Get kitty to stop waking you at dawn in 3 easy steps

It's 4:00 in the morning and you're suddenly awakened by incessant meowing. Your cat is sitting on your chest, letting you know it's time to get up and feed her. She's determined to make sure you pay attention to that feline alarm clock, so you get up and put food in her bowl. What's wrong with this picture? 

What's wrong is that kitty has trained you. She's very smart and learned that her behavior got her exactly what she wanted. When you respond to her meows for food in the wee hours of the morning, you reinforce the very behavior you don't want. 

 

There are three steps to correcting this.

1. Don't respond. This sounds simple but is actually difficult when your persistent kitty wakes you early. It may take a few days before she gets the message, but you must stop reinforcing negative behavior.

2. Use well-timed play. Cats are crepuscular, which means they are most active at dusk and dawn. In the wild, that's when prey is readily available. It's understandable that in the early morning hours, your kitty is gearing up for anticipated prey/food. To reset her internal clock, do an interactive play session right before you go to bed. Make it a great one where kitty really gets to show off her hunting skills. Then, wind the action down toward the end of the game so your cat is left satisfied and relaxed. Additionally, leave out activity toys during the night -- ones that are not available to kitty during the day.

3. Use food for training. After your pre-bedtime play session, offer kitty a portion of her meal or a yummy treat. If you schedule-feed, divide the daily portion in order to save one for after the play session. If you free-feed, take up food early in the evening and replace it after the play session. If all else fails, consider using one of the timed feeder bowls.

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