Another cat question.....crazy nightime cats!!

I had NO sleep last night...we were away for a week and we got back early Sunday. Last night my 2 cats were racing around all night bc they were excited. They tend to do this even when we are not away for a week. For some dumb reason, my landlord put indoor / outdoor carpeting in the hallway and there is no padding so the noise keeps me up all night....thump thump thump back and forthe down the hallway at least 10 times a night. What can I do???!!! I try spraying them with water, yelling, nothing works....I want to buy a baby gate to put in the hallway but I am afraid they will jump it. Also, we have new neighbors in the basement apt, and if these kittys are keeping me up, I am sure it is bugging the people downstairs. HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm at my wits end.

Re: Another cat question.....crazy nightime cats!!

Cats are semi-nocturnal.. so there's not much you can do!! We have THREE cats who all run around at night and slide down the hallways on our tile floor and crash into the wall (and each other!).. so I feel your pain! The only thing I was told that may help is to wake your cats up during the day whenever you see them napping (which I know is pretty much constant!). That way, if they don't sleep as much as they'd like during the day they will be more apt to catch up on their beauty rest and night, when you are sleeping too!

Re: Another cat question.....crazy nightime cats!!

I THANKFULLY have a basement to put them in, but OMG they are SOOOOOOOOO loud! They literally crash into the walls! It's funny when I'm awake, but I know how annoying it is at night. I have heard the same thing about waking them up during the day, only we do it to annoy them right back

Re: Another cat question.....crazy nightime cats!!

try keeping them awake during the day....even when you get home from work...make sure they are up and playing...cats sleep something like 16 hours a day...so make sure they aren't doing it all in the daytime...

I hope it works...my cat will scream in the middle of the night sometimes - so I feel your pain

Re: Another cat question.....crazy nightime cats!!

cool so when I get home from work I should play with them for about 30 min LOL - maybe they will be knocked out at night! Thats true...I don't entertain them enough.

Now I feel bad, I told one I was bringing him to the pound.

Re: Another cat question.....crazy nightime cats!!

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Posted by MrsTC

Now I feel bad, I told one I was bringing him to the pound.

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if I see my cat sleeping in the evening...i will just push her around a bit...as she doesn't really play...


do you have a feather on a stick toy? that is an easy way for you to sit back and work them out...I had one until my dog thought that all cat toys were his...

Re: Another cat question.....crazy nightime cats!!

lol we used to have the feather stick...I dont know where it went! But we are going grocery shopping tonight...and they usually sell them there. Good investment!! I will pick one up. I also toss a soft plushy ball around and one of the cats plays 'fetch' ...

Re: Another cat question.....crazy nightime cats!!

I definitely keep the cat toys out at night so at least they have something to play with. If my cats aren't fighting with each other at night, they are trying to wake us up to play!

Re: Another cat question.....crazy nightime cats!!

I just read an article in CAT magazine about nighttime crazies and contacted our cats behaviorist about it (she was having them too, it turns out her schedule is just backwards so we're working on it with her). There are a few things you can do and there are many different reasons this could be happening.

1. Are your cats older? They may have dementia or alzheimers which make them act more like kittens than cats. What to do? See a vet if this is possible.

2. Switch your cat to a higher fiber diet. Constipation can make them act this way.

3. Play with your cats for an hour in the morning and the evening, they need to play but you can dictate when. If you do this they'll be more tired at night. Just avoid too much catnip right before bed, that can overstimulate them and make it worse.

4. Keep them in the bedroom with you. Less space and close proximity to you can help calm them.

5. Make sure they have a warm, comfortable place to sleep at night. Drafty or uncomfortable sleeping places will keep them up at night.

6. Don't yell at them, but you could try speaking softly to them to calm them.

7. Try a calming mixture. They are available at Petco and other large pet stores. They can help as a last resort.

Ultimately there is a reason your cats are acting this way. Consult a behaviorist if nothing else helps. If you need the number for one let me know.

Re: Another cat question.....crazy nightime cats!!

My old cat (when I lived at home, it was really our house cat not mine only) wasn't a nighttime cat thankfully. Then again it was just 1 cat so he dind't have a playmate to run around with. He died last year though Then my sister got two cats and one is quiet but the other run meows at night like mad and sometimes they run around at night. Drives me crazy when I visit them.
FH hates cats and threatens to toss them outside (they're declawed so I know he'd never actually do it). She did the water thing, didn't work.

I will suggest playing with them to tire them out to her.

Re: Another cat question.....crazy nightime cats!!

Thanks everyone for the great advice!!

So...last night, I played with them for about 1/2 hour with a string to bat at It worked! And throughout the evening when I saw them lazing around, DH and I bugged them. They DID race around the apt at 5:30 am....but it's a start! At least I got some uninterrupted sleep....cats will be cats. Thanks

Re: Another cat question.....crazy nightime cats!!

Thanks for the advice, Julybride. My DH and I will do some of the things, like play with them in the evening for an hour. We do play with them, but for about 5 minutes at a time. I don't think my cats are constipated though - the litter box gets a lot of use and we're are constantly scooping stuff out!