We all love our cats, but we also love to get a good night of sleep. Unfortunately sometimes these don’t go hand in hand together.
The evolutionary explanation of this is that felines are usually most active in the early dawn and at dusk. These are when the hunting times have traditionally been best.
So what are pet owners to do to solve this problem?
Here are three tips to help you get a better night’s sleep and to hopefully prevent your cat from waking you up.
First of all, don’t let your cat take naps in the late afternoon or in the evening. At this time you should try and keep your pet as active as possible and playing with toys. The more energy they expend now the longer they’ll sleep in the morning.
Second, many people unknowingly positively reinforce this negative behavior. Cats soon learned that if they wake their owners up, they will get fed sooner and even petted. Try not to give your pet positive attention if they wake up early, otherwise this behavior will continue.
Lastly, some people resort to putting their cat in a separate room at night. This can work, but you have to realize that this is usually almost always a phase they go through and get over.
Take heart if you’re currently reading this red-eyed. Because this common cat behavior problem usually goes away on its own. It just takes a lot of patience on your part.