Does your cat nap all day and then come to life at night? Getting as much exercise as they can by running around the house. But Why Do Cats Run Around At Night? We take a look at the reasons cats run around at night. keeping you awake when you need to sleep.
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Why Do Cats Run Around At Night?
#1. Your cat is bored and wants to play
Cats, being nocturnal animals, are most energetic at night by nature. And just like humans, they sometimes want to have fun to the fullest. This is neither strange nor bad, except that it might sometimes keep you awake.
Cats see everything in the house as a play toy and are quite happy to entertain themselves with many things in the house. Some can go as far as trampling your face and pawing your feet to engage you while you are at the peak of your night’s sleep.
If your cat failed in their attempt to get you up from bed, or if you locked your cat out of your bedroom, you leave your cat no other choice than to entertain. This can involve throwing cat toys around or chasing their own tail.
#2. Hyperactivity burst
Cats naturally spend most of the daytime sleeping to recharge themselves from the previous night and to accumulate enough energy for their next hunt. The energy in them gets so intense in the night that it makes them super-active and this is displayed in their hunting technique; where they quietly approach their prey and pounce on them in full force.
When their accumulated energy reaches its peak and they can no longer hold it, they let it out in an outburst and this makes them jump and run around in the night for no obvious reason.
#3. Your cat is hungry and wants to get your attention
Cats are nocturnal animals and the night can be too long for them to go without food.
The feeling leaves them no option than to meow and bother their owner all night when they feel hungry, even if you need to get up to work the next day.
Not all cats would wake their owners to be fed in the middle of the night though. Some cats do well adjusting to human schedules.
Feeding your cat late in the night before going to bed or with an automated feeder can help you keep to the biological schedule of your pet.
One of the best practices as a pet cat owner is to avoid giving it breakfast immediately after leaving the bed. This will prevent your pet cat from connecting the two actions (“waking you up” and “getting breakfast”) with each other.
#4. It could be an infestation or health challenge
If your cat’s midnight running around includes meows, it could be a result of a bite from a flea. This consequently can result in serious itching that may feel uncomfortable for your cat.
Running around in the middle of the night can also be a result of a skin disorder that worsens in the night and Feline Hyperesthesia Syndrome (FHS) is a well-known cause of this cat reaction.
This disorder results in an increase in general activity and makes the cat display some aggressive behaviours like attacking its own tail, self-grooming and self-directed pouncing, vocalization, or pupil dilation for some minutes.
Hyperthyroidism in cats, which results from an increase in the production of thyroid hormones, is also known to cause hyperactivity.
If you think your cat has any change in their health then it is always best to take them to the vet for a check up.
How Can You Stop Your Cat Running Around At Night?
1. Buy automated cat toys that can keep your cat entertained.
2. Engage your cat in a heavy play session at night to exhaust your cat and help them sleep throughout the night.
3. Delay your cat’s dinner until very late in the night when you are about to sleep.
4. Lock your cat out of the room until morning.
Does your cat run around at night and what do you do to stop them?
