Peaceful Mornings with an Irritating Cat

Let’s face it; cats do not follow the same schedules as their owners.  At some point in the cat’s life, the owner has probably experienced one of the most irritating cat behaviors:  the alarm clock kitty.  The alarm clock kitty wakes up hours before the owner, and insists that the owner does the same.  Shutting off this type of alarm clock can be extremely difficult, but it does not have to be impossible. 

Most people believe that cats are nocturnal creatures.  Owners claim that their cats sleep all day, while keeping everyone in the household up at night.  Although cats do spend a fair amount of time napping, they normally sleep through most of the night.  Contrary to popular belief, cats are crepuscular as opposed to nocturnal, meaning they are most active at dusk and right before dawn.  During these times, the cat’s vision is at its best.  You may have wondered why your cat insists on playing early in the morning or late in the afternoon. 

A crepuscular animal can become an annoyance to her owners.  If you let your kitty sleep in your room, then you have probably been woken up by her many mornings.  Whether she is nudging and licking you to get you awake or running across the bed, a 5:30 alarm clock kitty can be quite disturbing to a sleepy owner.  If you don’t allow your cat in your room at night, then you have probably been woken up many times by your cat scratching and howling at the door.  Although this is not the worst behavior that a cat can exhibit, it is an undesirable one. 

When training your cat to ease up on the rooster call, you must be consistent.  Although it may take weeks before you see results, changing the routine will only add time to the training.  The word “training” is used loosely here.  You aren’t necessarily training your cat to do something; instead, you are looking for different ways to deter her from doing it.  There are a number of ways to get your cat to stop a behavior; but no matter what you choose, make sure you are acting in a humane way. 

The worst thing you can do when your cat’s alarm goes off is to give into her.  If your cat knows she can get you up at 5:30, then she’ll start trying for 5:15.  So, how do you give into her?  If you wake up and, let’s say, go feed her, then you are giving into her.  Even if you wake up two hours before breakfast, do not feed your cat until the normal time.  Otherwise, she’ll learn that waking you up means food!  Petting her and paying her attention are other ways to show her that her behavior is acceptable.  As with most animal training, ignoring the bad behavior and rewarding the good gets much more accomplished than punishing the bad.  It may be hard to ignore a cat that is running laps around your bed, but if you don’t ignore her, then she’ll know that she can continue to run laps.   

Now in addition to ignoring her, there are other things you can do.  If she wakes you up in the morning because she is merely hungry, then try setting a little bit of food out for her late at night.  Cats are normally good about not eating when they are full, so it is unlikely that she’ll gobble all the food during the night.  Another thing you can do is to make sure you have plenty of toys around your room for her.  Don’t buy noisy toys (that would only make things worse!), but buy toys that are mind-stimulating, such as treat-filled ones. 

If you aren’t attached to having the cat sleep with you, then try making her a comfortable place in another part of your home.  Leave her plenty of toys and close your door at night.  If she comes howling at your door, then you may need to place something around the outside of the door to deter her.  Cats hate to feel certain materials on their paws, so bubble wrap or sticky tape can work wonders.  You may even choose to leave your cat in a room by herself.  If you do this, make sure she at least has a window to look out.  Don’t allow her out of the room until it is time to get up.  If she is loud, then consider using a fan or a noise machine outside the room. 

Turning off an alarm clock kitty can be difficult.  But, with a little trial and error, you are sure to find a method that works for you.  No matter what you do, don’t give into your cat’s wishes.  If you do, training may never be successful.  

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