Cats are neither nocturnal nor diurnal, they’re crepuscular. This means they are at their most active during dawn and dusk. This might seem a bit odd for humans – who are either active during the day or night -, but most cats don’t live on fixed hours.
Whether a cat prefers dawn or dusk, it’s something that can only be determined on a case-by-case basis. Fortunately, if your little feline friend is active when you’re sleeping, there are ways to help him match your sleeping schedule!
Do cats sleep at night?
A cat will go to sleep when he’s tired or bored – but not necessarily at night. Cats need a lot of physical and mental stimulation; if they go through a quiet day without much to do, they will try to use that excess energy during the night.
Sometimes, cats will stay awake at night out of fear. If something’s scary is present during the day, cats will hide and sleep until it’s safe to go out at night. Keep in mind the scary scenario could be non-threatening (like bringing a new pet home), but that doesn’t mean the cat isn’t scared.
What do cats do at night?
There are a lot of things cats do at night, they can roam around, play, meet other cats, hunt, and more! Social cats could try to look for their cat-friends, hungry cats could try to look for something to eat, and bored cats could look for things to play with.
When it comes to cat behavior, there’s no such thing as a schedule. A cat goes around doing what he feels like doing. They tend to develop habits, as any other animal does. For example, some cats prefer to hunt at night – but that’s not what all cats do.
Why do cats go crazy at night time?
Not all cats go crazy at night, only those with excess energy do. Cats need a lot of stimulation to carry on with their day. If they don’t do enough things, they could start acting crazy sooner or later – but it could happen at any time, not necessarily at night.
If your cats love to run around wreaking havoc at night, you need to exhaust him during the day. New toys and new activities are great for this.
As long as your cat can handle being around other pets, a second cat could work wonders when it comes to energy levels.
Hunger could be a determining factor; multiple meals during the day and a final one before bedtime could reduce your cat’s night behavior.
Should cats be kept indoors at night?
When it comes to keeping your cat safe, the best thing you can do is keeping him indoors at night. A lot of cats love to hunt during after-hours – but that doesn’t mean they should.
There’s a higher chance of road accidents happening at night, so your cat should stay cozy and safe during that time. If he has played all day and had plenty to eat, there’s no chance he would want to go out during the night!