If your cat is hyper at night, this post will show you a number of possible causes and what you can do about them.
So, why is my cat so hyper at night? Possible reasons why your cat is hyper at night are that it is naturally more energetic in the late evening, an issue with its diet, it hears things in the walls, an issue with the room it sleeps in, separation anxiety, or injury or allergies.
There are actually a number of possible reasons why your cat is hyper at night and it might be due to a combination of reasons. However, there are some things you can consider when figuring out the main cause and there are some things you can do about it.
Why is my cat hyper at night?
Below are a number of possible reasons why your cat is hyper at night and what would make them more likely.
Nature
The most likely reason why your cat does it is that it is common for cats to be more lively in the late evening and early morning. If your cat is hyper up to around midnight, it would be likely that it has been doing it naturally. This would be more likely if it has not started suddenly and it has not been behaving unusually in other ways as well.
In this case, it could help to give it things to wear itself out before bedtime and to get it to stay in a different room to the one you sleep in.
An issue with its diet
It might also be the case that there is an issue with the food that it has been eating. It might be eating things that it should not be or it might not be getting the right nutrients in its diet. This would be more likely if it tends to be more hyper when it has eaten certain food or if it has started doing it since a change in its diet.
An issue with the room it sleeps in
The cause could also be that there is an issue with the room that it has to sleep in. It might be too hot, too loud, too bright, too noisy or there might not be enough space for it to lay down comfortably. It might also be the case that there is another pet in there that it does not like.
Separation anxiety
The reason why it has been doing it might be due to having some separation anxiety. This would be more likely if you do not let it sleep with you, if it has started being hyper since you stopped letting it sleep with you or if it starts getting anxious when you are about to go to bed.
It hears things in the walls
It might be the case that it hears noises that it does not like at night. This would be more likely if it only meows on certain nights or if it only does it when it is in a certain room. It might also be the case that it hears things such as mice in the walls.
Injury or allergies
It could also be the case that it has allergies, an injury or fleas that have been bothering it. This would be more likely if it has started doing it suddenly and it has been behaving unusually in other ways such as by itching itself a lot. If it seems like injury could be the cause, the best option would be to take it to a vet.
Things to consider
Below are some things to consider when figuring out the main reason why your cat has been doing it.
If your cat has always been hyper at night
If your cat was not always hyper at night, it would help to consider what else happened when your cat first started being hyper at night. If it started doing it suddenly, it could be due to things such as injury, allergies, illness, a change in its sleeping environment, a pest infestation or a change in its diet.
What is different when your cat is not hyper at night
If your cat is not always hyper at night, it would also help to consider what is different when it is not hyper at night. For example, if it is not hyper when it can sleep with you, the cause could be some separation anxiety.
How to get my cat to stop being hyper at night?
Below are some things you can do to get your cat to be less hyper at night.
Ensure the room it stays in is ideal
It would help to make sure that the room it stays in, at night, is not too hot, bright, loud, and that there is a safe space for it to lie down on.
Ensure its diet is right
It would also help to make sure that your cat has been getting the right diet, it has been eating the right amount of calories and that no one else has been feeding it things it shouldn’t be eating.
Wear it out during the day
Another option would be to wear it out during the day by playing with it, giving it toys to use and things such as a scratch pad.
Get help
If you cannot figure out why your cat has been doing it or it has been showing signs of injury, the best option would be to take it for a checkup. By doing so, you should be able to get expert advice tailored towards your particular cat and to rule out injury as a cause.