The cat goes out at night: causes for this behavior


The cat goes out at night: why it is not sleepy, where it goes and what to do to curb this desire for nocturnal freedom of our beloved feline.

Anyone who loves cats and owns one knows it: cats love to go out at night and experience the dark hours of the day. Not only do they tend to wake up when their owners are generally asleep but they are also quite active. In fact, owning a cat also involves this kind of worry, a bit like a parent with a child who ‘stays up early’. In addition to the worry related to the ‘pick-up’ time, many owners are also unable to sleep due to the incessant nocturnal meow of their beloved furry friends. It often happens that some specimens begin to complain precisely because they are unable to get out. In short, it is legitimate to ask why cats want to go out, where they go and above all how to deal with the situation without going mad from sleep.


Why the cat doesn’t sleep at night

If we think that our cat is a particular case of insomnia, 90% are wrong: in fact cats love to live the night hours of the day. It is written in his DNA, also because these animals are supported by a series of rather striking physical characteristics. Being a hunter by nature, the cat is used to catching its prey even in conditions that are not entirely optimal, including therefore darkness. His delicate eyes in fact they see very well even in low light and in this way they are able to surprise their prey, which certainly will have more difficulty in perceiving the danger in the dark. So why doesn’t the cat like to stay indoors and rest at night? Because he has to follow his hunter’s nature and grab some prey.


The habits of the cat

Doing the wee hours at night and catching up on sleep during the day? Apparently yes, this is the most common habit among domestic and non-domestic cats. Apparently it is normal for a cat to want to recover with little naps scattered throughout the day. Even better if you have a warm and comfortable bed, such as our favorite armchair or our bed. It is not excluded that for its moments of relaxation the cat also chooses an outdoor place, perhaps sunny and just as comfortable.

Therefore, if he has rested all day, albeit with a ‘fragmented’ sleep, it is equally obvious that at night he is charged and active. He might wake up at least a couple of times a night, at first and then at dawn: DNA also affects the choice of times for the night out. In fact these are the propitious moments for hunting, to catch the prey by surprise.


The cat goes out at night: what to do

When the cat has decided that it does not want to sleep, this will create a problem not only for its owner but probably for the whole neighborhood: in fact, when it starts meowing and complaining it is likely to keep everyone awake. His ‘harassing’ behavior is aimed precisely at arousing a reaction in his human. So if the cat expects a reaction from us, the best thing to do is do nothing!

If we get out of bed and satisfy all his needs, it is very likely that a blackmail mechanism will be triggered, according to which the cat will know how to get what he wants from us. Better to put up with her moaning about him for a few nights than to make him get into this bad habit. But there are also other measures that we can take to prevent the cat from harassing even our neighbors: if we do not want to run the risk of some complaint it is good to know how to prevent the cat from waking up the whole neighborhood.

Harassing cat at night: the rules for not disturbing

Often, therefore, the problem of a cat that is too active at night does not only belong to its owner, but to an entire neighborhood. Yet there are some small precautions to be taken to ensure that the feline is not too annoying, and therefore to protect good neighborly relations. Here is step by step what to do to avoid ruining relations with neighbors.

  • Available food: the cat tends to rest more if it has a full stomach.
  • Close the front door: it is better to discourage his attempts to escape. If he finds an obstacle, it is likely that, after a few complaints, he will resign himself to staying at home.
  • Darkness in the house: it is better to keep the shutters closed so that as little light as possible enters, to help the cat sleep.
  • Close the bedroom door: certainly giving the cat the green light is not really a great idea if we don’t want to be woken up by its assaults on the bed.
  • Let’s ignore it: it seems bad of us but in reality it is the best way to educate him and not give in to his blackmail.
  • Make him tired during the day: if during the day the cat is busy playing and walking, it is likely that at night he wants to sleep more to regain his strength.
  • Leave the shutters raised to a window: maybe only a window should be able to allow him to look outside, so that the cat does not feel a prisoner of his own home.
  • Veterinary SOS: it is better to clarify the situation with an expert and take any measures against possible cat sleep disorders.

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