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Cat Attacks Houseguests (What can I do?)

If you worried about inviting guests over because your cat is going crazy (Click here to see my best pheromone collar to help with this) then you may be looking for solutions…

what can I do if my cat attacks houseguests?  You can try getting your guest to help (more on this later),  redirect their aggression by offering them a treat, Or you can try using a pheromone collar (or toy) to try and alter her mood to stop this aggression.

Now that you know a few ways to stop this, let me go on to explain why your cat might have switched behavior, why your guests can stress them out, how to prevent it happening and much more. Keep reading…

Why has my cat become aggressive?

Now that you understand why this has happened you may be intrigued to understand why this happened in the first place.

The reality is there are a number of different reasons that could have triggered this behavior. And, for that reason, I’m going to summarise a few of them for you.

• Overexcited by stimulus
• Afraid of new people
• Overstimulated while she is marking
• Feeling she has been ambushed

Overexcited by stimuli

Simple things like big sounds can overexcite your cat. The reality is, different cats have different ways of dealing with situations.

Therefore, you may find that your cat may redirect that aggression towards you or your guest.

Afraid of new people

There is a chance that your cat is genuinely scared of new people. This could be because of an issue with a stranger they may have had in their past, that you do not know about. This can be hard to see at first, because it may only manifest when you have a new guest that comes to your house.

Overstimulated during marking

Cats have a natural tendency to mark their territory. And, this involves actual people, not just objects. Therefore, if you have a new guest your cat may have a tendency to rub against them, which is normal, right?

Your guest then may think your cat is being friendly, but to your cat, she is marking her territory by placing her scent on him.

During this process, if your guest is unaware of what’s going on, and interrupt her by overly petting her, she may get overstimulated and lash out. Unfortunately, this could end with her attacking and biting her guest.

Feeling like an ambush

There are some cases where your cat is not generally scared of people but they may misinterpret your guest as an ambush.

Because they are not aware of your new guest or their scent, they may interpret them as a predator trying to challenge their territory (but more on this later).

Why are cats stressed out over visitors?

Cats are creatures of habit. They view your house as their territory and they like things done the same way every day, are you with me?

When your visitor enters their territory, cats respond in different ways. Some cats feel uncomfortable with this entry because it invades their space and changes their routine.

As much as this seems like quite a minor thing to us, it means a lot to your cat. Cats focus on any small thing as a potential violation.

How can you prevent this from happening in the future?

Understanding why they are stressed or why they have had a sudden change in behavior is one thing. But, you may be wondering how you can prevent this happening so you don’t have the embarrassment.

For that reason, I’m going to summarise a few different ways that you can do this…

Avoiding new guests in your home

one straightforward tactic that you can use is not to allow the guest to enter your property. And, no, I do not mean creating a scene at the front door. I mean subtly suggesting that you meet in a cafe or a neutral spot instead. This is not always ideal but it is a suggestion nevertheless.

Safe Zone for your cat

Another suggestion is creating a safe zone for your cat within your house. The idea here is that your cat can be in the same house with the guests. But, they do not meet your guests because they have their own sectioned off safe area.

This will keep your cat happy and stop her from getting anxious at the sight of new guests.

Understanding the root cause of the issue

Take some time to understand the root cause of the problem. For example, if your cat is freaked out by kids running around the house. Then do not suggest that you will host your toddler nephews next birthday party, are you with me?

Preparing for the inevitable.

If you have plans of having a new lodger, a friend coming over for an extended stay, etc. Rather than waiting for him to come and freaking your cat out. Instead, proactively prepare your cat.

Therefore, if this is happening, you can start by gently introducing new people into your home so that your cat slowly gets used to it.

For example, you could start introducing new people months before, to get her cat used to people coming in and out of the house.

People Training

Effectively this is is getting guests to help you with everyday activities that involve your cat. For example, you could get your neighbor to help out with feeding.

You could offer some treats to your cat. But, have your new guest in the same room while the treats are being offered.

Avoiding eye contact

Another thing that you can do to prevent this happening is asking your guests to purposely avoid eye contact. It may seem strange to you, but, cats have an issue with direct eye contact (more on this later).

