Why do cats like to play at night?

Why do cats like to play at night?

Why do cats like to play at night?

There are a lot of “firsts” to go through when we obtain a kitten. Some of them can be a bit difficult to handle, while others are so adorable you could cry. You may want to learn more about your rowdy kitten’s behavior and whether you can expect it to stop if their constant noises keep you up at night.

Playing at night is fairly typical, especially for young cats. A cat’s awake hours include the night, and its cycles differ greatly from ours. We’ll go into further detail regarding the causes of your kitten’s nighttime commotion and how to deal with it.

Reasons that might make cats prefer to play at night

You can identify the precise cause of your kitten’s nighttime hyperactivity by being aware of cats’ sleep cycles.

1. Cats Are Crepuscular

A lot of people believe that cats might be nocturnal. They are up all night, scurrying around your house, making noise at all hours, after all. But this is a widespread misunderstanding.

Cats are most active during the early morning hours or as the sun begins to set in the evening. Their predatory instincts typically take over at these times. Your cat’s circadian rhythm makes more sense when you consider that these are also the times when their natural prey is most active.

2. Boredom

Think about it. Your kitten is in a home where they want to burn off some energy. But everybody in the house is sleeping, including the family dog. What else will they do except create their own madness?

3. A Mouse in the House!

Maybe you have a mouse or other small, exciting critter running around your house, and you don’t even know it. But your kitten’s ultra-sharp senses can detect it. If that’s the case, you might hear them banging into cabinets or skidding across the floor at night trying to chase it.

Don’t be afraid; they’re just trying to rid you of a pest problem—by maybe being a bit of a pest themselves.

How to Handle Nighttime Play?

If you are concerned or losing sleep over your kitten knocking over everything in the house at night, you might wonder how you’re supposed to handle it. Every cat will be different. Some of them will be easily maintained, while others can be hard to calm down.

Here are some suggestions that will work for various cats, but don’t be surprised if you have to try a few methods before you find one that works.

Change Feeding Schedule

Most cats and kittens fall asleep soundly after their tummies are full. Changing their eating schedule throughout the day might help them sleep longer into the night. For example, you can switch your feeding times or invest in an automatic feeder.

Automatic feeders have personalization features where you can set the time it will dispense the food. This can be incredibly useful if you are looking to spread your kitten’s meals throughout the day.

Even though the investment might be a bit more costly than a normal cat bowl up front, it can have some benefits if needed.

Provide Entertainment

One good way to keep your cat occupied at night is to just give them a little quieter entertainment. Give them some plushies, pom-poms, and other silent toys that they can play with at night if they’re going to be awake anyway.

Tucker Your Cat Out

If you really want your cat to be calmer, maybe they just need a little more exercise. You could always do your part by playing some interactive games to really get them worn out before bedtime. That way, when you go in your room with the door shut to get some shut-eye, they can do the same instead of turning your house into a WWE arena.

What to Avoid

While you might not be able to avoid this behavior at night completely, there are steps you can take to minimize the ruckus.

Antagonizing

Try not to get your cat wound up right before bedtime. You will leave them wanting and then they will have to create mischief all their own. So when you hear rattles and bangs, know that you probably did something to instigate it.

Catnip

If your cat gets quite frisky on catnip, you should eliminate it before bedtime. It can be a fun thing to do when everybody is awake and active, but it can be quite different when your cat is roaming around like a zombie in the night.

For some cats, it’s best to keep the catnip-infused toys out of their reach when the lights go down—and that’s okay!

Conclusion

Now you understand a little bit more about your cat’s daytime and nighttime cycles; you can accommodate them a little better when you want to go to sleep, and they’re wide awake. Keep in mind that your kitten is growing, so they are very active at these instinctual times, ready to hunt!

You can change a few things in your routine to keep your kitty less peppy overnight. However, you might not be able to temper the behaviors completely.

Read also: The Reasons Why Cats Put Toys in Their Food