Nighttime Yowling in Cats
What to do About Nighttime Antics and Yowling
Sometimes when cats are stressed in a new environment, they will spend a lot of time sleeping or pretending to sleep. At Pasado’s, we offer enrichment to give the cats fun ways to expend energy during the day—and this is great to do in your home as well. Still, very shy cats may get into a routine of daytime snoozin’ and nighttime parties.
When you bring your cat home, as the cat starts to become more comfortable exploring, nighttime activity and excessive vocalization can be unwanted behavior!
Realize that some of this is settling in and adjustment behavior to their new home. Nighttime yowling can indicate a medical issue and it’s always good to get your new cat established with veterinary care, but most likely, if you’ve just brought a Pasado’s cat home, this is a behavioral issue. Give it time and try these tips.
Don’t:
- Reward this behavior by getting up and offering food or attention when the cat is mid-zoomie or yowl. Remember than even scolding “No!” can count as attention to your cat!
- Feed your cat in a bowl. Assuming your cat has a good appetite and no medical issue to prevent this, never waste a good opportunity to give your cat something to do. Offer meals (and they can be broken up into smaller more frequent meals if your time permits) in food puzzles, forage feeders, snuffle mats and on lick mats.
- Skimp on resources. Especially if you are having any issues, make sure your cat has a choice of litterboxes, water sources, food sources, hiding places, vertical spaces, scratching places – and a variety of toys. These don’t have to be expensive (a cardboard box makes a great hiding place. Those cardboard scratchers are great. A toilet paper roll filled with a few pieces of kibble can be an interesting toy).
Do: Be proactive and pre-empt this behavior.
Encourage some daytime activity. Offer enrichment and activities to your cat during the day: a play session before you head to work, dry kibble in a food puzzle or foraging feeder, and wet food spread on a lick mat, for example.
See our 10 Simple Enrichment Ideas for Cats.
Just before your bedtime:
- Offer an interactive play session (break out the wand toy) before bed.
- Fill a food puzzle, forage feeder, or snuffle mat with a small meal before bed.
- Spread some wet food on a lick mat.
- Roll up some dried catnip or silvervine in a towel for the cat to unroll and explore.
- Leave out some new toys (be sure to rotate these) the cat can interact with on their own at night.
Here are some Pasado’s favorites, but there are lots of great options including some DIY options (you can put kibble in muffin tins or hide it in empty toilet paper rolls or paper lunch bags):
Reward for quiet and calm! Try to catch your cat being quiet and calm: offer attention, play, and treats at this time! Let your cat know good things do come to those who wait and are quiet and calm.
Check for triggers: Is the cat yowling at another cat or animal passing by? Blocking access to windows or using window coverings may help.
Try using a timed feeder which can dispense a small late-night snack and early morning meal, if needed.
Give the cat time to adjust and get to know their playmate: Pasado’s usually adopts out cats (especially young, playful cats) to homes with another cat, so that the cats can help provide each other enrichment (which helps prevent nighttime antics and yowling, too). But it takes time (think weeks and months, not days) for the cats to settle in and become buddies.
It’s OK!: To close your bedroom door or confine your cat to a bathroom or guest room (with all their needed resources: food, water, hiding place, cat scratcher, vertical space) so you can get some sleep!
Did you know? Contrary to popular knowledge, cats are not nocturnal animals. They are actually crepuscular: which means they are most active at dusk and dawn. These can be great times to offer your cat a play session followed by a small snack!