Cat Active at Night

Is your cat active at night and sleeps during the daytime?

Cats are nocturnal. It is normal for them to be active at night. If
you find this annoying, rather than punish your cat for following his
natural activity schedule, train him to shift his active phase to
earlier in the evening or later in the morning. You might find it
easier to provide kitty with quieter nighttime activities that are
less intrusive on your sleep; and don't let kitty use your bed and
bedroom as the playing field.

Who's Training Who?
The first rule of treating this behavior problem is not to make
matters worse. One reason your cat is acting this way is because you
are allowing him to do so. Some owners actually get up and play with
their cat, thinking he is lonely. Others feed the cat and then wonder
why kitty wakes them up in the middle of the night. Basically they
have been training and rewarding him to do so. Certainly you should be
sensitive to your cat's needs and feelings, but if he is lonely or
hungry, then play with him or feed him earlier in the evening.

Day or Night Shift
Nighttime activities are the norm for nocturnal animals such as cats.
Given the choice, a cat would sleep all day long and then about eight
or nine in the evening, he would get up, stretch, scratch, eliminate
and go about the business of being a cat. Cats are most active from
middle/late evening to the early hours of the morning. The only thing
wrong is that the cat's activity schedule is 180 degrees out of phase
with yours. All that needs to be done is to change your cat's working
schedule from night-shift to day-shift. This is much easier than it
sounds.
You cannot expect your cat to sleep 24 hours a day. He needs to play
sometime. If you find his nightly play sessions bothersome, then make
sure your cat plays earlier. If you do not provide him with some kind
of daytime activity, he will spend the day asleep. Rather than letting
your cat snooze all evening while you are watching Oprah or Jeopardy,
turn off the tube, get down on the floor and play with your cat. Tie a
feather or piece of crumpled paper to a length of string and run
around the house dragging it behind. Train your cat to climb his
scratching post; train him to fetch and run back and forth between you
and a friend. Visit your local pet store and look for new and
interesting toys for your cat. Make toys of your own. Most cats have a
wonderful time rolling around inside a large, open paper bag or box
sprinkled with catnip. The "Cat Dancer" toy is also extremely
appealing to most cats. Try to tire out your cat early in the evening.
This will greatly increase the likelihood that he will sleep at
night.
The more regular you make the cat's new routine, the quicker he will
adjust. Schedule feedings and playtime at regular intervals that are
appropriate for the schedule you wish your cat to keep.

Patience
Anytime during the day or evening when you see your cat sleeping -
wake him up! Gently be a pest just like he is towards you at 3 in the
morning. Don't let him sleep. Insist that he play with you now. In 10
days to 2 weeks your cat will sleep all night long because he has been
sleep deprived during the day and because he is content that his needs
are being filled. It may take 10 days to 2 weeks to reset kitty's
internal clock so don't be discouraged that during this time, even
though you are doing every thing right, he will still automatically
wake up or think he wants to play in the wee hours of the morning.
Just wait it out. If you give up too soon, you will have to start all
over again.

Sneak Attacks
After you have provided an enjoyable and acceptable outlet for your
cats stir crazy periods, it is time to teach him that bothering you by
jumping on your face or meowing outside the bedroom door is one big
mistake. Each time your cat bothers you, give him a quick squirt with
a water sprayer that is kept on the bedside table. Use only plain
water in the squirter. After only a couple of squirts, your cat will
get the idea. If he is meowing outside the bedroom door, first reach
for the water sprayer, quietly get out of bed and creep towards the
door, then suddenly fling the door open, squirt the cat and then
immediately shut the door. Try to stay alert for five minutes, waiting
by the door with the water sprayer ready in case of a second attack.
Some cats actually enjoy being squirted in the face with water. If
this is your cat, then obviously it's silly to use a squirt bottle.
Try to think of something the cat doesn't like, such as a loud noise
or a blast from a canister of compressed air used to dust off camera
lenses. Often just the sound of the hissing air sends the cat
fleeing.
www.pamperdpaws.com

wrote in message
...
Is your cat active at night and sleeps during the daytime?

