You can no longer be woken up by your cat at night and wondering how to put a cat to sleep ?
Because cats sleep an average of 16 hours a day, do not have a regular sleep cycle and have retained a hunting instinct, especially at night, they are often awake in the middle of the night and dawn.
However, cats, when they are not sleeping at night, can be extremely active, meow all night and making noise while jumping, scratching at doors…, which can be very annoying for you who want to get a good night's sleep.
Fortunately, it is possible to change their behavior, especially in the evening and at night. So what are the tips for a good night's sleep, how to put a cat to sleep, how to calm a cat at night?
- Tired the cat during the day,
- Prepare your sleep for the night,
- Keep the cat away from your room,
- Establish a sleeping ritual,
- Calm him down for the night with the help of products.
Discover below in more detail these 5 actions to take for good put your cat to sleep and to calm your cat every night !
Why is my cat not sleeping?
In the wild, cats are predators that hunt during the day but also at night. Since being domesticated by humans, cats have become pets fed by their masters. However, if they no longer need to go hunting for food, domesticated cats have retained their hunting instinct which they satisfy in particular at night. This is what explains why a cat doesn't sleep at night.
However, if your cat meows while crying all night, it may be in pain and therefore have a medical problem. In this case, have your cat examined by a veterinarian to check that there are no health problems.
How to put a cat to sleep
Before attempting to put a cat to sleep, there are a few questions you should check:
- Is my cat hungry?
- Does my cat need petting and cuddling?
- Does my cat need to play or go out?
Indeed, if your cat does not have a balanced daily life adapted to his needs, there is no point in trying to make him sleep at night. First of all, you must make sure that your cat is well fed, that you give him all the affection he desires and that you have done everything to fight against your cat's boredom.
If you have done what is necessary to take good care of your cat during the day and he wakes you up at night, here are the 5 tips you will need to put in place to ensure that your cat sleeps at night and thus preserve yours!
How to put a cat to sleep: tire it out during the day
In order for your cat to sleep better at night, it will be necessary to prevent him from sleeping all day by encouraging him to be more active and to get tired during the day.
For working people, here are some tips that will help you keep your cat active while you are away:
- hide toys in your house,
- leave him a cat kong full of treats,
- leave the television on on a channel showing animal shows,
- give him interactive toys to stimulate him to play on his own.
Here is the interactive toy that is a huge hit because cats love it! This fish toy, when your cat touches it, it starts to move like a real fish, which keeps cats busy for several hours !!!
How to put a cat to sleep: make him sleep at night
To make sure your cat is sleepy when it arrives at night, you'll need to book her a 15-20 minute play session.
Indeed, if your cat has a lot of energy, playing with him in the evening by encouraging him to move, run and jump is a good way to tire him out so that they fall asleep more easily.
How to put a cat to sleep: getting ready for the night
In order for your cat to spend the night sleeping, you will need to prepare his sleeping room:
- Put away all his toys: This way, your cat will understand that it is time to sleep and, without a toy, he will not be tempted to have fun at night.
- Check that the room is sufficiently heated: Indeed, if your cat is cold, he will fall asleep less easily than if he is very hot.
- Moreover, it is advisable to place a woolen cloth in your basket so that it is very cozy and warm.
- Close the shutters and turn off the light: As for us, the dark is conducive to falling asleep.
- Check that the room remains silent: Turn off anything that may generate noise (TV, radio, fan, etc.).
- Fill his bowls with kibble and water: You will prevent your cat from waking you up from hunger or thirst ...
How to put a cat to sleep: Move it away from your bed
Put your cat in a room other than your bedroom and when it's time to go to bed, close the door to your room so your cat cannot enter.
If your cat starts meowing or scratching on the door, above all, don't give in, leave it because it will eventually become discouraged and return to its sleep.
If, despite everything, he continues to scratch and meow every night at your door, try to put objects in front of your door that will dissuade him from coming back (carpet covered with aluminum, double-sided adhesive tape, etc.).
How to put a cat to sleep: Establish an evening ritual
Since cats love routine and habits, to train them to go to bed every day you will need to institute nightly bedtime routine at fixed and regular times. This routine should be installed from an early age of your cat.
For example :
- games session (see above) at 20:00 p.m.,
- hearty meal at 20:30 p.m.,
- brushing teeth at 20:45 p.m.,
- installation in his room and in his sleep at 20:50 p.m.,
- cuddling session when lying down,
- lights off + pheromones connection (see below) at 21:00 p.m.
Day after day, the routine will settle in and your cat, in the evening, will understand on his own that it is time to go to bed and sleep.
How to calm a cat at night?
If after setting up the bedtime routine and recommendations to tire your cat during the day, your cat is still just as rowdy at night, there are products available to calm, soothe and reassure him at night.
Here are the two effective products that I recommend (either one or the other but not both at the same time!).
Calm a cat at night with pheromones
To calm your cat if he is still very active at bedtime, there are synthetic pheromones in the form of spray or diffusers. These hormones will help de-stress and reduce your cat's activity level, making it easier to fall asleep.
Calm a cat at night with valerian and lavender
If you don't use synthetic pheromones or if they don't work on your cat, there is a calming collar that reduces stress and behavioral issues in cats.
With natural extract of valerian and lavender, this necklace is effective 1 hour after its application. Its soothing action lasts throughout the night because the active ingredients are continuously released.
You must therefore put this collar on your cat 1 hour before bedtime and take it off in the morning when he wakes up.