Signs that your cat is unhappy with house guests

Sometimes it is blatantly obvious that your cat is unhappy with your guests coming over. The obvious signs are your cat hissing, charging at your guests or in extreme cases she may even want to bite them.

However, there are other subtle behaviors that may go undetected…

For example,

• Hiding
• Defecating outside her litter tray
• Fur standing up

All of these things are subtle indications that your cat is unhappy with the new guests in their environment. Meaning you need to take action.

The rude awakening sign.

Another tactic that cats use is to purposely wake up your guests while they are trying to sleep in one of your guest beds. If you have a new guest, that is staying over, you may witness them sneaking into the guest room to deliberately disturbed their sleep.

You may think this is just an unexpected accident. But, cats are clever sometimes, it is a calculated attack to try and get them out.

How can you get your visitors to help you?

So far I’ve talked about clever techniques that you can use to try and prevent this happening. However, there are some things that you can do, in collaboration with your visitors, which can help your cat from feeling stressed.

Avoiding eye contact

Earlier I briefly explained that avoiding eye contact is a good tactic. But, you may be wondering why this is?

Simple, cats associate direct eye contact as a challenge to their territory. Therefore, if your guest enters the door ad looks at your cat directly and smiles, this simple eye contact can freak him out. To us humans its nothing, in fact, it’s deemed as a friendly thing to do, right? But for your cat, she may interpret it as an attack.

Therefore, asking your guests to kindly refuse to give your cat direct eye contact can help your cat feel more comfortable. To be perfectly honest it’s even better if they completely ignore the cat instead.

Waiting for your the cat to come to them

Alongside avoiding eye contact. It is a good technique to allow cats to come to them instead of them proactively going to the cat to force unwanted petting.

This can easily be achieved by arming your guests with treats that your cats love. What they can do is cunningly drop treats around the house periodically. The idea is, it will arouse the curiosity of your cat.

Hopefully, in time, your cat get will pluck up enough courage to approach your guests and start to feel more comfortable with them.

Clever positioning

In addition to these techniques you can ask your guests to be clever about where they sit or how they position themselves in your house. I know its a big ask, but it helps immensely.

But, what do I mean by this?

Well, it is a good idea that your cat does not feel cornered by your guest. So, ask your guest to carefully choose where they sit carefully. Ask them to position themselves in a room so that your cat has a clear escape route if they are uncomfortable with the guest.

Remember, if they are cornering the cat in a room she may have no alternative in her mind but to attack.

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Do Cats Like Cat Trees? (Benefits/Features/Reasons)

If you are contemplating picking up a cat tree (Click here for the reasons why I think these are the best cat trees), you are probably wondering if they are really worth it, this is normal.

Do cats like cat trees? Yes, cats like cat trees. Especially if they are indoor cats. They enjoy their own area where they can climb, scratch their claws and hide. The best cat trees typically have a cat condo, scratching post and high heights, which ticks these boxes.

Now that you know that your kitty will love these cat trees. I will now go on to explain what are the best features you should look out for before you buy, the benefits, how to get your cat to use it and much more, keep reading…

What exactly is a cat tree?

You may be wondering if you’ve never heard of it before, exactly what a cat tree is, right? A cat tree is an artificial man-made structure for cats that allows them to climb, hide and scratch their claws against.

You may have heard it called a number of different names before, such as:

• Cat condo
• Cat stand
• Cat post
• Kitty condo
• etc.

What all good cat trees should have…

If you are considering getting a cat tree you may be wondering what exactly you should be looking for, right? You know, what are the best features that will make sure that you make a good purchase, are you with me?

Strength

If you are looking for a cat tree. It’s important that you get one that is very strong. Especially if you have a big cat. You need to feel confident that if they are climbing the tree will not fall over.

Condo

The best cat trees offer a cat condo. This is a hiding spot for your cat. But, the key thing is making sure that it is the right size. especially if you have a particularly large cat.

The Perches

The perches on a cat tree are levels that hold and support your cat’s weight. Therefore, it is important when you are looking for one that you get one that has good perches. They need to support your cat well.

The height of the cat tree

Believe it or not, the height of your cat tree is one of the most important features for many cat owners. Cats like to climb as high as possible, obviously within the constraints of a normal domestic home.

