Why do cats go batshit crazy in the middle of the night?

hyperactive cat

 

Batshit. I know, it’s a very technical term—bear with me here. Specifically, it means streaking around the house in a maniacal frenzy, knocking stuff over, trampling (sleeping) human faces, and yowling in foreign cat tongues.

Perhaps more commonly known as the “3 am crazies,” nearly every cat I know has episodes like these. It’s nothing to be overly concerned about (ha! tell that to my sleep-deprived face, you say), but can be extremely frustrating if you have a furry roommate suffering from this affliction. (..Can we call it “suffering?” They seem to rather enjoy it.)

Why the heck are our cats such hyperactive psychos at the exact time when we’d prefer them to sleep quietly through the night? And more importantly, how the heck do we get them to cut that shit out?

 

cat with zoomies

 

 

 

Possible (Most Common) Cause of Kitty Crazies

psycho cat hiding in couchA cat’s nocturnal hyperactivity can often be attributed to pent-up energy without an appropriate outlet for release.

As you’ve undoubtedly noticed, our kitties spend a vast majority of their day snoozing, despite having the athletic ability of a jedi ninja.

Furthermore, they’re genetically predisposed to be the most active at night, when their natural prey are out n’ about and ripe for massacre. All of these factors combine and manifest into the parade of crazy you see every night.

The solve?

 

 

Retool Their Circadian Rhythm

Simple! Just find their circadian control panel, tighten some screws and flip some switches! Ha… if only.

 

To help your cats tweak their kitty jet lag, schedule a hearty play session about an hour or two before your bedtime.

Make sure they’re plenty engaged, and that you’re getting their heart rate up. And while it’s great to give them a proper challenge, make sure you’re letting them catch the damn thing from time to time. Otherwise, you’re just building up even more frustrated energy in your kitties and this whole strategy could backfire.

Some great weapons to have in your kitty play arsenal (and yes, I have all of these):

 

go go cat catcher

Go Go Cat Catcher wand

da bird cat wand

Da Bird feathered wand toy

cat dancer

Cat Dancer streamer toy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you’re too busy (or just too damn beat) to run around the house with them every night, automatic cat toys can be a godsend.

Either set a timer for them to turn on every hour or so when you leave for the day, or turn them on for a few hours before your bedtime. A few of my picks:

 

smarty kat feather whirl

Smarty Kat feather whirl*

smarty kat hot pursuit

Smarty Kat hot pursuit

moody pet string fling

Moody Pet string fling

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*as seen in one of my favorite kitten photos of all time:

Kitten playing with feather whirl

 

Now, here’s the clincher: Delay your cat’s dinner until after these nightly play sessions. Make sure you’re feeding them a quality, high-protein diet, and it’ll be the perfect “cap” to calm their hyped up prey drive. After all, they’ve just engaged in a rousing hunt (your play session), and are now enjoying their hard fought kill meal (or so their instincts will tell them). After a stimulating hunt and a satisfying meal, most—if not all—cats will tuck in for a nice long nap.

 

cat having psycho zoomies arrowscat napping in funny position

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Few Extra Tips: 

  • Swap out kitty’s toys about once a week. I have about 3 “sets” in ziplock bags (sprinkled with a hearty dose of catnip) that I rotate out when I notice the cats haven’t been playing with their toys as much. Just like their humans, cats get bored playing with the same old toys day after day. Pique their interest by keeping things fresh, and the toys will do a lot of heavy lifting in helping your cats stay engaged and active.
  • Alternately, leave cat TV on (at a low volume) for your kitties to enjoy when you’re away. A quick youtube search will reveal loads of cat-friendly channels.
  • If your cat is an only child, consider adding another to your family. I’m a firm believer in having more than one cat—despite the common misconception, cats are quite social and form deep and long-lasting bonds with other animals. With a proper introduction, almost any pair or group of cats can be eased into lifelong, peaceful cohabitation. And once you’re no longer your cat’s sole source of companionship and entertainment, everyone will be much more relaxed and happy.

 

pair of sleeping cat feet

 

 

Possible Cause of Kitty Crazies #2

Pest infestation! Have you just moved to some new digs? Is the building perhaps a bit older than your former home? You may very well have unwanted houseguests, whose presence is being picked up by your cat’s hypersensitive smell and hearing. At night, when pests like roaches and rats are more active, the sound of them scuttling about.. *shudder* ..in your walls or across your floors could be kicking your cat’s prey drive into high gear.

cat zoomies

The solve?

dust bunniesEXTERMINATOR! Ok, so this is a cat site and not a site about pest extermination, so I’ll spare you my half-hearted attempts to advise you in this area. However, it’s always a good idea to check inside your kitchen cabinets for signs of critters: like rat or roach poops. Roach poop looks like black pepper, and will generally be located in the corners and along the walls of your cabinetry. Don’t ask me how I know that. (Ok, it’s because I live in NYC and roaches are our dust bunnies, except way less cute.)

