Cats are interesting creatures; there’s a reason why they’re one of the most popular pets in the world. That being said, they have a lot of unexpected behaviors that differentiate them from other animals. One of the most common, however, is the way that cats pounce on their owners at night. While it may seem cute, it’s actually a behavior that has many causes. This post will show you what could be causing yours to do it and what you can do about it.
So, why does my cat pounce on me at night? Likely reasons why your cat pounces on you at night are that it is naturally more energetic at night, it sees you as prey or that something has been causing it to get anxious at night.
There are actually a number of possible reasons why your cat pounces on you 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 reason and there are some things you can do about it.
Why does my cat pounce on me at night?
Below are likely reasons why your cat pounces on you at night and what would make them more likely.
Nature
In the wild, cats are often nocturnal animals. This means they are most active at night, unlike humans, who are generally active during the day. Even though your kitty might spend a lot of his time sleeping or lounging around during the day, his internal “clock” tells him when to be active, and night is the prime time for him to be on the prowl. The reason why your cat pounces on you at night is most likely to be that it naturally has a lot more energy at that time and naturally wants to hunt things.
Something causing it to be anxious
It might be the case that it has been doing it due to something causing it to be anxious. This would be more likely if your cat does it more at a certain time such as when there are noises inside or another animals around.
It sees you as prey
If your cat pounces on you, while you are in bed, the cause might be that it sees you as prey because you move around in the bed. In this case, it would be an option to get your cat to sleep in a different room at night.
Things to consider
Below are things to consider to help figure out the main reason why your cat has been pouncing on you at night.
If your cat always pounced on you at night
If your cat did not always pounce on you at night, it would help to consider what else happened when it first started doing it. If your cat started doing it suddenly, it might be the case that there was an event that caused it to start. If it did start doing it suddenly, it could be due to things such as a change in the way you interact with it at night or because something has been causing it to be anxious.
What is different when your cat does not pounce on you at night
If your cat has only been pouncing on you on certain nights, it would also help to consider what is different on the nights that it does pounce on you. For example, if it only does it when you are playing with it, the cause would be likely to be that it is playing.
What to do about your cat pouncing on you at night
Below are some options you have when getting your cat to stop pouncing on you at night.
Get it to stay elsewhere
If your cat currently sleeps in the same room as you and it is lively when you are trying to sleep, one option would be to get your cat to sleep in a different room.
Wear it out during the day
Another thing to do would be to wear your cat out during the day by playing with it, giving it toys to use and things such as a scratch pad.
Make it easier for it to sleep
It would help to make sure that the room your cat stays in, at night, is not too hot, bright, loud, and that there is a safe space for it to lie down on.