Also, bear in mind that if you have a particularly small cat. They may be a bit timid. Meaning, they may not want to go as high as a bigger cat would. So, you may need to take that into consideration before making your purchase.

The scratching post.

Cats absolutely love the scratching post that typically comes with most good cat trees. The better ones have sisal covering on it, which is ideal for scratching.

If you have a particularly large cat, make sure that you look at the cat tree closely to see thick if can support some aggressive scratching from large cats.

What are the benefits of having a cat tree?

Early we talked about some of the things to look out for, to make sure that you get the best cat tree. Also, what a cat tree really is. But, in addition to this, there is another benefit that is often not talked about.

Dominance by height (Avoiding Fighting)

In the cat world territory is everything. This is why you will find that most cats will typically mark their territory even in a domestic home.

Another behavior for marking territory is establishing dominance. This is typically awarded to the one who wins the fight.

The benefit of using a cat tree in this instance is that a cat can establish their dominance by climbing to a higher height in their minions. Therefore this cat tree may be able to avoid unnecessary fights that are typically used to establish dominance.

How can I get my cat to use the cat tree?

If you are in the owner of a cat, you may be pulling your hair out wondering why your cat is not using it.

The good thing is I’m going to share with you some simple things that you can do that hopefully will help and work right away.

Sprinkling catnip

If you’ve not heard of it before, catnip (click here to see the crazy effects catnip has on cats) is a very interesting thing that is used by a lot of cat owners to create weird behaviors in their cat.

You can use catnip to your benefit by sprinkling catnip around your cat tree to entice them to use it more.

Using their toys.

Another cheeky trick that you can use is putting their favorite toys at different levels on the cat tree to entice them to climb it.

This is a good way to get them to use it. After a while, they may start using it without you having to put their cat toys all over it.

Finally, make sure that you praise them (positive reinforcement)

In my opinion, the best way to motivate someone to do something is by giving them positive reinforcement.

What do I mean by this? Well, it’s simple. If you want your cat to continue using the cat tree, the best way to do this is to give them positive praise on the rare occasions when they do what you want them to do, are you with me?

So, if she uses her tree, simply praise her for doing so. This will motivate her to return to her cat tree because she will now know it pleases you.

Do cats like second-hand (used) cat trees?

Yes, they can use second-hand cat trees. However, only if you clean it thoroughly. And, I mean really well. In general, cats do not like using any second-hand equipment, including cat carriers, toys, etc.

Why?

Simple, they easily pick up the scent of another cat and this turns them off using it. In extreme situations, it can cause anxiety and behavioral issues in your cat.

So, in all honesty, if you can avoid using second-hand cat trees then please do. However, if you’re on a tight budget and this is the only option available to you then, by all means, give it a shot. But, make sure you clean it properly.

In one of the following sections, I will explain some tips about how you can clean up a cat tree, to help reduce the chances of your cat rejecting this second-hand (used) item.

Where is the best place to put a cat tree?

If you have a new cat tree and you’re wondering where you can place it. I have some good advice for you.

Cats are natural people watchers. What do I mean by this? Well, they appreciate watching people passing by, birds flying, etc.

Therefore, it is advisable to put your cat tree in a position where they can see outside. For example, near a window is ideal.

It is also advantageous to put it in a spacious room. This way they can see other areas of the room. This makes them feel that they are in control of their territory. This will allow them to observe things easily.

How do you clean your cat tower?

Early I talked about the importance of cleaning a cat tree, especially if you get it second-hand. In this section, I’m going to give you some handy tips about how you can go about cleaning one of these.

This advice is handy if you own a cat tree and just want to take good care and want to maintain it.

First step – The initial clean

First thing,  you need to get hold some nice soapy water. Make sure that it is really soapy. If you have an upholstery cleaner you can also consider using this instead of soap (more on this later).

Use a cloth, sponge or something you can scrub with. This is to get rid of the obvious dirt stains and messy looking areas that you want to get rid of.

Wipe it on to these areas until the soap starts to create suds and leave it to soak for a while.

Second Step – Drying it out.

The next step is to draw any moisture out of the cat tree that you got wet in the first step. This is done by using a dry cloth. Once you have completed this it is advisable to leave it for 24-hours to completely dry up before allowing your cat to use it.

