Does your cat rush to cozy up to you every morning? Does it jump onto your bed and meow loudly in your face? Does it demand pets and cuddles and yowl until it gets them?
All of this affection is adorable, but it can certainly be a little bit of a disturbance to your drowsiness and desire to get five more minutes in bed.
Why is your cat so affectionate in the morning? Read on to find out!
Why Are Cats Affectionate In The Morning?
Cats are affectionate in the mornings because early mornings are when they’re most likely to be active. This is due to a myriad of different reasons, such as natural feline sleep cycles or your daily routine.
5 Top Reasons Why Cats Are More Affectionate In The Mornings
1. Their Sleep Cycle
Cats are crepuscular mammals. This means that they tend to prefer being awake and active during hours of darkness, such as dusk or dawn.
This is because wild felines usually hunt during these hours. Their eyes give them the ability to make out prey in the dimness of post-sunset and pre-sunrise forests.
Although domesticated cats usually don’t need to concern themselves with matters like hunting, they’re still bound by their instincts. As such, cats are most likely to be active while you’d rather be in bed, and their patience can only last them so long!
If your cat tends to demand affection just as the sun’s rising, it’s likely a product of its sleep cycle being in tune with crepuscular patterns.
On the flip side, if you tend to wake up later in the morning and your cat comes to you to curl up next to you and cuddle, this is likely because it is becoming drowsy as the sun rises and wants to cuddle you as it goes to nap.
2. They Need Something
Cats are creatures of habit. They know when you’re most likely to be awake. If there’s something that they need, they’re likely to try and ask it of you when they know you’re stirring for the morning.
This also tracks with cats’ sleep cycles. They’ll need things when they’re more active, so as dawn beckons, that’s when they’ll be seeking those things out.
This is when they might get annoyed by a too-full litter box, drink enough water to empty their bowl, or start feeling hungry, and you’re the go-to person to solve those problems!
3. They Usually Get Morning Attention
Lots of cat owners give their cats lots of attention naturally in the mornings when they wake up.
If you’re one of these owners, then that means your cat has drawn a connection between mornings and affection and knows they will get attention at this time.
This prompts them to approach you and demand that attention!
4. It’s Part Of A Routine
Routine is important to cats and they’re able to catch onto these routines pretty quickly.
For example, you’ve likely noticed this when it comes to mealtimes. If you always feed them after you eat dinner, they’ll start getting rowdy as you’re finishing your plate.
The same thing happens with virtually all other predictable daily routines. You likely wake up at a similar time on most mornings, get up, and feed your cat or give them some form of attention.
Your cat knows this routine and is facilitating it or anticipating it by rushing to you when it thinks the day’s events are going to begin, demanding food, affection, and anything else you usually provide.
5. They Desire Companionship
In the morning, your cat may be very affectionate for a simple reason: they missed you! You spend the whole night asleep and not interacting with your cat, and your cat both knows you’ll be awake soon and has been missing your companionship.
As such, it comes up to you for a cuddle and pet. This also ties in with cats’ sleep cycles, as an active cat is likely to seek out companionship in its waking hours.
How To Get Your Cat To Stop Waking You Up In The Morning?
1. Establish A Regular Schedule
If your schedule has so far allowed your cat to wake you up eagerly every morning, then that schedule will simply continue for as long as you allow it to.
To change this, you have to alter your daily schedule and keep the new routine consistent until your cat gets the right idea.
This can mean:
- Setting alarms later so your cat doesn’t react to early alarms
- Providing minimal attention to your cat until you complete a certain step in your daily routine, such as brushing your teeth or getting dressed
- Establishing a command that you use to call your cat to you when you’re ready to give them affection in the morning
- Determining an exact time of morning when you allow your cat to enter your bedroom or when you give your cat extra affection
Your cat may be unhappy about the new routine at first, but with consistency, your cat will adjust and adapt.
2. Give Consistent Attention At Other Times Of Day
If you’re often busy or away during the day, your cat may not receive all the attention that it wants at any time other than mornings.
This may cause it to make extra sure to use its morning time with you to its fullest, waking you up to get even more of it before you inevitably become less available throughout the day.
You can rectify this by making more time for your cat during the rest of the day, outside of mornings.
This will reduce your cat’s need to hog as much attention as possible when it’s able to hold you “captive” in bed.
3. Meet Their Needs Quickly
Does your cat usually wake you up because it wants something? If so, you may be able to prevent early wakeups by meeting those needs before they’re demanded of you.
For example, you can:
- Keep your cat’s litter box clean; if it looks full before you go to bed, change the litter first
- Always make sure your cat has enough water to drink in its bowl; if your cat tends to finish full bowls at night, fill two bowls instead or invest in an interactable water dispenser
- Leave out a small amount of kibble or a safe treat for your cat to munch on during the night, or invest in an automatic feeder that takes care of meals and hunger for you at regular intervals
- Make sure your cat has some form of safe toy so it’s occupied and not bored during the night
4. Wear Them Out Before Bed
Some cats are extra affectionate in the morning because they have a lot of excess energy and get overly excited to see you each morning.
You can reduce this high energy by playing with your cat right before you go to bed. Play with your cat until they lose interest in play and decide to go and rest on their own.
Conclusion
Cats are usually affectionate in the morning because they’re naturally inclined to be active before the sun rises. This is when they’ll have needs that have to be met, from a fuller water bowl to companionship.
They also tend to respond to your daily habits, so your morning alarm signals something to them that pulls them to you.
You can work on reducing this behavior by adjusting your schedule, wearing your cat’s energy out before bed, meeting their needs on time, and providing regular daily attention.