Cats are nocturnal.

Correction: cats are crepuscular.

On Aug 2, 5:11*pm, "Phil P." wrote:
wrote in message

...

Is your cat active at night and sleeps during the daytime?

Cats are nocturnal.

Correction: cats are crepuscular.

That's interesting. I think I forgot that. It explains some things--
like why I have so many cats around that sleep all night.

Candace

I have two observations:

My own cat and a few others I have observed are active neither all day,
nor all night, but mostly around sunrise and sunset.

While your suggestions are well-meant and could help someone, I see no
merit in not letting a cat sleep or stay awake or play when she wants
to, without a very good reason. And there is no good reason here for
me.

The evening time is clearly no biggie. She can play, sleep, think
philosophy, watch TV, it wouldn't bother me. So it boils down to her
wanting to snack and be let out to the deck around 4-5AM. Theoretically
that looks tough, but in real life it takes all of ten minutes and I
need to get up once or twice a night anyway for my own bathroom visits.
So this works out for both of us: When I get up, she is already awake
and follows me to the kitchen. I serve her a snack and go about my
business. When I come out, she is waiting by the door, I let her out on
the porch and go back to bed.

If there's a need here to make major battle plans to thwart her wishes,
I fail to see it.

wrote:

: Is your cat active at night and sleeps during the daytime?
:
: Cats are nocturnal. It is normal for them to be active at night. If
: you find this annoying, rather than punish your cat for following his
: natural activity schedule, train him to shift his active phase to
: earlier in the evening or later in the morning. You might find it
: easier to provide kitty with quieter nighttime activities that are
: less intrusive on your sleep; and don't let kitty use your bed and
: bedroom as the playing field.
:
: Who's Training Who?
: The first rule of treating this behavior problem is not to make
: matters worse. One reason your cat is acting this way is because you
: are allowing him to do so. Some owners actually get up and play with
: their cat, thinking he is lonely. Others feed the cat and then wonder
: why kitty wakes them up in the middle of the night. Basically they
: have been training and rewarding him to do so. Certainly you should be
: sensitive to your cat's needs and feelings, but if he is lonely or
: hungry, then play with him or feed him earlier in the evening.
:
: Day or Night Shift
: Nighttime activities are the norm for nocturnal animals such as cats.
: Given the choice, a cat would sleep all day long and then about eight
: or nine in the evening, he would get up, stretch, scratch, eliminate
: and go about the business of being a cat. Cats are most active from
: middle/late evening to the early hours of the morning. The only thing
: wrong is that the cat's activity schedule is 180 degrees out of phase
: with yours. All that needs to be done is to change your cat's working
: schedule from night-shift to day-shift. This is much easier than it
: sounds.
: You cannot expect your cat to sleep 24 hours a day. He needs to play
: sometime. If you find his nightly play sessions bothersome, then make
: sure your cat plays earlier. If you do not provide him with some kind
: of daytime activity, he will spend the day asleep. Rather than letting
: your cat snooze all evening while you are watching Oprah or Jeopardy,
: turn off the tube, get down on the floor and play with your cat. Tie a
: feather or piece of crumpled paper to a length of string and run
: around the house dragging it behind. Train your cat to climb his
: scratching post; train him to fetch and run back and forth between you
: and a friend. Visit your local pet store and look for new and
: interesting toys for your cat. Make toys of your own. Most cats have a
: wonderful time rolling around inside a large, open paper bag or box
: sprinkled with catnip. The "Cat Dancer" toy is also extremely
: appealing to most cats. Try to tire out your cat early in the evening.
: This will greatly increase the likelihood that he will sleep at
: night.
: The more regular you make the cat's new routine, the quicker he will
: adjust. Schedule feedings and playtime at regular intervals that are
: appropriate for the schedule you wish your cat to keep.
:
: Patience
: Anytime during the day or evening when you see your cat sleeping -
: wake him up! Gently be a pest just like he is towards you at 3 in the
: morning. Don't let him sleep. Insist that he play with you now. In 10
: days to 2 weeks your cat will sleep all night long because he has been
: sleep deprived during the day and because he is content that his needs
: are being filled. It may take 10 days to 2 weeks to reset kitty's
: internal clock so don't be discouraged that during this time, even
: though you are doing every thing right, he will still automatically
: wake up or think he wants to play in the wee hours of the morning.
: Just wait it out. If you give up too soon, you will have to start all
: over again.
:
: Sneak Attacks
: After you have provided an enjoyable and acceptable outlet for your
: cats stir crazy periods, it is time to teach him that bothering you by
: jumping on your face or meowing outside the bedroom door is one big
: mistake. Each time your cat bothers you, give him a quick squirt with
: a water sprayer that is kept on the bedside table. Use only plain
: water in the squirter. After only a couple of squirts, your cat will
: get the idea. If he is meowing outside the bedroom door, first reach
: for the water sprayer, quietly get out of bed and creep towards the
: door, then suddenly fling the door open, squirt the cat and then
: immediately shut the door. Try to stay alert for five minutes, waiting
: by the door with the water sprayer ready in case of a second attack.
: Some cats actually enjoy being squirted in the face with water. If
: this is your cat, then obviously it's silly to use a squirt bottle.
: Try to think of something the cat doesn't like, such as a loud noise
: or a blast from a canister of compressed air used to dust off camera
: lenses. Often just the sound of the hissing air sends the cat
: fleeing.
: www.pamperdpaws.com

