My cat is now nocturnal! Any suggestions on how to alter this ?

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Kuisse0002 - 21 Jan 2004 22:14 GMT

Due to our absence recently, (holidays) our cat has developed a changed daily
habit. Instead of having feeding times in the morning and evenings - now - its
at 2am and 6am and she takes off to the bushes and we won't see her until 2am
the next day. between those times(2-6am), she is wide awake and calls us
endlesslessly and for a whole week now, we have kept her indoors at night
(putting up with all her noises) just so we can change this habit back but it
doesn't seem to be working . how can we get back to normal routine and break
this nocturnal habit?

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Adam Helberg - 21 Jan 2004 22:50 GMT

> Due to our absence recently, (holidays) our cat has developed a changed daily
> habit. Instead of having feeding times in the morning and evenings - now - its
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> doesn't seem to be working . how can we get back to normal routine and break
> this nocturnal habit?

Try keeping her outside in the daytime.

Adam

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Knack - 23 Jan 2004 01:41 GMT

Try keeping the cat inside *all* the time, taking away the food bowl during
the evening. Once your kitty's active/inactive habits have changed back to
regular hours, then you can let the cat outside again.

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Iain Halder - 23 Jan 2004 06:21 GMT

You could try a small amount of melatonin. A few before night doses
after keeping him awake all day should be enough to sort things out.

This is a sleep hormone and is used by the body to regulate circadian
rythm. People (like myself) who work night-shift benefit tremendously
from it as it restores normal sleep function and stops the 'jet lag
effect' that night-shift workers get.

Cats are normally 'night-creatures' anyway so your cat just drifted
back to it's normal sleep pattern. Living among humans they have to
operate in an abnormal (for them) sleep cycle.

Go to an American site www.lef.org for info on melatonin and ordering
info. Otherwise type the word into your search engine. It is also
potent as an immune-system enhancer and anti-cancer treatment. You
cannot buy it here in the UK and it is very restricted in Europe.

Iain.H

>> Due to our absence recently, (holidays) our cat has developed a changed
>daily
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
>the evening. Once your kitty's active/inactive habits have changed back to
>regular hours, then you can let the cat outside again.

My heart says 'Kant' but my head says 'Hobbes'

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Knack - 23 Jan 2004 23:45 GMT

Melatonin is commonly available as an off the shelf product in large
American supermarkets. People and cats may not necessarily respond in the
same way to the same medications, such as Tylenol which is fatal to cats.

Anyway, drugging a cat to control its behavior should be a choice of last
resort. There are softer methods to get a cat to sleep at night instead of
during the day. A big meal will tire a cat to some extent.

Just keep the cat indoors with loud music playing all day, and with the TV
on, and with a few new toys available. Also withhold food until nightime, at
which time make the house peaceful.

> You could try a small amount of melatonin. A few before night doses
> after keeping him awake all day should be enough to sort things out.
[quoted text clipped - 34 lines]
>
> My heart says 'Kant' but my head says 'Hobbes'

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Kuisse0002 - 23 Jan 2004 07:06 GMT

We kept her inside for several days at night and it didn't work and we have to
let her out because she's not litter trained and she's also an outside cat
("outside"-patio/garden)

>Try keeping the cat inside *all* the time, taking away the food bowl during
>the evening. Once your kitty's active/inactive habits have changed back to
>regular hours, then you can let the cat outside again.

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