Does your cat wake you up before your alarm goes off and insist you pay attention to her? Your cat probably doesn’t care that this kind of behavior is not endearing, and he or she will continue to do so until you fix the problem.
There is a reason why your cat is waking up so early and getting you up along with him. Here’s what to look for …
Your cat may be telling you she’s hungry…
The most obvious reason for waking you up is that your kitty is telling you they want some food. You take care of their meals, so they know to come to you when they are hungry. If you forgot to feed your cat the night before, you fed them too early the day before, or you slept in past your regular scheduled cat feeding time, it’s highly likely that your cat will come to you and remind you of your error!
The way to fix this, of course, is to feed your cat in a timely manner every day or invest in an automatic cat feeder. Your cat’s stomach operates on a schedule, and if you miss its deadlines, your cat will start complaining. Try to feed your cat at consistent times, but if you don’t manage to do that, then you will have to make up for it somehow.
If you feed your cat earlier than usual the night before, for instance, then you can set out some food before you go to bed. It doesn’t have to be a lot, but just a small amount can be enough to sate your cat’s hunger until you are ready to wake up and feed your furry friend.
You can probably tell by the sound your cat makes whether they are hungry or not, so listen out to determine if that is the reason he is waking you.
Your cat may be stressed…
If your cat is feeling anxious, overwhelmed, scared or otherwise unsettled, they may come to you for comfort. Your cat sees you as their protector and guardian and not just a source of food. That may make you feel special, but it also means that your cat will come to when at times when they are experiencing a problem. If there are neighbor dogs running loose in the yard, if your other pets are distressing the cat, or if the cat is depressed, they may come and wake you up and tell you all about it.
Any loud noises near your house, such as automated machines turning on, thunder, or a car backfiring, can startle your cat and send them running to you for help, or worse, it can cause your cat to disappear. If these kinds of problems happen frequently, you may want to look for ways to reduce sound in the cat’s room or get rid of whatever is causing the noise or stress. That might mean setting automated processes to occur later in the day or it could mean working with another pet in the house to ensure it does not stress out the cat.
Your cat is using learned behavior…
Has your cat ever woke you up before and you fed them to keep him quiet and satisfied? If that is the case, then you might have inadvertently taught your cat that they can do that whenever they’re feeling peckish. Cats are quick learners, and if they think they can be fed just by waking you up at their whim, they are going to take advantage of that.
Be careful of what you teach your cat, because if you teach them something like that, it may take some work to make him unlearn it. Be prepared to put up a fight to get your cat to start realizing that they can’t just wake you whenever they desire food. You will have to keep your door closed so they can’t come in, or you may need to feed your cat more food in the evening to prevent your cat from feeling peckish first thing in the morning.
Your kitty may be lonely…
Another reason that your cat may be calling for your attention early in the morning is because they are craving social interaction. Cats are sometimes seen as loners, but they need to interact with other creatures just like anyone else does. Your cat may just want to play with you or spend time with you, and he or she may not be happy that you are ignoring them and doing nothing exciting or engaging!
One way to deal with this is to give your cat a friend. Another pet in the house, particularly a second cat, can make a big difference in how often your cat bothers you and their loneliness.
Another way to keep your kitty happy is to play with them before you go to bed so that their mind is engaged and their energy levels are properly drained. If you can exercise your cat adequately, they won’t have all that pent up energy first thing in the morning.
You may just want to sleep in the same bed with your furry friend, though, as that can be comforting for you both and keep them from feeling lonely first thing in the morning.
It’s a solvable problem…
Ultimately, your cat waking you up too early is the kind of issue that can be fixed, once you identify what is wrong with your cat or what they need. If you think there might be a health problem that is the issue, make sure to contact your vet about it. Otherwise, try some of the tips we have shared with you here and see if you can get your cat to start leaving you alone in the morning until you wake up and are ready for some social interaction yourself.
Author Bio
This guest post was submitted by Lauretta Williams – a web-addicted blogger. She loves spending her time listening to music, playing with her dog and writing blogs from her computer. We all want our pet not to run from home. But sometimes, they still might get lost. Don’t worry, they have your back. Report your lost pet with PawMaw and they can help you find your missing pet.
