How to train a kitten to sleep through the night. How to train a cat to sleep at night? Why cats love to sleep with their owners

In order for a cat to sleep next to me, I, as the owner, must become familiar with the reasons that prompt her to this action. Cat psychology reveals several reasons that help answer this question:

  • Cats are quite heat-loving animals. They adore warmth, especially the warmth of a living body.
  • The next reason lies in the special smell that comes from hair, especially women's hair.
  • Another reason lies in the feeling of protection; the cat sleeps with the person with whom she feels calm, confident, with whom she feels comfortable and cozy.
  • Animal psychologists say that throughout the life of a cat, a cat perceives its owner as a mother. That is why she will sleep with me as a mother. Until old age, she tramples on her owner with her paws, like a newborn kitten suckling its mother. When a kitten lives in a cat family, it sleeps clinging to its mother's barrel. If a cat has complete trust with a person, then the pet will sleep next to him throughout his life. And I, as an owner, will never have a question about how to get my pet to sleep next to me.
  • There is a popular belief that cats have a strong biofield and they sense where a person has problems. Pets lie mainly on problem areas of the body, thereby healing a person.

As is known, and has been stated many times: a cat is a predator. Moreover, it is a carnivorous and obligate predator, and even many years of coexistence side by side with humans has not changed this - cats have a very strong hunting instinct.

Everything is natural - cats, like people, like other animals, must spend their energy and restore it during eating and sleeping. While you are at work, the cat sleeps quietly most of the time, and when you finally come home, it wakes up and begins to demand increased attention. That's why if a cat grabs your legs or bites into your arms, it doesn't want to kill you and doesn't do it out of revenge, it's just trying to satisfy its hunting instinct!

Adult cats and cats also live at night. This is laid down by nature - they are careful hunters who go out for prey in the evenings and at night. There may be other reasons:

  • The cat is hungry, but the bowl is empty.
  • The kitten is sick and attracts the owner's attention to discomfort.
  • During the daytime, the cat did not have enough physical activity.
  • External interference: for example, a pigeon prevents a cat from sleeping.

It is possible to correct cat behavior if it is not caused by disease. If illnesses and distractions are excluded, you can safely begin making adjustments.

What not to do

A common situation: a kitten interferes with sleep, and the owner locks him in the bathroom or another room. The animal is lonely, the cat does not understand the reason for such fencing. He starts running around and makes more noise, attracting attention. The owner gets irritated, raises his voice or even throws a slipper at the cat. In this way, it will not be possible to re-educate the kitten; it will only waste both of their nerves.

Some owners use the method of spraying the animal with water. This helps for a while: when water gets on the cat, it licks itself and is distracted. Time passes and the noise begins again. For a cat, such methods will seem offensive.

Other owners feel sorry for the kitten and get up in the middle of the night to calm it down or play with it. Also not an option - the owners also need to get enough sleep. The kitten will get used to this behavior and become spoiled. It is important to stop your cat from playing at night.

Correcting cat behavior

The cat will rearrange his daily routine if the owner takes it seriously. The first thing you need to do is play with the animal during the day or evening, provide physical activity and exhaust it so that the cat sleeps at night. There are many toys sold for kittens, which are easy for the owner to play with.

The cat needs to be fed heavily in the evening, before bed. With a full stomach, she will stop rushing around the apartment and go to sleep. If your cat disturbs its owners at night because it is hungry, leave a small amount of food in the bowl overnight. This will help stop your cat from disturbing sleep.

Try feeding your cat raw meat once a week. Digestion will take a long time, and the cat will not be able to play at night. Hunting instincts will also be satisfied. But this method should not be abused, even if the kitten does not allow you to sleep all the time.

If possible, get another kitten. Together they will find something to do without disturbing the owner. It is worth considering that two overly playful cats will make even more noise while they play with each other.

Reasons why a cat doesn't sleep at night

1. The first reason to understand why a kitten does not sleep at night is nature. According to their natural characteristics, cats are predators, and they tend to hunt at night. If the owner allows, the cat will calmly walk around the house at night, sometimes attracting attention to itself.