It’s important to leave it for that long. Why? It also eliminates the chances of your cat bringing more dirt back onto the tree by mixing up with a wet cat tree.

Other tips for cleaning

If you are using an upholstery cleaner, that I mentioned in the previous section, it is important to use a non-toxic one. Because this avoids causing issues with your cat.

If it smells really strong to you, your cat definitely would not like it. But, that’s not the only indicator you need to look out for. Nothing toxic is acceptable.

It is a good idea to remove any odors around the cat tree on an ad-hoc basis.  In addition to this cleaning procedure. You need to do a deep clean at least a couple of times a year.

This deep clean is essentially breaking down the cat tree and cleaning out all the little hidden crevices that may go unseen and then allowing it to be completely cleaned up.

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Leaving My Cat for 3 Months (What should I Do?)

If you have a long trip planned, you may be stressed about what you can do ith your cat, right? Well, there is only one good suggestion that I recommend.

What should you do if you’re leaving your cat for 3-months? If you’re leaving your cat for 3-months or anything near that time frame, you need to get someone else to look after them.  Ideally a family member or close friend that has met your cat before.

later on, in this article I will give you some options if you have a shorter duration or you do not have anyone that you can trust.

What about if you’re going away for less than 3-months?

So far I’ve talked about what you should do if you’re going away for a long duration of time for example 3 months or more. But if you’re going away for less than 3 months? but greater than 24-hours, what other options do you have?

• Getting someone to come over and check on your cats.
• Cattery

Getting someone to come over and check on your cats

This option is only really viable if you’re going to be away for less than a couple of days. This option relies on you having a trustworthy friend, next-door neighbor or someone close to you who will come over and check on the cats while they still remain in your house.

Therefore, you still need to provide food and water for them. Your guest will just come in and check that they are ok, are you with me?

Cattery

A cattery is effectively a paid service where you can leave your cat for extended periods of time. For example, you may be going away on a vacation or working away from home. And, you know that getting a friend or relative to pop over is not going to cut it.

To be honest, there is mixed feedback with these catteries, some owners have even compared them to a form of “cat prison”.

This is based on them allegedly being kept in confined spaces and not having the same luxury as being at home or if they stayed with a friend.

Can you leave your cats alone for a few days?

If you are going away for a short weekend you may be thinking you can get away with leaving your cats on their own. The reality is it’s not OK. Anything more than 24-hours is really not a good idea. In fact, it could be called neglect.

The reason for this is your cat will run out of food very quickly. You may also find that your cat’s litter is in a complete mess.

Another key thing is they likely to run out of water. Which would mean that they could be in danger of serious health problems.

All of these problems are quite a lot to put on a guest who comes in periodically to check-in. They may or may not be prepared to deal with this problem in your absence.

Do cats forget their owners?

No. They are not likely to forget you. In fact, they will miss you. The confusing thing about cats is, when they miss us, they do not display this feeling in a very obvious way.

One of the biggest telltale signs is them urinating or defecating outside of their litter tray. Basically all over your lovely floor.

Although this sounds quite weird there is a known theory about them getting inflammation caused by absence, which can cause this to happen.

Therefore, if you notice that your cat has defecated outside of her litter tray. Do not think of this as an act of defiance, it is actually a natural reaction to her feeling that they’re missing you.

Do cats get lonely if they are left alone?

You may be wondering if your cat gets lonely if you leave her unattended. The short answer is yes she will feel lonely.

The reality is, cats are sociable animals. And, they really do appreciate your presence. They may also get separation anxiety. This is similar to the same despair that they may have had when they were separated from their mother at birth.

Is it beneficial to have two cats?

If you go away on holiday, long work trip or even just for a day while you’re at work, you may wonder if it would be better to have another cat to keep themselves happy.

The reality is, yes, it is a good idea to have two cats, in some cases. However, you need to have sufficient room and resources to be able to keep them satisfied. Or it will completely negate the benefits of having the extra cat in the first place, are you with me?

The benefit of having these two cats, assuming that you meet all the other prereqs, is that they will actually entertain themselves.

This comes to fruition especially in the night-time, when your lonely cat can play with their new cat friend, instead of bugging you and interrupting your sleep.

How can you keep your cat entertained while you’re out?

