It’s no secret: cats love to sneak out at night. You’ve probably noticed your feline friend staring out the window in the middle of the night, and wondered what they could possibly be thinking. Why do cats want to go out at night? This post will show you likely reasons why and what you can do about it.
So, why does my cat want to go outside at night? Likely reasons why your cat wants to go outside at night are that it naturally wants to hunt at night, it hears animals outside, it wants to mate or a problem inside.
There are actually a number of possible reasons why your cat wants to go outside at night and it might be due to a combination of them. 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 want to go outside at night?
Below are reasons why your cat wants to go outside 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.
It sees prey
Another possible cause is that your cat sees or hears things such as birds or squirrels outside. This would be more likely if your cat suddenly wants to go outside urgently and if it does it when you can hear or see animals outside.
It wants to mate
Another possible cause is that your cat wants to mate. This would be more likely if your cat has started wanting suddenly and if it tends to want to go outside when there are other cats outside.
A problem inside
The cause might also be that there is a problem inside the house. This would be more likely if it wants to go outside more at a certain time such as when a certain pet is around or when there are certain noises inside the house.
Things to consider
Below are some things to consider about your cat wanting to go outside at night.
If your cat has always wanted to go outside at night
If your cat did not always want to go outside at night, it would help to consider what else happened when it first started doing it. If it started doing it suddenly, it could be due to things such as a change in its environment inside or because it started seeing other cats outside.
What is different when your cat does not want to go outside at night
If your cat does not want to go outside every night, it would help to consider what is different when it does not want to go outside. For example, if your cat only wants to go outside when a certain pet is around, it might be trying to avoid that pet.
What to do about your cat wanting to go outside at night
Below are things you can do about your cat wanting to go outside.
Limit reasons why it might be anxious
Since it might have been doing it due to something causing it to be anxious inside, it would help to limit reasons why it might be anxious. Ways to do so could be to move its bed to a higher spot and to let it stay in an area that is away from other pets.
Wear it out more during the day
It could also help to give it ways to wear itself out more during the day such as by giving it toys, so that it is more likely to sleep at night.
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 nobody else has been feeding it. It might also help to feed it earlier in the evening than you have been.
Get help
If your cat has been behaving very unusually or it has been showing signs of being ill, it would help to get help from a veterinarian. By doing so, you should be able to get expert advice tailored towards your particular cat and to rule out the possibility of it being due to medical causes.