This post will show you why your cat meows when you go to bed and what you can do about it.
So, why does my cat meow when I go to bed? Likely reasons why your cat meows when you go to bed are that it has separation anxiety, there is an issue with the room that it stays in, or that something is causing it to be fearful.
Your cat might cry when you go to bed for a number of reasons and it could 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.
Reasons why your cat meows when you go to bed
Below are a number likely causes and what would make each of them more likely.
Separation anxiety
The cause could be that it has some separation anxiety. This is where your cat does not like being separated from you and being separated from you causes it to become anxious.
This would be more likely if your cat becomes anxious when you are going to bed by doing things such as crying and if it does not seem to want anything from you, when it sees you, other than attention.
It would also be more likely if your cat tends to follow you around the house even after it has been fed and if it can’t sleep in your room but it wants to sleep with you when you are going to bed.
An issue with the room it stays in
It could also be the case that there is an issue with the room it stays in that causes your cat to become anxious. This would be more likely if your cat has to stay in a certain room during the night. It might be the case that the room is too loud, there are other pets in there that it does not like or that it does not have access to a litter box.
Nature
Cats are often more lively in the early morning hours and the late evening, it might be the case that your cat has been doing it because it has lots of energy when you are going to bed. This would be more likely if your cat also does things such as run around at the same time you go to bed and if it is also allowed to sleep in your room.
Things to consider about your cat meowing when you go to bed
Below are some things to consider when figuring out the main reason why your cat has been doing it.
If your cat has always meowed when going to bed
If your cat has only just started meowing when you go to bed, it would help to consider what else changed when your cat first started doing it. Possible reasons could be that you made it stay in a certain room, you stop giving it access to food and water or you started going to bed at a different time.
What is different when your cat does not meow when you go to bed
If your cat does not always cry when you go to bed, it would also help to consider what is different when your cat does not meow. For example, if it does not meow when it has had access to food, the cause would be more likely to be that it is hungry.
What to do about your cat meowing when you go to bed
Below are some options you have when getting your cat to stop doing it.
Give it access to food and water
Since your cat might be meowing when going to bed because it wants food or water, it could help to make sure that your cat has access to food and water while you are away.
Let it stay where it wants to
It could also help to let your cat stay in a different area while you are in your room but to make sure that it has access to the litter box and food and water.
Let it stay in your room
If your cat seems to be doing it due to separation anxiety, one option would be to let your cat stay in your room with you. If you do not want it to stay in your room, you could try making a safe space for it to sleep in while you are not around. Eventually, your cat should learn to go there instead.
Limit reasons why it might be fearful
If it has to stay in a certain room, while you are asleep at night, it would also help to make sure that there are no issues with the room. Possible issues could be that the room is too loud or that there is another animal in there that your cat does not like.
Give it things to be distracted with
Another thing that could be of some use would be to give your cat something, such as a toy, to be distracted with while you are not with it.