Cats are creatures of habit, and most of their daily rituals are geared toward their needs and interest. There are things that cats do that are mostly fun, and other things that help their upkeep, such as grooming.
Every cat has its own favorite morning rituals, and as cat owners, you probably know what your cat’s rituals are. Some cats wake up their humans by licking their toes or taking a swipe at their faces.
But your cat may also be waking up because his food bowl needs to be filled, or he is just itching to get out of the house. Whether your cat is in a playful mood or just has a lot of energy, here is why your cat runs around like crazy in the morning.
So, why does my cat run around in the morning? Likely reasons why your cat runs around in the morning are that it naturally has more energy in the morning, it wants food and water, it is expecting to wake up at a certain time or that there is an issue with the part of the house it stays in.
There are actually a number of possible reasons why your cat runs around in the morning 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 in the morning?
Below are likely causes and what would make them more likely.
Nature
In the wild, cats naturally hunt late in the evening and early in the morning. As a result, cats tend to have a lot more energy in the morning and in the evening. The reason why your cat runs around in the morning is likely to be that it naturally has more energy at that time.
It wants food and water
The cause could also be that your cat is excited to get fed. This would be more likely if your cat tends to run around more before you have fed it and it does not run around much after getting fed. In this case, it could help to feed it earlier in the morning so that it calms down sooner.
It is expecting to wake up at a certain time
Another possible reason is that your cat is expecting to wake up at a certain time. This would be more likely if your cat tends to run around at the same time each morning and it tends to do it more on the weekend when you get up later than usual.
It wants to go outside
The cause might also be that your cat wants to go outside. This would be more likely if it tends to stand by the door while it is being crazy and it runs out as soon as you open the door.
It hears things in the walls
Another possible cause is that your cat hears things in the walls. This would be more likely if it runs around by the walls more, it scratches at the walls and if it seems to be wanting to get into the walls.
Separation anxiety
It might also be the case that your cat has some separation anxiety. This would be more likely if it sleeps in a different room than you and if it runs around before you have seen it in the morning.
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 been crazy in the morning
If your cat has not always been crazy in the morning, it would help to consider what else happened when it first started being crazy. If it started being crazy suddenly, it might be due to things such as a change in the time you wake up, a change in the room that it has to sleep in or another change in its environment.
What is different when your cat is not crazy in the morning
If your cat is not always crazy in the morning, it would also help to consider what is different when it is not. For example, if it only seems to be crazy on the weekend, the cause could be that it is expecting you to wake up and feed it at an earlier time.
What to do about your cat being crazy in the morning
Below are some options you have when dealing with the behavior.
Feed it sooner
Since your cat might be being crazy because it wants you to get up and give it food or water, it would help to make sure that your cat has access to food and water when it might need it.
Limit reasons why it might be anxious
It would also help to limit reasons why your cat might become anxious, in the morning, when you are not around. Ways to do so could include letting your cat stay in a different room than your dog, if you have one, or letting your cat stay in a quieter room where there is a safe spot for it to sleep away from other pets.
Give it things to play with
You could also give your cat things that it can play with so that it can wear itself out and not bother you when it has a lot of energy in the morning.