Why does not my cat sleep at night?

Most cats that sleep during the day do so for two clear reasons: They are nocturnal animals and / or do not perform enough exercise. However, they are not the only reasons that explain why they stay more active at night, since environmental or health factors can also come into play. In general, this behavior is usually accompanied by other signs that can help us to better identify the cause and discover if it is a problem or part of its nature. In this way, paying attention to all their reactions is essential to understand the animal and help it.

If you just adopted a cat that does not let you sleep, or suddenly becomes restless at the end of the day, in this article we will answer the question why your cat does not sleep at night detailing the most common causes and we will help you solve the problem with our tips.

The cat, a nocturnal animal

By nature, the cat is a nocturnal animal that prefers the dark night to go hunting, feed and perform their daily activity. Due to the evolution of the species to survive in the wild, it enjoys a excellent night vision, which allows you to see much better in an environment with dim light than in a fully lit or daylight. This is so thanks to the anatomy of the eye, adapted to hunt at night, composed of an eye tissue called tapetum lucidum It has the ability to absorb light before reaching the retina. Once absorbed, this tissue reflects it and gives the animal a much more developed vision in the dark. For more information, you can consult our article on “How do cats see?”.

Although some domestic cats have managed to adapt their sleep hours a bit to those of their human companions, many others still retain their natural behavior and are more active at night. This, added to a series of factors that we will detail next, can cause that your cat does not sleep at night and yes it does during the day.

The importance of an adequate bed

It is no secret to anybody that cats are much more exquisite animals than dogs, and not having a comfortable and safe bed can be the reason why your cat does not sleep at night. But nevertheless, choose the ideal cat bed It may not be so simple, because first we have to meet our furry companion and discover their tastes in terms of shape, size and structure.

Today we have a host of beds and mattresses for pets, and to select the perfect product it is fundamental to observe the animal and pay attention to its preferences. In general, cats prefer the beds they provide heat and safety, with the right size to go around in it, since those of larger dimensions are not so cozy for them. So, if you notice that your cat has a certain predilection for your bed or sofa, and never lies down in his, it is probably because he does not like it and you should change it.

He does not like to sleep on the floor

Many cats prefer the heights to sleep, and if at night you prohibit access to the highest places in the home, the animal will choose to rest in your absence. So, if you suspect that this may be a reason why your cat does not sleep at night, place shelves large enough to place one of them in your bed, or get a structure for cats with several levels and observe their behavior.

Lack of activity and exercise

Cats that do not usually do any type of exercise have a greater predisposition to be active during the night due to the energy accumulation. Despite having a reputation for being calm and sedentary, felines are also animals that need to exercise and stay physically and mentally stimulated through play. Unfortunately, the myths that have arisen about the species have caused many cat tutors to believe that they do not need to receive as much attention on their part, and nothing is further from reality. These animals also need to spend hours with their human companions, play and exercise, as well as receive affection and feel properly cared for.

La lack of game, in addition, it produces in the cats a high state of boredom, that can take to these animals, even, to become destructive with the furniture, objects of the home, etc. Therefore, it is also possible that the cat does not sleep at night and meow to capture your attention. Discover how to play with your cat and start having fun with it.

Do you spend many hours alone during the day?

In relation to the previous point, cats that spend many hours alone during the day and do not have a correct environmental enrichment take advantage to sleep. In this way, when the night comes they are fully rested and ready to enjoy your company, trying to play with you or, if they do not succeed, running around the house, jumping, meowing.

On the other hand, as we said, the lack of mental stimulation can also develop boredom in cats, as well as stress and frustration. All this means not only that the cat does not sleep at night, but also in a series of symptoms such as the aforementioned destruction of the furniture, not using the sandbox and even showing a certain aggressiveness.

He is hungry?

If your cat does not sleep at night and, moreover, go to your bedroom to meow by your side and get your attention, it is possible that he is asking you for food. And if when you do it you get up to provide what you want, the animal understands that in this way he gets what he wants. It does not do it to bother your sleep hours, it simply does not know that it is something negative for you and yes of something positive for him. Without realizing it, you reinforce their behavior instead of guiding it towards the most appropriate for both.

This is possibly the easiest cause to check and combat, since it is as simple as modifying the cat’s meal times. So, before going to bed, be sure to feed the animal correctly and see if it comes to you or not once asleep. Another option for felines that tend to order food late at night can be the use of an automatic food dispenser, since it is also not advisable to let the animal go hungry because it does not disturb our sleep. In this sense, we recommend consulting the article on “Amount of daily food for cats.”

He is in heat

The zeal in cats is much more intense than in dogs, leading them to despair if they can not mate. During this period, both females and males are more active at night, producing great moans and meows that disturb the sleep of their guardians. Their suffering is such that their instinct can lead them to try to flee from home to find a partner. So, if your cat does not stop meowing at night, does not let you sleep, is restless and has more than 6 months of life, is likely to be in heat. For this reason, and to avoid unwanted pregnancies, sterilizing the animal in time is the most recommended solution.

He is sick or sore

If you have already ruled out the previous causes and you keep wondering why your cat does not sleep at night and meows constantly, do not hesitate to go to the vet to check if it is a health problem. Although usually the excessive meows are usually related to emotional pain, they can also emit them to let us know that they feel physical pain or something in their body is not going well. Therefore, we recommend reviewing the 10 pain signs in most common cats and visit the specialist to submit the animal to the relevant tests.

How to make your cat sleep at night?

As you have seen, there are several causes that explain why your cat does not let you sleep at night, it is even possible that the answer is in more than one. Thus, it may happen that your cat prefers to sleep during the day for several of the reasons mentioned, and not for a single reason. Therefore, the first recommendation is to find the cause (s) to fight them and help your furry companion to have a better quality of life. Having said that, review the following tips:

• Play with your cat and have him exercise. As we have said, physical activity is very important to keep him stimulated and tire him so that, when night falls, he falls exhausted. For this, it is best to play at different times of the day. And if it is not possible, carry out the activities during the afternoon.
• Offer a good bed. A comfortable, warm and safe place to sleep is key, so do not skimp on it and look for the most suitable mattress.
• Prepares a correct environmental enrichment. Especially if you spend many hours alone during the day, it is essential that you have toys and objects that keep you stimulated and entertained. You can choose scrapers with different levels, food dispenser toys, games of intelligence and even olfactory stimuli like putting catnip in different points of the home.
• Adapt your meal schedules. As we have indicated, feed him before going to bed to ensure that he does not go hungry during the night and can sleep.
• Consider adopting another cat. If the cause is lack of activity and you can not provide the hours of play you need, perhaps it would be more appropriate to incorporate a new member into the family. That yes, this must be a thoughtful decision, analyzing the character of the cat, choosing the new tenant thinking precisely about him and carrying out a correct presentation between them.
• Consider sterilization. You have already seen that heat is one of the most common causes, so that choosing to sterilize the animal may be the best solution. Besides getting both of you to sleep at night, especially the cats suffer during this process because they can not do what their instinct dictates. On the other hand, sterilization has multiple advantages, such as reducing the chances of suffering from breast cancer, infection of the uterus or avoiding marking within the home.

If you want to read more articles similar to Why does not my cat sleep at night?, we recommend that you enter in our behavior problems section.