Living with a cat means that your sleep will be disturbed in a number of ways. It’s 5 A.M and your cat is meowing endlessly for some reason. You get up and see that your cat is begging for some food.
Sound familiar? For many cat owners, their cat is their very own walking, talking, furry alarm clock.
Every day like clockwork, cats seem to get hungry in the morning. While the time that each cat gets hungry differs, it seems to be universal that they get particularly hungry in the morning.
Why is that the case? Why is my cat so hungry in the morning?
To the dismay of their owners, cats do get hungry in the morning. The reason they get so hungry is due to the small nature of their stomachs. After hours of not eating, cats need to eat in the morning.
Why Is My Cat So Hungry In The Morning?
Early morning wake-ups from your cat aren’t always the best. Many would prefer their cat to be curled up by them in the morning while they rest uninterrupted until they need to be up.
However, with cats things tend to go their way rather than the wishes of their owners. If your cat is hungry, you better believe that they will be waking you up to let you know of that.
It’s strange to think that your cat could be so hungry in the morning. Why are cats so hungry in the A.M?
Just like when you wake up in the morning and head straight to the kitchen for breakfast, cats do the same. Cats are hungry in the morning for the same reason that we are.
Spending hours sleeping can make a cat, and a person, hungry when they wake up. While we sleep until fully rested to then wake up and eat, cats usually wake up due to their hunger.
Cats have small stomachs and when they eat, they don’t tend to eat a lot. This leads to them needing to eat more often and have multiple meals.
Combining the fact that cats need to be fed often with the fact that they haven’t eaten anything since their dinner, you can see why they would be hungry! Cats rely on their owners for lots of things and that includes being fed.
When they wake you up in the morning they aren’t doing so to ruin your sleep but because they can’t do it on their own. Some owners have bowls of dry food laying out for their cat to eat overnight.
However, if you don’t have that, this will make your cat completely reliant on you to feed them when they are feeling hungry.
Tips To Stop Your Cat From Waking You Up Each Morning
Although we love our cats, I think we can all agree that we don’t like to be woken up by them every morning! Whether you have an important day ahead of you or you’re just plain tired, it starts to take a toll on your sleep cycle to be awoken at random early hours of the day.
An interrupted sleep cycle can affect so many other things in our daily lives so it’s important to have a good night’s rest. Since cats are creatures of habit, it may be a bit of a challenge to get them to stop waking you up, but it can be done.
By following some helpful tips, you can avoid having your cat wake you up in the morning!
Play With Your Cat!
It sounds counterintuitive but playing with your cat right before bed will tucker them out enough to allow them to sleep the night away. In the wild cats have a system to hunt, groom, then sleep.
Playing with your cat with toys that resemble their prey will keep your cat’s interest and ensure that they play well. After playing with your cat, it’s a good idea to give them a good hearty meal.
Exercising will make your cat hungry and he or she will want to eat and this makes it less likely for your cat to want to eat in the early morning.
Leave Out Some Food
This tip can get a little tricky. Leaving out food can certainly help your cat stay out of your hair in the morning but it could lead to overeating.
Some cats may eat more often if the food is laying out there, even if they aren’t necessarily hungry. However, some cats don’t overeat and this works great for them.
If you think your cat would be one to overeat you can try using an automatic feeding bowl. Using an automatic feeding station, you can time when the bowl will dispense cat food.
Timing the bowl to dispense food around the time your cat usually wakes you up can help to solve the problem. The good thing about an automatic timer is that you can slowly start to change the time to your liking.
If you would prefer that your cat eats later in the A.M, you can slowly start to work at that until it reaches your desired time! Your cat gets their food and you get your sleep!
Give Your Cat Food-Dispensing Toys
There are many toys that act as puzzles that dispense food when completed. If you get your cat some of these toys and leave them out at night you are sure to have an occupied kitty.
Your cat will end up spending time to try and figure out how to get their food out rather than waking you up. These toys are great because they stimulate your cat while also giving them food.
They will work to tire your cat out and let you snooze in a while longer.
Why Is My Cat Always Hungry?
For some people, it seems that their cat is always hungry and begging for some food. Cats that are hungry not only in the morning but the whole day long.
What could be causing this hunger from your cat? Unfortunately, if your cat is hungry around the clock and is always eating, it isn’t normal.
If you notice that your cat is eating a lot more than normal, it’s vital that you get them checked by the vet. There are health issues that could be causing your furry friend to be eating too much.
However, health issues aren’t always behind excessive eating, so here are some of the reasons why your cat might be munching the day away.
- Boredom
Another thing that cats and humans have in common is that sometimes we both eat when we are bored! It may seem like your cat is hungry when he or she meows for food, but it could be that they are just bored.
If you have food laying out for your cat to have at all times this will make them expect for that food bowl to always be filled. If that bowl is empty your cat will likely start asking for more, even if they aren’t hungry!
By providing toys for your cat, you can help to reduce the number of trips they take to the food bowl. If that doesn’t work, a great tip is to get an automatic feeding bowl to limit the amount your cat eats.
2. Depression
Something that surprises lots of people is the fact that cats can get depressed. Unfortunately, it’s possible for your cat to be depressed.
With depression, it’s common to see a lack or increase in appetite. Being there for your cat by spending extra time with them is a good idea.
If there has been a big change in your cat’s environment, it could be causing your cat to be down. Take your cat to the vet if you suspect them to be depressed and they can provide many resources and tools to help care for your kitty.
- Worms
Another reason your cat could be eating excessively is that they have worms. When a cat gets worms they get hungry because the worms eat all of the nutrients from their food. If you think your cat may have worms take them to the vet to get tested. Don’t forget to clean your house thoroughly to get rid of the germs.
If you are dealing with a cat that has worms, be careful because worms are contagious and can transfer to humans!
- Hyperthyroidism
Hyperthyroidism is a condition in which a cat has an overactive thyroid. This condition causes cats to have an increase in appetite.
Hyperthyroidism causes the metabolism to burn too many calories causing them to excessively eat. Although cats that have this condition eat a lot, they still lose a lot of weight.
Hyperthyroidism is common in cats so if you feel like your cat is eating a lot and not gaining weight, get them checked.
- Diabetes
Diabetes is another condition that causes cats to eat more. Diabetes makes it hard for a cat’s body to convert the sugar into energy causing them to eat a lot in order to have energy and nutrients.
The vet will be able to help your cat with a treatment plan in order for them to live as happy and healthy as possible.
Conclusion
Cats wake us in the early morning to eat because they are hungry. The reason they get so hungry is because of their small stomachs.
Cats need to eat multiple meals a day to be nourished. They are so hungry in the morning because it has been hours since their last meal.
There are some helpful tips to help prevent your cat from waking you up in the morning. Although it’s natural for cats to be hungry in the morning, it isn’t normal for them to always be hungry.
There are a few reasons why your cat may be hungry and eating excessively. If you feel like your cat is always hungry, take them to the vet to make sure that their health is in order.
While having your cat wake you in the morning isn’t the greatest, the feeling you get after they eat surely is!