Also called · 3am zoomies · waking me up · nocturnal
What it looks like
- Charges around at dawn
- Wakes you up
- Vocalises through the night
Why it happens
Cats are neither nocturnal nor diurnal
Cats have an indistinct circadian rhythm, and no daily rhythm is found even in core body temperature. They look more active at night, but they actually eat more during the day. They cannot be classed firmly as either.
This is an animal that eats little and often
On free feeding of dry or wet food, one report found them eating 13–16 times a day at an average of 23 kcal per sitting. Getting up to eat in the night is not abnormal.
Surplus energy
If the hunting instinct and the drive to explore go unmet during the day, they pile up into the night.
What to do
Put a hunting game before bed
A game they get to finish by catching, followed by food, creates a satisfied-then-rest sequence.
Leave food available overnight
Cats are nibble eaters. Letting them eat by themselves at night removes one reason to wake you.
Do not respond when woken
The experience of waking you and getting food is learned very strongly.
Watch out for
An older cat that cries at night and sleeps heavily by day may have the sleep-cycle change of cognitive dysfunction, or thyroid or kidney disease.
See a vet if
An older cat that has suddenly started crying nightly
More activity together with weight loss (hyperthyroidism and similar)
Common questions
Confinement is itself a stressor and can predispose to other problem behaviour. Discharging the energy during the day is the more fundamental answer.
Related behaviors
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General behaviour and nutrition information. It does not replace diagnosis or prescription. Similar behaviour does not always have the same cause, and the cause is not necessarily diet or environment — have a vet rule out illness first, and consult a behaviour specialist where needed.