 

 

Possible Cause of Kitty Crazies #3

If the behavior erupted out of the blue and persists even into the daytime, a trip to the vet is in order. Your kitty could be suffering from an ailment that is causing them physical discomfort, like fleas—or perhaps hyperesthesia syndrome.

The solve?

1-800-VET-VETVET. (Don’t call that number, I made it up.)

 

pair of crazy cats

 

 

How to preserve your sanity in the meantime

While you’re implementing kitty’s new playtime/late dinner regimen and waiting for her sleep clock to be properly realigned (or alternately, waiting on the exterminator to do their thing), here are a few extra steps you can take to keep your kitty’s disruptive behavior from driving you insane.


  1. Lock them out of your room. Hey, it’s only temporary until their nighttime routine is modified. If your cats are anything like mine, they won’t take kindly to this new development. To keep them from pawing at your door, lay down a strip of carpet runner in front of your bedroom door, with the knobby side up. It won’t hurt them, but will make it uncomfortable for them to camp outside, raising hell.
  2. If your cats are extremely persistent, get a can of Ssscat and position it outside your door. It senses movement and fires off a blast of air that deters them from returning.
  3. For a homemade version, hang a blow dryer from your bedroom door handle, turned on and plugged into a remote controlled outlet. When your cat starts scratching or yowling, turn the dryer on for a few seconds. It’ll startle them and likely discourage further attempts at forced entry.
  4. If your cat only pesters you early in the morning and locking them out feels a little harsh, invest in an automatic, portion-controlled feeder. Your cats will no longer hound you to get out of bed and feed them, which should buy you a few extra hours peace and quiet. (Note – I don’t recommend gravity food dispensers, as cats are prone to overeating when bored and can easily become overweight.)

A few well-rated automatic food dispensers:

 

petsafe healthy pet feeder

PetSafe Healthy Pet feeder

Petnet smart feeder

PetNet Smart feeder

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some final thoughts

happy cat baskingRemember, everything I mentioned above will only be useful IF your kitty already has a sufficiently enriching home environment. That means: quality nutrition, plenty of toys, and comfortable roosts (vertical space).

A sweet vantage point out of a window is a big plus in this department. If these basic, passive needs aren’t met first, there’s not much you can do in the way of active engagement that will make up for the lack of stimulation in kitty’s life.

Also – if your cats are not yet neutered and spayed, get on that!!

 

beaker iconKittens can be spayed/neutered as early as 8 weeks old, and the benefits are immense—not the least of which is a drastic reduction in unwanted behavior like night howling, aggressiveness, and spraying (yurk).

 

 

Let’s recap!

cat leaping for wand toyYour cat is driving you insane at night, you say? Check that kitty has most (ideally all) of these needs met:

  • Kitty is spayed/neutered
  • Plenty of playtime, about an hour before bed, followed by:
  • A late dinner, which should be the biggest meal of the day
  • Plenty of toys, territory, and entertainment to keep her stimulated while you’re gone
  • Or even better- a feline friend to play with
  • Cleared of any underlying medical issues
  • Fed on time in the morning, either by you or an automated dispenser

 

If not, work towards achieving all the points above, and you should see some pretty drastic results.

 

Read on:

Further your cat know-how: Tricks for leaving your cats home alone without all the drama

Unmask the love behind all the crazy: Subtle signs your cat adores you

 

How do you deal with late-night kitty zoomies? Have any insights to share?
Let me know!

 

Pin it!

Why do cats go crazy at night

 

25 comments on “Why do cats go batshit crazy in the middle of the night?”

  1. Jennifer C says:

    I just had a rough night with my 2 recently adopted kittens (boy & girl twins). They are about 5 months old now. I work from home & have ultimately had to keep the kittens out of my room while working (and, sleeping unfortunately). When I’m done for the day (around 7-8pm), that’s usually when I feed them their dinner aka wet food. They have dry food out all day. It never fails, that after they’re done eating, they both get into hyperactive mode. Specifically, the boy kitten, goes bat shit crazy. Hence, how I found your blog. I was questioning how I would be able to continue handling the situation because now I’m going bat shit crazy too. Thank God for your blog!! It was a huge help, and lifted my spirits a bit. I am going to try having playtime with them, before feeding them their dinner. We’ll see how that goes. Thanks a bunch! 😊

  2. Bec Butts says:

    The best thing I ever did was get my monsters a flippity fish, https://youtu.be/TeEqH9nWGFQ but they do get bored after about 10 minutes. I just hate that the two of them get the zoomies at the same time, and we’re living in a motel 6 room with two double beds, no room, no where to excape to. But yes the fish is totally paw-some.

  3. Moonlace says:

    Or you could just give them a cockroach. That seems to do the job for us.

  4. Crazy Granny says:

    One of my 2 cats, a male, has 1 or 2 sessions of “cat zoomies” a night (or day). It doesn’t last very long but it’s extremely funny to watch-he is FAST! Other times he and my female cat “wrestle” and run around with the typical tail curled in a ‘backwards question mark’ play mode. They are both neutered and very loving. My male loves to climb on my shoulder, wrap around my neck and purr. The female loves nothing better than to curl up in bed with me and snuggle. My husband and I adore them both. We also happen to have a very large loving dog who is a ‘gentle giant’. The cats rule him and he accepts it graciously. It’s delightful to watch how well he “obeys” them.

