Cats have different sleep-wake cycles than other animals and are often busy at night. This is because cats are crepuscular, which means they hunt and are active in the evening or early morning. This cat behavior at night is sometimes called the night crazies and may cause lack of sleep for cat owners.
Cats love to roam, especially at night. This is because they are creatures whose instinct is to hunt when it is dark outside, especially at dawn and dusk. Those are the times of day that a cat is most active.
Play throughout the day. A great way to encourage your cat to burn off all that excess energy is to have regular play sessions with them. Instead of having one long 15-minute play session in the evening, spread a few short five-minute play sessions throughout the day to keep them entertained.
They're hungry
To start addressing this problem, make sure your cat is getting enough to eat throughout the day. You can feed them a meal or a satisfying snack right before you go to bed. If you usually feed your cat in the morning, you need to make sure your cat is not associating wake up time with breakfast time.
The most common reason for cats to wake up their owners at night is down to lack of stimulation and exercise. This is often more of a problem with indoor cats as they don't have the freedom to go out and play, hunt, prowl, or roam. The cat is left indoors, often alone for many hours.
One simple way to do this is to move “feeding the cat” to a much later point in your morning routine. If feeding the cat is the first or second thing you do in the morning, getting out of bed becomes the cue for getting fed.
The most common reason cats experience the zoomies is pent-up energy. Cats rest and sleep for a majority of the day to conserve energy for short, very active periods. Without intentional exercise and activity, your kitty will need to find a way to get that extra energy out, resulting in a case of the zoomies.
Why do cats meow at night? Your cat might meow at night because they feel bored, unstimulated, lonely or just want to go outside. If your cat won't stop crying at night even when they have plenty of play time, other causes to consider are thyroid or kidney disease.
What Are Cat Zoomies? Some may call it the witching hour; others know it as the nighttime “crazies.” Most commonly known as the “zoomies,” this sudden burst of hyperactivity mystifies many cat parents. It often includes frenzied running, pouncing, bopping, and even excessive meowing—seemingly out of nowhere.
Zooming behavior is often how cats engage their inner predator. These play periods allow our furry companions to hone their survival instincts — think stalking, pouncing and pursuing. For the vast majority, zoomies are a healthy expression of excitement.
What can you do to stop the midnight crazies? Giving your pet more exercise and play during the day will help, as will feeding them the largest meal of the day just before bedtime.
If you're starting your cat's retraining during the winter, a warm, dry bed to snuggle in may be just the ticket to convince them to stay inside. If they try to make a break for the door, rattle a jar of pennies or give them a squirt with a water gun. Never hit, kick or yell at them; they'll become afraid of you.
Cats Protection recommends that you keep your cats in at night. Cats are natural hunters, making them more active at night time, and some studies show that more road traffic injuries happen at night.
Should you ignore cat zoomies? For the most part, the cat zoomies really are perfectly normal, and if your cat seems happy and looks to be enjoying the workout, it's fine to let him or her be.
The transition to adulthood ordinarily occurs from 1 to 2 years old. At this time, and possibly after neutering, a cat may retain a lot of energy but should be notably calmer with it reaching full maturity at 2. From 3 to 10 years old, a cat is relatively calm but remains active.
Cat zoomies tend to be reasonably short, lasting anywhere from a couple of minutes to half an hour. Although that doesn't sound like a long time, it may feel much longer if you're trying to sleep or fruitlessly trying to protect your new curtains or furniture from scratching claws!
Position your cat's sleeping spots away from any noisy appliances (such as washing machines) and busy areas of the home (such as the hallway). A quiet corner of a bedroom or living room is ideal, and once your cat is snoozing, make sure you leave them alone to avoid startling them awake.
If your cat is waking you up early, they could be hungry (training you to get up and feed them) or they might just be bored, as this is when they would typically be “hunting” in the wild. In some cases, there may be another animal outside that becomes active during those hours, causing some territorial anxiety.
Cats have different sleep-wake cycles than other animals and are often busy at night. This is because cats are crepuscular, which means they hunt and are active in the evening or early morning. This cat behavior at night is sometimes called the night crazies and may cause lack of sleep for cat owners.
PetMD also points out that cats are territorial creatures. They claim their turf by marking it with their scent. So when they sleep on top of you, they're actually marking you—and your bed—as theirs. We should be flattered by this behavior, apparently.
9-14 months: Congratulations! Your kitten is now an adult. By this time they will have adjusted to their human family's routine. You can expect more restful nights of sleep and a generally calmer more docile cat.