2. It is a known fact that cats spend 18 hours a day sleeping, and naturally, during the day they get enough sleep, and at night they are full of energy, therefore, they require attention and games.

3. If a kitten has just appeared in the house and does not let you sleep at night, then you need to be patient a little, because it needs time to adapt to the new environment.

❗ And remember that up to 3 months, kittens should be close to their mother cat.

4. If a cat is alone at home during the day, he experiences a lack of communication. He's just lonely. Naturally, he believes that night is the time when the owner could give him at least a little attention. The pet begins to invite him to play, demands affection and communication.

5. The kitten could be hungry.

6. Also, an unrealized sexual instinct pushes a teenage cat to such night wakefulness.

7. Excessively timid animals, sitting in a secluded place during the day because of the arrival of guests or the activity of another animal located next to it, begin to meow at night and attract attention to themselves.

8. Maybe something is bothering the cat, she may have health problems. After all, as you know, illnesses make themselves felt more strongly at night.

❓ How to distinguish healthy night wakefulness from pet illness

When a pet screams all night, doesn’t sleep and doesn’t let anyone do it, the caring owner wonders if something is bothering him. How to understand where he is healthy and asks for attention, and where he complains about his deplorable condition.

A sick animal, as a rule, meows with altered intonation. The pet begins to yelp or howl. He is always looking for a place, wants to climb somewhere, walks around the house and meows, cannot sit or lie down quietly.

Having got a kitten, the owner wants it to follow certain rules in the house. This is much easier with puppies, as they easily remember commands and can follow them. The cat is freedom-loving and, unconditionally trusting its owner, like a dog, will not willingly obey him.

Many people want to train a kitten to sleep in its own place, as this makes it easier for it to go to the toilet at night. If the tray is located far away, then the baby may not rush to it, but will settle down somewhere near the place of sleep. The kitten tries to stay close to its owner and clings to him in his sleep. There is nothing wrong with this, but only if the owner himself is not against it. When it is necessary for your pet to sleep alone, you will need to be persistent and prepare a house for the animal.

What should a sun lounger be like?

In order for the kitten to want to sleep in its place, you need to provide it with a comfortable bed. You can’t just lay a rug in the corner and think that’s enough.. The cat, like the owner, should have a comfortable, cozy sleeping place where he will feel safe.

To teach a kitten to sleep in a new place, they make a house for it from a box, a basket, or buy a ready-made one at a pet store. Some pets like their sleeping place to rock. A special hammock is suitable for them, which can even be attached to a battery. The lounger should always be kept clean and dry. To prevent the baby from freezing at night and waking up from it, he needs to put on a heating pad. It is placed on one edge of the bedding, but not on the entire bottom, so that the pet can cool down if desired. You can also lean the lounger against the radiator.

It is good if the bedding is located in the place that the cat chose itself. A kitten, once in a new home, goes to sleep where it is comfortable and calm, and its wishes must be taken into account whenever possible. It is unacceptable to arrange it on the aisle in a noisy and drafty place. A room in which the light is on for a long time is also not suitable, as it will wake up the baby.

Features of training

The kitten does not want to sleep in its place - this is a complaint with which many owners turn to experienced breeders or veterinarians. The problem can occur for 3 reasons:

  • wrong location for the house;
  • kitten attention deficit;
  • incorrect accustoming to the place.

If the first 2 reasons are easy to eliminate, then problems arise with the last one. Few owners know all the intricacies of training a pet to a place. As a result, once in a new home, the baby simply cannot understand what they want from him.

As soon as the kitten is brought home, he needs to be shown where the bed is. In order for the pet to be interested in it, it needs to be laid on it and stroked. It would be a good idea to treat the bed with a special compound that attracts cats, which is sold in pet stores. It can be replaced with catnip (catnip) or valerian. The herbs need to be infused in boiling water and a little sprinkled on the bottom of the bed with the resulting mixture. You can wipe the bottom with an alcoholic tincture of valerian.