On Aug 3, 8:58*pm, AKT wrote:
I have two observations:

My own cat and a few others I have observed are active neither all day,
nor all night, but mostly around sunrise and sunset.

While your suggestions are well-meant and could help someone, I see no
merit in not letting a cat sleep or stay awake or play when she wants
to, without a very good reason. And there is no good reason here for
me.

The evening time is clearly no biggie. She can play, sleep, think
philosophy, watch TV, it wouldn't bother me. So it boils down to her
wanting to snack and be let out to the deck around 4-5AM. Theoretically
that looks tough, but in real life it takes all of ten minutes and I
need to get up once or twice a night anyway for my own bathroom visits.
So this works out for both of us: When I get up, she is already awake
and follows me to the kitchen. I serve her a snack and go about my
business. When I come out, she is waiting by the door, I let her out on
the porch and go back to bed.

If there's a need here to make major battle plans to thwart her wishes,
I fail to see it.

wrote:

: Is your cat active at night and sleeps during the daytime?
:
: Cats are nocturnal. It is normal for them to be active at night. If
: you find this annoying, rather than punish your cat for following his
: natural activity schedule, train him to shift his active phase to
: earlier in the evening or later in the morning. You might find it
: easier to provide kitty with quieter nighttime activities that are
: less intrusive on your sleep; and don't let kitty use your bed and
: bedroom as the playing field.
:
: Who's Training Who?
: The first rule of treating this behavior problem is not to make
: matters worse. One reason your cat is acting this way is because you
: are allowing him to do so. Some owners actually get up and play with
: their cat, thinking he is lonely. Others feed the cat and then wonder
: why kitty wakes them up in the middle of the night. Basically they
: have been training and rewarding him to do so. Certainly you should be
: sensitive to your cat's needs and feelings, but if he is lonely or
: hungry, then play with him or feed him earlier in the evening.
:
: Day or Night Shift
: Nighttime activities are the norm for nocturnal animals such as cats.
: Given the choice, a cat would sleep all day long and then about eight
: or nine in the evening, he would get up, stretch, scratch, eliminate
: and go about the business of being a cat. Cats are most active from
: middle/late evening to the early hours of the morning. The only thing
: wrong is that the cat's activity schedule is 180 degrees out of phase
: with yours. All that needs to be done is to change your cat's working
: schedule from night-shift to day-shift. This is much easier than it
: sounds.
: You cannot expect your cat to sleep 24 hours a day. He needs to play
: sometime. If you find his nightly play sessions bothersome, then make
: sure your cat plays earlier. If you do not provide him with some kind
: of daytime activity, he will spend the day asleep. Rather than letting
: your cat snooze all evening while you are watching Oprah or Jeopardy,
: turn off the tube, get down on the floor and play with your cat. Tie a
: feather or piece of crumpled paper to a length of string and run
: around the house dragging it behind. Train your cat to climb his
: scratching post; train him to fetch and run back and forth between you
: and a friend. Visit your local pet store and look for new and
: interesting toys for your cat. Make toys of your own. Most cats have a
: wonderful time rolling around inside a large, open paper bag or box
: sprinkled with catnip. The "Cat Dancer" toy is also extremely
: appealing to most cats. Try to tire out your cat early in the evening.
