Does your cat attack you at night? In fact many cats do this and unfortunately the advice people listen to is often wrong, as the most common solution is a water sprayer to scare your cat away.
But apart from making your cat no longer trust you, it is of little use because it does not address the root problem. Here’s everything you need to put in place to get your cat to stop its feline nocturnal attacks and let you sleep.
My cat attacks me at night: The causes and their solutions
Cats can attack at night for different reasons, each of which requires specific solutions. So if your cat throws itself on you when you sleep, here is why it does it, and for each cause, all the solutions to adopt.
He wants your attention
If your cat attacks you at night, he may not have played enough at night, if he meows while looking at you, he seeks your attention to play with you and may even knead your body with his paws.
So if he wants your attention, make sure he can play and spend enough time with you during the day. You need to make sure your cat has toys to play with at night and to spend time with him every day.
Young cats need attention and will want to play and spend time with you every day. Preferably spend some time with him before bed so he can get what he wanted and also make sure he has something to play on his own while you sleep.
He wants to eat
If your cat wakes you up at night and hasn’t eaten before you go to bed, it may ask you for food by attacking you at night. Cats should be fed small portions regularly.
Giving him food before sleeping is then perfect to calm him down, especially in winter, because in summer, outdoor cats often hunt at night for food, especially rodents and birds.
He trains for the nocturnal hunt
Cats are nocturnal animals, their night vision makes them formidable hunters and at night they will love to exercise their animality, sometimes attacking you while you sleep.
If your cat attacks you by biting or scratching you, make it clear to him with a firm name that you don’t like and send him away. Ideally games designed for him to practice hunting at night on his own like an electronic fish or an interactive ball.
He thinks there’s a beast
Cats often attack feet because they make them think of a big mouse, so if you move at night, he sees something moving under the sheets and thinks it’s an animal he’s going to try to kill.
He’ll understand it’s you when you show you’re in pain, but if that’s not enough, wait until he’s mature enough to sleep with you, or put him out of the bedroom for the night, so that he understands.
He is bored
A bored cat is bound to make a lot of noise at night, so he must be able to keep himself occupied during the day with games. The boredom is due to a lack of stimulation which affects especially indoor homes. So make sure he has everything he needs to spend during the day.
He has a behavior problem
This is a slightly rarer case, but if your cat was weaned too early, for example, he may be restless all the time, so make sure he can channel himself. Go see a behaviorist and recommended for quick results and that he can correct his behavior during his young years, after it will be harder.
Generic solutions
Correcting the root causes can sometimes take time and if you want to sleep without a nocturnal feline attack, here is what you need to put in place:
First of all, don’t punish him, the cat will see you as a potential danger if you punish him. But implement the following solutions:
Put him in another room first so he can leave you alone, you’ll be sure he doesn’t attack you. Then, in case he meows or scratches at the door. Place aluminum or diffuse a citrus smell there and you will be sure that he will not come because he hates them.
My cat attacks me at night: The final word
If your cat attacks during the night, make sure to find the cause of the problem, afterwards, it will be very easy to calm him down.