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Pixabay.comAs a pet parent, you hardly get a good snooze at night. You are not alone. Nocturnal cat behavior makes sleeping impossible. Cats are like this for no fault of their own. It's genetics. The biological clock of your kitty is pushed to "active" all through the night. The instinct appears in multiple ways, like a demand to play and pushing you for midnight snacks. It could also want a better spot to laze in, like the place you normally put your head on your pillow. Remember cats living in the wild spend a large proportion of their waking time searching for food and you will have to replicate the same to keep your kitty busy.
Making it tired and comfortableFret not, there are ways you can get a good night's sleep so that you can continue to love your cat. Give it a warm and comfortable cat bed in a location far away from where you sleep. If the bed is comfortable enough, there are fewer chances of your kitty disturbing you. Another way is to keep your kitty active. Install window perches and buy toys so that your kitty becomes curious. It will be active all through the day and thus sleep a night.Play with the furball during the evening and preferably prior to bedtime. Provide it interactive toys to reduce your workload. He will be encouraged to play harder. Do not feed the cat early in the morning. The feeding time becomes a habit and it will nudge you awake every day to make sure that it continues to eat at the same time. A good alternative is to feed your kitty in the late afternoon. If you are busy at work then, get an automatic feeder. Give the cat its biggest meal before going to bed.
No attention, pleaseWhatever you do, it is not a good idea to pay any attention to your kitty's nighttime behaviors. Showing any response signals to your cat that you are available. It will continue to do its antics. If your cat displays too much activity, then it could be the symptom of some underlying activity. Medical conditions could be the reason for it being awake at night.Do not respond to your kitty at night. To your cat, any attention is an invitation. Even if you admonish it, the furball will think you are trying to play. Do not be strict with your cat for its nocturnal behavior. It is just following the natural instincts. The best thing you can do is to completely ignore your cat. After some days it will give up and saunter out to enjoy some other activity.