: This will greatly increase the likelihood that he will sleep at
: night.
: The more regular you make the cat's new routine, the quicker he will
: adjust. Schedule feedings and playtime at regular intervals that are
: appropriate for the schedule you wish your cat to keep.
:
: Patience
: Anytime during the day or evening when you see your cat sleeping -
: wake him up! Gently be a pest just like he is towards you at 3 in the
: morning. Don't let him sleep. Insist that he play with you now. In 10
: days to 2 weeks your cat will sleep all night long because he has been
: sleep deprived during the day and because he is content that his needs
: are being filled. It may take 10 days to 2 weeks to reset kitty's
: internal clock so don't be discouraged that during this time, even
: though you are doing every thing right, he will still automatically
: wake up or think he wants to play in the wee hours of the morning.
: Just wait it out. If you give up too soon, you will have to start all
: over again.
:
: Sneak Attacks
: After you have provided an enjoyable and acceptable outlet for your
: cats stir crazy periods, it is time to teach him that bothering you by
: jumping on your face or meowing *outside the bedroom door is one big
: mistake. Each time your cat bothers you, give him a quick squirt with
: a water sprayer that is kept on the bedside table. Use only plain
: water in the squirter. After only a couple of squirts, your cat will
: get the idea. If he is meowing outside the bedroom door, first reach
: for the water sprayer, quietly get out of bed and creep towards the
: door, then suddenly fling the door open, squirt the cat and then
: immediately shut the door. Try to stay alert for five minutes, waiting
: by the door with the water sprayer ready in case of a second attack.
: Some cats actually enjoy being squirted in the face with water. If
: this is your cat, then obviously it's silly to use a squirt bottle.
: Try to think of something the cat doesn't like, such as a loud noise
: or a blast from a canister of compressed air used to dust off camera
: lenses. Often just the sound of the hissing air sends the cat
: fleeing.
:www.pamperdpaws.com

I don't think my cat is on a 24 hour clock because she sleeps both day
and night but not regularly. Some days she's up before light and
others she's still in bed till late morning. Some nights she refuses
to come in and then sleeps all the next day.

In article
,
James wrote:

: I don't think my cat is on a 24 hour clock because she sleeps both day
: and night but not regularly. Some days she's up before light and
: others she's still in bed till late morning. Some nights she refuses
: to come in and then sleeps all the next day.

Mine is pretty regular about being up and ready around 4AM. After that
it varies day to day.

"Phil P." wrote in message
news:jJ6lk.55$ZV1.13@trnddc07...

wrote in message
...
Is your cat active at night and sleeps during the daytime?

Cats are nocturnal.

Correction: cats are crepuscular.

Beat me to it! ;

That's why mine get fed at 6AM and 6PM.

Hugs,

CatNipped

wrote in message
...

snipped a bunch of crap that is harmful to cats

Geez, you want people to torment and frustrate their cat for just being
cats. These behaviors are only bothersome to people that don't know cats and
who are better off not having any.

Sun, 03 Aug 2008 00:11:59 GMT from Phil P. :

wrote in message
...
Is your cat active at night and sleeps during the daytime?

Cats are nocturnal.

Correction: cats are crepuscular.

What a lovely word! And it fits perfectly.

--
Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA
http://OakRoadSystems.com
Shikata ga nai...

Phil P. wrote:


Correction: cats are crepuscular.



Even though it sounds like something requiring an antibiotic.


Jack