|
 People often ask me how to get their cats to
stop waking them up in the middle of the
night.
Here’s a technique to help your cat get on a
schedule that doesn’t interrupt your beauty
sleep. I call my training technique for this
the “cycle of four.” The four steps are:
hunt, feast, groom, and sleep.
Let’s look at it from the cat’s point of
view.
In an outdoor setting, a cat 1) goes through
physical exertion to capture his meal.
Afterward he 2) feasts on his meal. He then
3) grooms to remove traces of prey (grooming
is crucial to survival because it prevents
other prey from realizing there’s a predator
nearby). Then, with a full stomach, your cat
is ready for 4) a nap to recharge his
energy.
You can use this knowledge to help your cat
get on a nighttime schedule that’s more
compatible with yours. Here’s how:
·
The hunt. Right before you’re
ready for bed, conduct an interactive play
session, using a fishing pole-type toy. You
can do other play sessions throughout the
day and evening, but it’s this pre-bedtime
session that’s crucial for resetting kitty’s
internal clock.
·
Next comes the feast. Reward
the Mighty Hunter with food or treat. If you
schedule-feed, divide up his daily portion
and offer a meal after playtime. If you
free-feed, take up the food earlier in the
evening. After playtime, make a big
production over placing the food back down.
·
Grooming.
Your cat will take care of this part.
·
Ready for bedtime. If you’ve
led a satisfying play session and offered a
food reward, kitty will probably be ready
for sleep.
Note: If your cat remains active at night,
place a few treat balls or other puzzle
feeders out for him while everyone sleeps.
For
more information refer to the book
Starting from Scratch.
© 2009 Cat Behavior Associates, LLC |
