Sleep Training for Your Cat
Some cats have their owners wondering, “Do cats even sleep at night?” The answer is pretty simple. It really all depends on you. Yep, you.
Some cats have their owners wondering, “Do cats even sleep at night?” The answer is pretty simple. It really all depends on you. Yep, you.
It has been widely stated and assumed (most likely by those who are kept up by their hyperactive cats in the middle of the night), that cats are nocturnal animals. Sure cats are more active at night than we are, but they are not truly nocturnal. Rather, they are crepuscular. Their natural rhythm, devoid of other influences, is to be active at dawn and dusk, just like rodents, their primary prey animal. So in order to train them to let you sleep, you’ll need to create a new routine with your cat which all starts with the power duo playtime and feeding time.
An hour and a half before your bedtime play and then feed your cat. A robust playtime right before their last feeding of the night will get them to the perfect point of exhaustion. Some of you may be asking, “What if you free feed?” We suggest you stop. If we allow our cats to graze all day long, you’ll have no chance of affecting their behavior. Their bodies aren’t getting the time to process food in a natural way because they are constantly in an arch of digestion. This arch creates a state of unpredictable energy. So nix the free feed and welcome mealtime into their routine with a few important feeding guidelines.
Feeding Guidelines
- No longer than 6-8 hours between meals
- Feed 3 meals a day
Stick to this new schedule and within a week or two you will have mastered how to get your cat to sleep at night. Now sometimes it’s not that easy. Just ask those sleep deprived cat owners who are disturbed at 3AM because of a casual walk over their face, or a quick run across their bed, or a nice loud meow for food, or incessant scratching at the door—the list goes on and on. Honestly, when it’s gotten to this point the only thing you can do is ignore it. We know. We know. How is this even possible?! In order to be successful at training your cat to let you sleep, you must make sure that annoying behavior in the middle of the night serves no function for your cat, and is not in any way rewarded. It will be difficult, and you’ll find nights where you almost crack but we have faith in you. You can do it. Now let’s go through the checklist one more time.
The “How to Get Your Cat to Sleep at Night” Checklist…
- PLAY—An hour and a half before bedtime
- FEED—After playtime give them their last meal before bed
- IGNORE—No matter how cute or loud they get stay strong
Get the full scoop on how to get a cat to sleep at night below…
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