  5. River says:

    wow that helps sooooooooo much. my little kitten acts like that very often and now I know why!

  6. Mag says:

    My male cat got neutered 5days ago. Will he be able to get her (my female cat) pregnant? I heard they can for 3O days after.

    1. Why Cat Why says:

      I’d definitely defer to what your veterinarian says on this one! If your vet advises that your male cat can still inseminate your female cat, I’d definitely keep them apart for now.

  7. Iceni Summersides says:

    Iv’e had 5 rescue cats for years two of them go loony Tunes at night.The worst one goes from room to room with a toy in its mouth and yowls and howls )quite the trick with a toy stuffed in its mouth) Drives me crazy.
    However the question I have for ANY body is this. Why does one or all of my cats pee on any plastic bag left on the floor? I can never catch them at it but have had to throw out countless just bought clothes or groceries when I have left them momentarily on the floor.This is my nightmare.

  8. Andrew Summers says:

    I got an extra cat in order to tire the other one out, now it just makes twice the craziness at night

  9. Christine says:

    Hi! Came in via Pinterest. I had to laugh at the wide eyes in these photos. I remember a meme with eyes like that looking over a blanket. The caption said, “Nothing good ever comes from that look.”
    That said, my race around like that after they poop. “10lbs lighter and 1/2 as mean,” a friend used to say.
    When it starts, I just think, “Someone pooped! Hope they feel better.”
    Wouldn’t change my babes for the world!

    1. Why Cat Why says:

      Haha! I love that quote. Post-poop euphoria!

  10. Rachel G says:

    I just came across your blog why googling “why is my cat crazy at night”…and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it alot more than I probably should have! What a great read, and those pictures are hilarious!! You had me deep belly LOLing on the inside…cause it’s like 11:15pm here and everyone is asleep…but me and the cat. Thank you for the humour – it was spot on! 😆 loved it 👍

    1. Why Cat Why says:

      Thank you! It was fun to write, especially since I know most cat parents can relate! 😀

  11. Justen says:

    My two cats are over ten years old and they get crazy at night. One of them meows a lot as well.

  12. Sarah says:

    My two cats do this all night long. They are 7 months old now and I got use to it. I sleep through it now. All my family members just close our bedroom doors at night and the cats get to go wild. It’s still noisy with thuds and loud running pitter patter but use to it now.

    1. Why Cat Why says:

      Haha! Oh man, the hyperactive kitten days. They should settle down (slightly) around the 2 year mark. So only ~1.5 years to go!! :]

  13. Chirpycats says:

    Super advice you have highlighted and great info for people who think that cats are just hardwired to keep us awake at night. Nice point about resetting their circadian rhythms! I think we have successfully re-wired our crew of nine cats to get their “zoomies” while waiting for their breakfast or just before their dinner time. The bonus is that you’re awake to witness their absolutely ridiculous cartoon-like slap-stick ninja moves and you can quickly whip out a toy to engage them even more! They definitely follow their human’s schedule so when it’s bed time, they know it means bed time for them too. The troublemakers in the group (there is always one in a multi-cat household right?) will get extra play sessions at night too. Action packed playtime and lots of human-cat interaction cannot be underestimated!
    Love your posts!

    1. Why Cat Why says:

      Thanks for this great comment! Serious kudos to you for keeping so many kitties happy and entertained, it’s definitely no mean feat. :]

      I can always tell when a zoomies session is coming on – their eyes bug out a bit and they kind of hunker down in anticipation, haha! And I think my cats take turns being the troublemaker of the day, out of pity for me :p

  14. The real reason? Because we can. 😉

    1. Why Cat Why says:

      Ha! Very true. :}

    2. Diane Ricciardi Stewart says:

      MOL!!! ♥♥♥

  15. Diane Ricciardi Stewart says:

    Great post!! I am fortunate in this respect. I work all evening shifts, and when I get home (usually at 4 am!!, I feed the *kids*, and by the time I’m settled and ready for bed, they usually are as well. I have 10 (soon to be 12 again) — all adopted/rescued — so they do wear each other out for the most part — although my son and I play with them as well. In 50+ years of owning kitties, I have NEVER had them wake me to eat. For some reason, they have always let Mommy sleep, and waited patiently until I got up.But it really helps to be on their biological schedule as well. . . ♥♥♥

    1. Diane Ricciardi Stewart says:

      PS. they are all spayed/neutered as well, and get Science Diet food — which they LOVE!! ♥♥♥

      1. Why Cat Why says:

        Wow! You must be doing something right ;]
        I think if I tried to wrangle 10+ cats I’d never get a wink of sleep… maybe I need to practice what I preach and be firmer, haha!

        I think you’re right though, having lots of playmates and an enriching environment probably does wonders to keep them all calm and happy. Good job, cat mom!

        1. Diane Ricciardi Stewart says:

          thank mew!! I love my *kids*!! ♥♥♥

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