This treatment allows you to attract the baby and not worry about the kitten looking for its new place to sleep all night. The food and tray should be close to the sleeping area so that it is convenient for the pet to reach them.

Teaching a kitten to sleep in a sleeping place is quite difficult. Unlike dogs, cats are freedom-loving and consider the entire apartment to be theirs, but with enough patience you can achieve good results. You cannot beat or punish a kitten for sleeping in the wrong place. It is also unacceptable to lock a four-legged friend in a house where he should sleep. This will only scare your pet and make him nervous. In such a situation, the opportunity to accustom him to a place will be completely lost.

Many people ask the question of how to train a cat to spend the night with me. This is quite difficult, because due to its love of freedom, it is impossible to force a cat to do anything. In this article we will try to answer your question, reveal the secrets of cat psychology, and give some recommendations.

There are cases when the owner, having acquired a long-awaited cat, cannot achieve her favor. Everyone knows that cats are quite freedom-loving creatures and it makes no sense to force them to do anything. To avoid disappointment and be able to manipulate a cat, it would be nice to get acquainted with cat psychology:

  • Cats don't like it when the house is too noisy. If I, as an owner, am thinking about training a cat to sleep with me, then I need to create a quiet, calm environment in the bedroom.
  • It is necessary to devote free minutes from your time to petting the kitten. He loves when people talk to him, it’s not the words themselves that are important to him, he reacts to the tone. It is better to talk in a gentle, dreamy voice.
  • It will be better if the conversation is accompanied by stroking and scratching.
  • You can't punish cats because they never feel guilty. They only get offended by the owner, and then there can be no question of the cat going to sleep with the owner.

Why do cats love to sleep with their owners?

In order for a cat to sleep next to me, I, as the owner, must become familiar with the reasons that prompt her to this action. Cat psychology reveals several reasons that help answer this question:

  • Cats are quite heat-loving animals. They adore warmth, especially the warmth of a living body.
  • The next reason lies in the special smell that comes from hair, especially women's hair.
  • Another reason lies in the feeling of protection; the cat sleeps with the person with whom she feels calm, confident, with whom she feels comfortable and cozy.
  • Animal psychologists say that throughout the life of a cat, a cat perceives its owner as a mother. That is why she will sleep with me as a mother. Until old age, she tramples on her owner with her paws, like a newborn kitten suckling its mother. When a kitten lives in a cat family, it sleeps clinging to its mother's barrel. If a cat has complete trust with a person, then the pet will sleep next to him throughout his life. And I, as an owner, will never have a question about how to get my pet to sleep next to me.
  • There is a popular belief that cats have a strong biofield and they sense where a person has problems. Pets lie mainly on problem areas of the body, thereby healing a person.

How to make a cat sleep with its owner all night?

Many cat owners turn to zoologists asking how best to behave so that their pet sleeps with me. Typically, cats are not only freedom-loving, but also quite active throughout the night.

If the owner wants to sleep all night until the morning in the company of his beloved kitten, then in the bedroom he needs to hang a heavy curtain that will not allow sunlight to enter the room.

  1. In order to accustom the kitten to the updated rules, you need to create a new schedule that helps prepare the animal for sleep. Before going to bed, you need to spend a little time playing, no more than 15 minutes. In this way, you will set the kitten up to communicate with you and establish contact. If you play at the same time and go to bed immediately after, the animal will gradually get used to the new schedule.
  2. The second innovation will be mandatory feeding of tasty treats after the game. All pets feel the urge to take a nap after a tasty snack. If a cat is given extra food at night, then it is necessary to cut back on the daily portion so that the animal does not gain weight.
  3. Before the animal goes to sleep in the owner's bed, you can try to put it in the bedroom, but in its own bed. This way your pet will understand that you don't mind his company in your bedroom. If not right away, then after a while he will become sad and jump over to spend the night at his owner’s feet.
  4. You need to try to pay more attention to the cat during the day, play with it more, talk to it, caress it. Firstly, the more active your pet is during the day, the more sleep he will have at night. Secondly, if a cat is psychologically attached to its owner, then of course it will come to sleep with him at night.
  5. If the pet does not want to go to bed with the owner, then you can move the cat in your house to the owner’s bedroom, put some yummy food, and talk to him. It is advisable to place it closer to the battery.
  6. Some owners use tricks, for example, luring a pet into bed using the smell of valerian or catnip. Thus, the cat will definitely sleep in the owner’s bed all night.
  7. Maybe the animal has a favorite blanket, then you can drag it into the bedroom, so he will understand that the person wants to see him near him at night. When teaching an animal to rest in a new place, you need to remember that its favorite things with its own scent will help with this.

