Have you ever frantically woken up to the nudging of a four legged fluff ball in the middle of the night? If so, you are not the only person who’s cat wakes them up to be petted. This is actually a fairly common behavior exhibited by cats, and in today’s article we are going to explain exactly why cats do this. At the end, we will give you some advice on how to stop your cat from waking you up to be petted.
Why does my cat wake me up to be petted?
The main reasons a cat wakes you up to be petted is to get attention, play, feel protected, get food, or because of an illness or injury.
Get attention:
The main reason a cat will wake you up to be petted is because they simply want attention. Cats are nocturnal, meaning they naturally are awake and have energy during the night. However, life for cats can get pretty boring at night when there is no activity in the house and everyone is asleep. They know that by waking you up to get petted, they will get your attention and they will thus cure their boredom. Cats communicate heavily through touch, and it helps create a bond between each other. If your cat is waking you up to be petted, there is a good chance your cat is showing his/her affection for you.
To play:
Similarly, cats tend to have a surge of energy during the middle of the night. Out in the wild, this helped cats find and hunt their prey. Even though they now live in a house and don’t need to hunt, they still have this sudden urge of energy to use. Thus, they go and wake you up so that you can pet and play with them.
If you are interested in getting new toys for your cat, you should check out my article on the Best Toys For Cats Home Alone.
Feel protected:
Some cats might come wake you up in the middle of the night because they are frightened or scared of something. This is usually caused by the presence of another animal outside, such as a racoon. Your cat probably views you as their protector, which is why they come to you to get petted.
Get food:
Another reason a cat will wake you up to get petted is because they are hungry. This is their way of telling you to come fill up their food bowl.
Illness/Injury
While cats are generally good at hiding their pain, they sometimes do the opposite and seek your attention when something doesn’t feel right. If your cat is coming into your room late at night, there is a chance he/she is trying to tell you that they are in pain or that they have an illness. This is why it is very important that you always keep a close eye on your cat’s behavior so that you can notice when they change their behavior and something isn’t right.
How to stop your cat from waking you up to get petted
While most people assume the obvious solution to this problem is closing your door, this is not always the case. While you can certainly start with this, there is a good chance your cat will whine at the door or scratch at it until you wake up. This is why it is important to get to the root of the problem that is causing your cat to wake you up to get petted.
If your cat is seeking attention, then you should try getting your cat some new toys to distract him/her and keep the attention off of you while you sleep. We also recommend playing with your cat right before you go to sleep. This will help tire your cat out so he/she doesn’t have the energy to wake you up later.
If your cat is hungry, then you should probably change the feeding schedule so that you feed your cat later at night right before you go to sleep. Another great option is to get an automatic cat feeder so your cat can just feed itself.
