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Why does my cat run around at night?

If you’re the proud owner of a feline friend, you’ve probably noticed their erratic behavior at night. While it’s usually not a sign of illness or another problem, it can be a bit disconcerting to be awakened by your cat at 2 in the morning. This post will show you likely reasons why and what you can do about it.

So, why does my cat run around at night? Likely reasons why your cat runs around at night are that it is naturally nocturnal, there is an issue with the room it sleeps in, separation anxiety, or that it can hear animals moving around.

There are actually multiple possible reasons why your cat runs around 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 does my cat run around at night?

Below are likely reasons why your cat runs around at night.

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 runs around 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 run around 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 running around 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.

Things to consider

Below are some things to consider to help figure out the main reason why your cat has been doing it.

If your cat has always ran around at night

If your cat did not always run around at night, it would help to consider what else happened when your cat first started running around 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 does not run around at night

If your cat does not always run around at night, it would also help to consider what is different when it does not run around at night. For example, if it does not run around when it can sleep with you, the cause could be some separation anxiety.

What to do about your cat running around at night

Below are some options you have when dealing with the behavior.

Ensure the room it stays in is ideal

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.

Ensure its diet is right

It would also help to make sure that your cat has been getting the right diet, your cat 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 your cat 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.