No amount of persuasion or goodies can force a cat to move into bed with its owner if it does not feel sincere affection for him.

The same methods also work to train your pet to rest in a house or in one place adapted for it.

What a cat should not be allowed to do in the owner's bedroom

No matter how the owner pampers his pet, he should know that the bed is a place for a person and his stay in it is no more than a sign of the owner’s generosity, therefore:

  • Under no circumstances should you allow your pet to play in bed. If, with the onset of darkness, he jumps on you and begins to provoke you into playing, then you need to stop this immediately. The animal must know that the bed is a place to sleep.
  • You should not allow your pet to wake you up in the middle of the night or early in the morning.
  • The cat should know that the house is the main owner, you shouldn’t spoil him with or without reason. Under no circumstances should you get up at night at your pet’s first impulse and go feed him.

A cat is an animal that always acts on its own, but if it feels sincere affection for its owner, then it can be persuaded to sleep in the same bed. Moreover, this will bring pleasure not only to humans, but also to animals.

Haven't you ever wanted to sleep cuddling with your favorite cat all night? Typically, cats tend to wake up at least once or twice during the night, but with proper training and patience on your part, you can get your cat accustomed to your routine. With the right approach to bedtime preparation and management, you can enjoy long, peaceful nights of relaxation with your cat.

Steps

Part 1

Preparation for sleep

    Encourage your cat to be active during the day. A cat that was active during the day will feel sleepy at night. Enrich your cat's daily life with morning play sessions, playtime when you get home from work, or short walks outside on a leash. It would also be wise to provide your cat with toys that she can play with independently during the day, but they will not replace your pet's live communication with you.

    Play with your cat just before bed. Make it a habit to play with your cat for at least 10 minutes in the evening. Thanks to evening games, the cat will get rid of excess energy before bed, and the regularity of such games will make them a signal for the pet to prepare for sleep. Start with vigorous play and gradually slow down, making your movements slower and calmer in the last few minutes.

    If you have a hyperactive kitten, then by the time the game stops, you can redirect his attention to the treat.

    Older cats also benefit from playing, even if it requires some convincing. Give them soft and slow moving toys.

    Feed your cat before going to bed. In most cases, cats like to doze off after a hearty snack, so stimulate your pet's sleep with an evening feeding.

    Place an elevated cat bed next to your bed. Cats like cozy, elevated places where they can watch what's going on around them. If necessary, encourage your cat to occupy the same spot when you get into bed. This way, your cat will get used to your routine better, and you will only have to take one more small step to move on to co-sleeping.

    • If your cat has a favorite bedding or other thing that she likes to sleep on, move it to the above-mentioned high bed. Cats are very picky when choosing their sleeping place, and this step may not be the most successful, but it is worth trying.
  1. Let your cat explore your bed. Your cat will develop more positive associations with your bed if you give her the right to make her own decisions in this matter. Lure your cat onto the bed with a treat or catnip if your pet likes it. Praise your cat and give her more treats if she decides to spend some time on the bed, but don't force her to stay there if she wants to leave. Your cat will be more likely to do what you want her to do if she doesn't make an association between the bed and your annoying behavior.

    Try putting a new blanket on your bed. Some cats like cleanliness and will happily lie down to sleep on a recently washed blanket. Others prefer to smell their owner. If the cat smells the sheets too much clean, then you can put the sweatshirt you wore on the bed or hide it under the blanket for the cat.

