can’t sleep at night. cat meowing

[franklinsmother]

my cat meows at night on and off and does certain things he knows annoys me. for example he scratches at my blinds, which leaves holes, so i do have to get up and and move him elsewhere. i’ve seen that i’m supposed to ignore it and overtime he will stop, but i really can’t ignore the blinds. his last meal of the day is at 10pm and i make sure to have a play session before bed and multiple throughout the day. he also does get fed at?6:30am from an automatic feeder. he just got his yearly bloodwork done and all came back normal. is there anything else that would cause this or any tips to help? thank you!!

 

[franklinsmother]

he also is neutered

 

[Alldara]

I'm wondering if he's getting enough food? Do you measure how much your feeding? Does he get dry or wet? You could test by giving him a little more and seeing if that fixes the problem without making him overweight.

If you do give dry food something to consider is giving it through enrichment like a puzzle and/or treat ball. This is great especially for the feeding before bed to keep him engaged longer and help give you more time before he gets bored/hungry.

 

[franklinsmother]

He gets wet food only. He gets 3 cans a day- usually 280 calories. I also give him treats throughout the day in the puzzles and enrichment toys. He gets fed 4 times a day.

 

[franklinsmother]

I'm wondering if he's getting enough food? Do you measure how much your feeding? Does he get dry or wet? You could test by giving him a little more and seeing if that fixes the problem without making him overweight.

If you do give dry food something to consider is giving it through enrichment like a puzzle and/or treat ball. This is great especially for the feeding before bed to keep him engaged longer and help give you more time before he gets bored/hungry.

I forgot to hit reply!

 

[Alldara]

He gets wet food only. He gets 3 cans a day- usually 280 calories. I also give him treats throughout the day in the puzzles and enrichment toys. He gets fed 4 times a day.

That's great that you already started these things. Unfortunately, we still have communication from the cat that it might not be enough.

280 calories may or may not be good. In any case it is only an estimate based on food tests. Even human calorie counts are allowed to have a margin of error in either direction.

Generally it is between 20 to 30 calories per pound of cat depending on activity level. However, cats have individual metabolisms too and some cats might just need a bit more and still be able to stay within ideal body condition.

Cats also tend to eat a bit more or less seasonally.

 

[lollie]

How old is he? Can you just shut your bedroom door? If you play at night and he is still doing things to make you get up, closing your door may be the only way to get your rest. Most cats get up around 4, play and do zoomies, then take a rest. At least mine goes back to sleep, but she is ten now. You can leave some toys out for him, but being ornery and getting you up is probably more fun. You’ll have to ignore it or shut him out.

 

[franklinsmother]

How old is he? Can you just shut your bedroom door? If you play at night and he is still doing things to make you get up, closing your door may be the only way to get your rest. Most cats get up around 4, play and do zoomies, then take a rest. At least mine goes back to sleep, but she is ten now. You can leave some toys out for him, but being ornery and getting you up is probably more fun. You’ll have to ignore it or shut him out.

yeah i’ve been shutting my door i’ll keep doing it. he’s 4!

 

[neely]

Here's a TCS Article with some helpful information and advice about how to stop a cat from waking you up at night;
How To Stop My Cat From Waking Me Up At Night (Step-By-Step Plan) - TheCatSite

FYI, this is a common concern for other members who have the same problem with their cats keeping them up at night so I thought some of these threads might have suggestions:
Advice on creating a nighttime routine with young cat?
Any tips for persuading a cat from not waking me up early in the morning?