This can be dealt with.
Australian experts have explained why cats love to wake their owners up early in the morning and how to deal with it, reports The Conversation.
Domestic cats are usually most active in the morning and at dusk. They can adapt their activity cycles to match their owners' routines. This means that if you are sleeping at night, your cat should be resting too.
Susan Hazel, a senior lecturer at the School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences at the University of Adelaide, and PhD candidate Julia Henning highlight three main reasons why a cat may wake a person early. Most often, the pet is simply hungry. Unfortunately, many owners encourage this behavior by feeding the cat, which increases the likelihood that it will wake you up again. To address this issue, it is important to ensure that the animal receives enough food throughout the day. You can feed the pet right before bedtime.
If you feed your cat in the morning, make sure it does not associate waking up with breakfast time. Leave a gap between when you get out of bed and when you feed the cat breakfast — try to make it at least half an hour.
— write the authors.
The second reason for early awakenings may be a lack of routine. To prevent your cat from waking you at inappropriate times, try to feed, play, and groom the animal at the same time every day. Also, regularly clean the litter box or bedding. Keep the routine as consistent as possible, and eventually, the cat will get used to the new norm.
The third reason for early cat activity is that they do not expend their energy during the day. It is important to provide the cat with access to various toys in the house, especially if you are not home often. If you are home, engage the cat with an interactive toy or play with it. Another tip is to avoid playing with the cat an hour before bedtime.
If all methods to combat early awakenings have been tried and none have helped, it is worth consulting a veterinarian, as such behavior may indicate health problems.
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