    Reward your cat if she decides to join you at night. Some cats are wary of sleeping in a bed, but will explore it with interest in the middle of the night. If your pet falls into this category, you can reward him with a treat for visiting the bed. Hide the treat under a pillow or in an easily accessible pajama pocket so that the cat can get to it herself and does not consider it a reward for waking up the owner. Once your cat starts sleeping in the bed with you, gradually reduce the amount of treats you give her to get your cat back on a healthy diet.

    • Consistency is the key to success. The cat should receive a treat every night. But don't give her extra treats if she starts meowing or pawing at you, or you'll never get a good night's sleep.
    • When visiting the bed becomes a habit for your cat, start giving her treats only ¾ of the time. The rest of the time, reward your cat by scratching his head or doing something else that feels good to him.
    • Gradually reduce the use of rewards to once every two nights, then every three nights, and so on until only infrequent rewards are used.

    Most cats aged ten years or older suffer from mental and sensory decline, which can disrupt their sleep. Continue to monitor your pet's regular daily exercise routine so that by nightfall he is tired enough to rest properly. If at night a cat meows pitifully and goes to the toilet directly on the floor, it may be experiencing difficulties with orientation in space or is very frightened by something in the dark due to deteriorating vision. Place night lights for her along the route from your bed to her litter box.

A kitten in the house is always a joy. Just think - now you too have a little fluffy ball that trembles so much when it sleeps. However, with kittens, and even with adult cats, one problem often arises - being by nature nocturnal predators, with the onset of darkness they begin to add variety to the night life of your apartment. Meowing, the rumble of fallen things and the sounds of torn sofa upholstery - this is what haunts those who are lucky enough to become the owner of an active and energetic representative of the feline tribe. So how to train a cat to sleep at night, and not arrange an unscheduled awakening for you and your neighbors? We will talk about this further.

1. A tired cat sleeps even at night

Most cats lead an extremely passive lifestyle at home - they do not expend the energy that bubbles within them, especially in childhood. Therefore, in order for the cat to sleep soundly at night and not try to wake you up, help him get tired during the day. You definitely need to play with the cat - you will need to tinker with the kitten for up to two hours every day, involving it in the game. Unlike dog owners, in this case you will not have to run after your pet - a simple candy wrapper on a string can already become an excellent training tool for a cat to quickly fall asleep at night. If you don’t have time to exhaust your pet for so long on your own, buy him toys. Any cat will be happy with the ball and will cope with the game without your participation. The main thing is that the ball should not be too big or too small. Correlate the dimensions of your purchase and the gaps between the furniture and the floor. Believe me, this is where a lot of cat toys have disappeared and are still collecting dust.

2. Cat sleeping pills

It happens that you have played with a kitten, you yourself are already falling off your feet from fatigue and just close your eyes when you hear the rumble and patter of paws on the floor in your bedroom. That's right, the kitten spent several hours sleeping, and then woke up and his hot temperament demanded new activity and games. This also happens, especially with those breeds that are naturally very active. In such a situation, a special drug called “Cat Bayun” can help you. When taken in the morning and evening, it gradually calms overly zealous cats and eventually they sleep with you at night. However, a cat can recognize this drug in food, so this method is not suitable for everyone. If you have a less attentive pet, feel free to add the product to his food - you will soon feel the result.

3. Intimidation

Yes, it also happens that in answer to the question of how to train cats to sleep at night, you have to answer - intimidate. Of course, you don’t need to use brute force on the pet itself, just when the cat runs past your bed again, hit the floor with something. This could be a rolled up magazine or a belt - anything that makes a crisp, clear sound. Gradually, the cat will begin to understand your attitude towards this behavior, and all problems will go away on their own.

Here are the most effective ways for anyone who wants to learn how to train a cat to sleep at night. Perhaps you will find your own recipe, or maybe you will need to combine two or three methods described here. It all depends on the temperament of your pet. As practice shows, as cats age, they go out for night walks less and less often, so you can wait - the situation will soon change on its own. And always remember, your pet makes noise at night by nature, and not to annoy you. Do not punish him, do not use force, but simply treat his characteristics with understanding.