A paw on the face at 4am. Loud meowing outside the bedroom door. Things being knocked off the bedside table. If your cat has decided breakfast should happen before sunrise, you're far from alone. The good news is that early-morning wake-up calls can usually be fixed with a few changes to your cat's routine. This guide explains why cats do it, when it might be a health issue, and how to get your sleep back.
Why cats wake you up for food
- Cats are most active at dawn and dusk. In the wild, that's when their prey is out, so your cat is naturally ready to hunt and eat just as the sky starts to lighten.
- They've learned it works. If waking you up has ever led to breakfast, even once, your cat remembers. Every time you give in, the habit gets stronger.
- They're genuinely hungry. If dinner is early in the evening and breakfast is at 7am, that's a long gap for an animal designed to eat many small meals a day.
- Boredom. Indoor cats with lots of energy and nothing to do at night may wake you for company and entertainment.
When it could be a health issue
See your vet if your cat has suddenly become much hungrier, more vocal at night, or is losing weight despite eating well. An overactive thyroid and diabetes are common in older cats and can cause a big appetite. Night-time yowling and restlessness in senior cats can also be a sign of age-related confusion, or of hearing or vision loss. Our guide to signs your cat is entering their senior years has more.
How to stop the early wake-ups
- Stop rewarding it. This is the hardest step, but the most important. Don't get up, don't feed them, and try not to talk to or push them away, as even that is attention. Expect the behaviour to get worse for a few nights before it gets better, as your cat tries harder. Stay consistent and it will fade.
- Play, then feed, before bed. A cat's natural rhythm is hunt, eat, groom, sleep. A good 10 to 15 minute play session with a wand or chase toy late in the evening, followed by a meal, helps your cat settle for the night.
- Split their food into smaller meals. Measure out the day's food, then give it as three or four small meals, with one at bedtime.
- Break the link between you and breakfast. An automatic timed feeder that opens at dawn means food arrives without you. Your cat will soon start waiting by the feeder instead of your bed.
- Leave a night-time puzzle. Put a small part of the daily food into a puzzle feeder or treat toy before bed, so your cat has something to do in the early hours.
- Feed breakfast at a set time, after you've been up for a while, not the moment you wake. That way your waking up doesn't signal food.
- Make the bedroom quieter. Blackout curtains can help in summer, when dawn comes early. Some owners close the bedroom door, though be prepared for a few nights of protest at first.
Keep an eye on their weight
Bedtime meals and night-time puzzles must come out of your cat's daily food allowance, not on top of it. Weigh your cat every few weeks, and check you can feel their ribs easily.
Products that help
Nina Ottosson Rainy Day Puzzle & Play. Fill its 14 hidden compartments with part of your cat's daily kibble before bed, so they can "hunt" for food in the early hours instead of waking you. The Buggin' Out Puzzle & Play has 16 compartments and no removable parts.
Petstages Hunt 'N Swat Treat Tumbler. A rolling, wobbling treat dispenser with feathers, which releases kibble as your cat bats it around. A good night-time job for an energetic cat.
Royal Canin Appetite Control Care. Designed to help control begging between meals. Royal Canin reports over 90% of owners saw less begging within 4 weeks.
For the bedtime play session. Lightweight toys like Petstages Tons of Tails and Straw-Babies are perfect for a pre-dinner chase. For more ideas, read Keeping indoor cats busy and happy and Why does my cat eat so fast?
These products are ordered in especially for you, so allow a few extra days. Not sure what suits your cat? Call or pop into our Oxford store and we'll talk it through with you.
Find help for your early riser
Browse our full range of cat food and cat treats, with delivery across New Zealand and click and collect from Oxford, North Canterbury. Or get in touch and tell us about your cat. We're happy to help.
This article is general information, not veterinary advice. If your cat's appetite or behaviour changes suddenly, see your vet.