cat meows at night

by vanessa
(minnesota)

i have a 13 year old short hair cat all he does is meow meow meow he would no longer eat hard food so i started giving him soft food now every morning at 4am he wants to eat and wont stop meowing untill you feed him.... please this is driving everyone crazy and is depriving us of our sleep can you please tell me what to do.....

Answer by Kate
Hi
this is a common issue for some cat owners. Cats are naturally more active at night and so often seek attention or feeding during the small hours.

The only thing you can try and do is to break the habit.

About half and hour before bedtime each night play a rubaround game with him to try and use up some of their energy. Then just before bedtime give him a meal. This should also settle him down.
Now for the big one, you must not respond to his meows if you want to break the habit. This is the hardest one and may require you to settle him down in a room with his bed, litter tray and some toys to keep him amused if he does wake up in the night and keep the door closed.

This process may take some time to break the habit but if you are persistent then after a while he should get used to the new routine.

best wishes Kate

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