Cat Meowing At Night

kseirafi

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Hi all. My lovely cat, Antar, keeps meowing repeatedly at night. He wakes up everyone in the house by doing so which is obviously an inconvenience. He's 3 and a half and this issue has been going on for about six months to a year. He's a very social cat and loves people, especially whoever lives in the house. He normally likes to meow repeatedly to get me to wake up early. I'll get up to give him a treat so he can hopefully be quiet and let me go back to sleep. This can happen once or twice a night, but on a bad night. On a good night, he'll just wake me up around 5:30am. He has access to my room at night and likes to sleep in my bed sometimes. But if I'm spending the night outside the house, he doesn't have access to the other bedrooms where my other family members sleep and I think that that triggers him. I wonder if he's afraid at night or if he just wants to play. Either way, it's becoming a problem and I have no idea how to resolve it. Any suggestions would be very welcome and thank you!
 

ArtNJ

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I'll get up to give him a treat so he can hopefully be quiet and let me go back to sleep.
This is at least most of your problem right here. You have unknowlngly trained your cat to meow for treats at night. Don't get me wrong, many cats will do meow at night for a time, but if you ignore them completely they generally stop within a couple weeks. If they are especially hungry, you can evaluate your feeding practices. However, the prospect of getting a little attention and a treat is more than enough reason for a bored cat to wake you up.
 

Ghoulofnagoya

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My Levi was same way. Always woke me up. He wanted food and to be played with. I hate cat crying because cat cries similar to baby and I have urge to see whats wrong. Motherly impulse. Other times I hear loud noises as he plays with things and that kept me up too.

I had to ignore him. I refused to budge even if he cried , jumped on me or made noise. After 3 weeks he gave up and plays downstairs until I wake up. He knows my schedule now and that helps. Good luck!!!
 

RufusGizmo

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I give mine a few greenies and he leaves me alone. ignoring him did not work, he will meow all night, and if i put him out of the bedroom, he will throw his body up against it all night. i'd rather take a minute, give him some greenies and go back to bed! good luck whatever you have to do to get some sleep!
 

duncanmac

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If he's waking you up early to be fed, the fix we found that worked was to get up and do something before feeding them - brush your teeth, clean their boxes and then feed them. Try to set a routine so they know they get fed after you brush your teeth.

For the middle of the night wake up call, I didn't have the heart to ignore my guy, but I couldn't give him treats and reinforce bad behaviour, so I compromised. He would usually wake me up because he was lonely or scared or something, so I would give him a few reassuring pets and then gently push him down into a sleeping position (it is not as bad as it sounds). Usually he was standing on my chest when this happened. Then I would give him a pet or two, a kind word, and go to sleep and he would either go to sleep or wander around the house content that he was loved.
 

maggie101

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If he's waking you up early to be fed, the fix we found that worked was to get up and do something before feeding them - brush your teeth, clean their boxes and then feed them. Try to set a routine so they know they get fed after you brush your teeth.

For the middle of the night wake up call, I didn't have the heart to ignore my guy, but I couldn't give him treats and reinforce bad behaviour, so I compromised. He would usually wake me up because he was lonely or scared or something, so I would give him a few reassuring pets and then gently push him down into a sleeping position (it is not as bad as it sounds). Usually he was standing on my chest when this happened. Then I would give him a pet or two, a kind word, and go to sleep and he would either go to sleep or wander around the house content that he was loved.
My cat Maggie acts the same way. Also morning. I feed them,do dishes,she comes over and meows, then takes me to the living room and sits down. She wants me to be with her but I have dishes to do so I walk back to the kitchen and she does it again. Same with night time
 

sweetblackpaws

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I have this same problem with my boy. This is not your fault, and it may have nothing to do with hunger. Some cats are just more talkative and energetic at night. I live in an apartment, so it was getting to be a serious problem. I consuted with more than one vet. He is currently on gabapentin nightly. It helped for a few months, but I think he has built up a tolerance to it. I have tried everything - playing energetically to try to "wear him out", feeding large meals before bedtime, etc. Antar may need medication. Or he may outgrow it.
 

maggie101

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One thing that helps is to talk to her while I'm in bed and she's in the living room meowing for attention or play
 

danteshuman

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I wish I had an instant solution because sleep deprivation sucks. I would do a few things at once. Most of it will be retraining his routine. Cats are great at training their humans. So if there is zero pay off, he will stop.
*Leave out food if you do not already (wet or dry.)
*Never ever feed him food or treats until it is morning and you make your coffee or tea. Do not cave. Do not reward his bad behavior.
*If you can, set up a cat room to put him in if/when he wakes you up. If not set up food, litter, toys in the living room. The goal is, your bedroom is for sleeping at night. Stay calm even when you want to shave him.
*Run a fan or music or the TV & wear ear plugs if needed. Take a over the counter sleep aid if it will help get you through the rough first couple of days & you need it. Ignore him if he wakes you up.
** When my boys wake me up (after the initial training period) I just hold them next to me (I sleep on my side) in my sleepy cuddle position. This works great for my boys because they get their attention (and protection from his obnoxious brother who hunts him) plus as I start to fall asleep my arms relax more and they can wiggle free when they want to. For my punk Dante what helps the most is play before bedtime, then ignore him when I'm tired.
 

sweetblackpaws

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I think having a designated "cat room" is a great idea. If you have your own house, this is ideal. If you are in an apartment, it may still disturb the neighbors. I tried a Cat Room for my yowling boy, but because the walls are thin, it is not going to work. In a house, this would be ideal, though. I feel for you - this can be a complicated issue. If he wakes you at 5:30, that's pretty good. Mine begins The Yowling shortly after midnight, off and on until after 3:00 AM.
 
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