option they have. The cat should also be a lot less stressed being that this routine care is very fulfilling for them. During the time of transition it is important to remember that it will take some time, but it will still happen. Therefore, an owner should not give up because that will cause for the entire training to start all over.

 
Bed Attacks
After all the work that an owner has done thus far during training, a great night’s sleep is well deserved. There is a method for training a cat to leave the owner alone while the owner trying to sleep. The owner should keep a squirt bottle filled with only water on their night stand. Every time a cat were to try to bother the owner the cat should be sprayed in the face. This will teach them that behaviour is unacceptable. If a cat is continuously meowing by a bedroom door, the first attempt at correction at this point could be to just show the cat the squirt bottle. If that doesn’t work then the cat should be squirted giving them the chance to make the correct decision. Despite the water being unpleasant for most cats, the cat may very well return to the bedroom to meow at the door some more. Squirting the cat every time with consistency is a sure way to show how serious the training actually is.
Unfortunately, squirting a cat in the face does not affect every cat. Some cats enjoy being squirted. If an owner has a cat with this issue using a squirting tactic would not be very affective. An owner could try other things like loud noises. A can full of beams is really noisy when it is shaken. This could be a corrective action that may work.

 
Diversion Therapy
If an owner does a type of corrective gesture with their cat they must also offer the cat an alternative action. If the cat is not offered this then the cat will become mischievous out of frustration and built up energy. Destruction and urinating all over the house is a very typical response.

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