You have a cat meowing at night and are you tired of spending sleepless nights being woken up by incessant meowing? Facing a cat that keeps meowing at night, you have to react quickly and do everything so that you can finally sleep and rest.
This article therefore aims to explain to you what are the methods for silence a cat that meows at night in 2 essential steps:
- Understand why your cat meows at night;
- How to stop your cat's meowing.
Indeed, it is by identifying the cause of your cat's nighttime meows that you can find the appropriate solution to prevent him from meowing at night.
Why does a cat meow?
In general, cats meow in our presence to communicate something to us and not for the pleasure of meowing or in order to disturb our peace or our sleep.
In fact, cats meow for:
- let us know that they are in pain (mentally or physically),
- draw our attention to them,
- send us a message.
What does a cat meow mean?
To understand the meaning of meows, we must distinguish the different types of meows:
- The nice little "meow" linked to the excitement of finding you, of knowing that he is going to eat, with a feeling of well-being ...
- The “meow” associated with the purring when your cat needs petting;
- The clear meow but not necessarily strong linked to a request (I'm hungry, I'm thirsty, I want to go out ...):
- The plaintive meow related to suffering, discomfort or fear;
- The very loud meow often accompanied by a growl (spitting cat) associated with a warning before the cat attacks. The stronger the cat's nervousness, the stronger the meowing will be;
- The long and intense meow of the horny pussy or that of the cat during the mating season linked to sexual messages between them;
- The meow like the cat is crying ;
- The meow of the kitten which resembles the crying of a baby (see why does my kitten cry at night?);
- The meow at night which we'll cover in more detail below.
Why does my cat meow at night?
Regarding cat meows at night, the causes and meaning of these meows are easily identifiable:
Cat meowing at night - Illness
If your cat is making meows that sound like crying all night long, she may be expressing distress. Your cat may be sick. To check it out, don't wait and show your cat to his vet.
Cat that meows at night - By instinct
Originally, cats were wild animals, predators that hunted for food day and night. Cats have become domestic animals but they have retained their hunting instinct, especially at night. This is why, when you try to sleep at night, your tomcat is instinctively active and suddenly will meow.
These can be linked to his excitement or solicitations towards you, especially if he scratches at your door between 3 and 5 in the morning. And yes, scientists estimate that your cat's internal hunting instinct clock is set between 3 and 5 a.m.
Cat that meows at night - Mating period
If your cat meows loudly and constantly at night, you should know that the cat's mating season is usually between February and September. It is therefore a natural phenomenon that prompts many cat owners to sterilize their animal. See : Cat in heat what to do? ou At what age should a male cat be sterilized?
Cat that meows at night - By hunger or thirst
Another reason that your cat meows at night may be that he is hungry or thirsty. Make sure that your cat is well fed (quality and suitable kibble) but also that he has something to drink in his bowl. See how to feed a cat.
Cat that meows at night - Out of unease
Cats are animals very attached to their habits and their territory. Very sensitive to changes in their environment and in their rhythm of life, a simple moved piece of furniture, a new pet in the house, the arrival of a baby in the home or a move can destabilize cats.
Un cat meowing at night can therefore be a sign that the cat is not feeling well, has not found its bearings, is disturbed by something. We must then look for the cause to find the appropriate solution.
Cat meowing at night - Angry
Aggression in a cat manifests itself in many ways and has many causes. To find out more, discover: Angry meowing cat - How to calm an angry cat?
Cat meowing at night - For lack of sleep
It goes without saying that if a cat meows at night it is because he is not sleeping. But if he is not sleeping, it is because his instinct is keeping him awake, but it is also because he is not tired enough. See how to put a cat to sleep?
Silence a cat that meows at night
To silence your cat at night, make sure that a cat is sleepy when the night arrives (see how to put a cat to sleep?).
In summary, here is how to silence a cat that meows at night :
- book him a game session of about twenty minutes every day before bedtime (play with him to make him expend energy and thus tire him so that he falls asleep more easily),
- prepare a room for him where you will get him used to sleeping at the same time every night (well heated, silent room, very cozy basket, closed shutters, lights off, toys put away, clean litter, bowl filled with kibbles and bowl of water available),
- Establish a bedtime ritual by getting them used to isolating them in their room every evening at fixed times and by following a ritual (games session, meals, tooth brushing, sleep).
- Keep your cat away from your bed: Install it in a room other than your bedroom and when you go to sleep, close the door to your bedroom or that of its room,
- If your cat meows at night at your bedroom door, don't give in and let it go until your cat gets bored and gives up her meowing.
Please note, my technique is only effective if it is repeated every evening and for several weeks. It will take patience but I advise you to do it because your sleep depends on it!
My cat can't stop meowing at night
After several weeks, you have followed my advice (above) to the letter to stop your cat's nighttime meows but still keeps meowing every night? So I advise you to use methods to calm him down at night.
How to calm a cat at night?
Here are two effective ways to calm a cat at night. This is a method based on synthetic hormones (pheromones) and a method based on essential oils.
Calming for cats that meow at night: Pheromones
Using synthetic pheromones in the form of sprays or diffusers will help your cat to feel less stressed, less excited, and as a result, they will fall asleep more easily and will not meow at night. This method is not instantaneous and must be applied over several weeks before a satisfactory result.
Calming for cats that meow at night: Valerian and lavender
Using a calming collar is also effective in reducing stress and behavioral problems in cats.
Effective 1 hour after its implementation, this type of collar soothes your cat for several hours because the active ingredients are released continuously throughout the night. Remember to put the collar on your cat at least 1 hour before bedtime and take it off in the morning when you wake up.