Owning a cat is fun and rewarding! They become just like our children don’t they?
Well, just like children, they often act like children too! They, like small children, can keep us awake at night for many reasons.
This lack of sleep can be tough on us! Especially if you have to get up early in the morning!
So why do they do it? Why do they wake us up at night and what can we do to prevent it?
1. Exercise!!!
If you can set aside 20-30 minutes each day to play with your cat he or she will more likely be tired and sleepy at bedtime.
How do you exercise a cat? People tend to think cats are cats, they tend to themselves. Well, not really. It’s just important for them to have exercise than it is for dogs. If your cat doesn’t get proper exercise and lays around the house all day (until you try to go to bed of course), you could end up with a cat with health problems!
Here are some fun things you can do to exercise your furry feline:
· Laser Lights. This is my favorite! Just make sure you don’t point it near their eyes and definitely not on any of your furniture as they may just learn to scratch it!
· Colorful String. String needs to be with supervision only!! As soon as you are done playing with the string, put it in a cupboard up high that kitty can’t get into. Cats can ingest string and cause many health problems that usually leads to a very expensive and dangerous surgery! So please hide the string when you are done!
· Toy Mice. Another fun one! If the toy mice have whiskers or eye parts make sure your pet doesn’t ingest them. Better yet, just take them off! Cats love to play catch down the hall with these toy mice and many come packed with their favorite….. Catnip!
These are just some suggestions. Your cat may have their own favorite play time that you are aware of. Just make sure that YOU are part of that playtime!
2. Feed a late night snack before bed. Some cats get hungry around 4-5 am if fed late in the afternoon or early in the evening. Try feeding a small snack of their dry food just before you go to bed in addition to their normal feeding. If your pet is on a diet or getting overweight, just a couple pieces please.
3. Another solution….. don’t let kitty sleep in your room. If kitty doesn’t like this idea he will probably scratch at your door. Be diligent! It may take a couple of weeks but if you don’t give in pretty soon he will become bored of it and stop all together.
What if you try everything and it still fails? If your cat is the only cat in the home and you are at work all day, even with playtime from you, he still may be plain and simply……bored.
You may want to add another cat to the house to help alleviate some of that boredom. Not all pet’s are going to appreciate that but you know your cat better than anyone and you will know if you think your pet will be okay with this. There are many homeless cats all across our state that are living in shelters just waiting for a home.
Good luck and let’s hope you get some sleep now!
Below are some places you may want to check out if you are interested in adopting a new cat.
Arizona Humane Society: www.azhumane.org
Thank you!
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