You may be wondering, if you leave your cat alone for a short period of time, such as while you’re at work, how can you keep them entertained?

The reality is, there a number of ways that you can do this. Some easier than others. Here are just a few suggestions:

• Cat Toys
• Cat Trees
• Cat puzzle feeders
• Asking a friend to pop in and play with them.

Cat toys

Using cat toys, such as ones that are laced with catnip,  can often keep them happy and entertained.

Cat Trees

Cat Trees are great (Click here for my best cat trees).  This is because it keeps them entertained even if it’s just for a short duration.

Asking a friend (or neighbor) to come in and play with them

This is obviously more complicated. Because you need to involve a third party. But, it can actually keep them happy and reduce their anxiety while you are away.

Cat puzzle feeders.

These puzzle feeders (Click here for my best slow feed puzzle feeders) are good for keeping your cat food while you’re away. They also add entertainment into the mix while you’re away as well.

Do cats enjoy their own company?

Yes, cats do enjoy their own company. In some cases, this may seem confusing because at times it seems that your cat doesn’t even notice that you were gone, right?

Don’t let this deceive you because they do generally miss you and appreciate your presence.

How can you find good cat sitters locally?

If you are struggling to find a good and trustworthy friend or relative to look after your cats in your absence you can consider getting a cat sitter.

Recommendations from friends

The challenge of doing this is finding a reputable one that you can rely on. The best way to do this is to get recommendations from friends that may of using a service before.

Recommendations from your vet

Failing that you could speak to you on local vets to see if they have any good recommendations because they have a large number of pets that may even have a stronger recommendation and a friend or family.

Referencing

Failing both of these you can also consider referencing an unknown cat sitter. This is to make sure that they have had a good reputation in the past.

However, you need to understand that references can be faked. And, therefore, it is important to do your due diligence on these references to make sure that you are not duped.

Related questions:

In this section, I am going to answer some questions related to cats and traveling without them. If you have any other related questions you need answering drop a comment below.

Q: Do mother cats remember their kittens?

No, they won’t, even after a short period of separation. If you have a new kitten in your family and you are giving them away you may wonder if your cat may even remember them in years to come.

The reality is a cat is very different from us. They recognize people based on their scent rather than vision. Therefore, they have very limited recollection of people they may have met in the past. Even if its their own offspring.

The reality is once a kitten is removed from its mother and it is put into a new environment. It will have a whole new scent around it. Meaning, the chances of your cat remembering its own kitten, even after a couple of months of separation, is very unlikely.

Q: is it better to have two female cats together?

No, unless they are kittens. If you are considering getting more than one cat you may wonder how the best way is to group them together. Getting two female adult cats together may sound like a good idea but that’s this can also be problematic if they have not grown up together.

Two female kittens that have grown up from birth will definitely be your best option.

And it almost goes without saying that two adult males is a big no-no. This is due to the inevitable territorial arguments and fighting.

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My Cat Didn’t Drink All Day. Should I be Concerned?

If you are a proud cat owner the reality is any little issue will concern you. But, when it comes to water, this is always something to take seriously. Especially if she isn’t drinking enough (Click here to see my best cat water fountains to get her to drink more).

Should I be concerned that my cat didn’t drink any water? Yes, if your cat is not drinking any water you should definitely be concerned. However, in reality, you may find that your cat has actually been drinking but it might not always be obvious (More on this later).

Now that you know it could be a cause for concern, let me go on to explain how much water your cat should be drinking, how to measure this, reasons why he might not be drinking and so much more.

How much water does a cat actually need?

Cats typically need 3 to 4 ounces of water per 5 pounds of body weight, according to this site. However, they really do not need to drink as much as you think they do.

The reason for this is because they originate from the desert. Meaning, they learnt how to survive on less water because, as you can imagine,  there wasn’t that much available.

So, you should find that your cat will draw a lot of water from the food that they eat. Especially if they eat wet canned food.

Why do cats need water?

This may seem quite obvious because we all know that every living thing needs water, right?  Water has a lot of jobs and all of them are essential. Including, but not limited to, helping their metabolism, digestive system, brain function, etc.

The bottom line is, water is something that any living thing could not live without. Food? Well, that is another story.  They could last a lot longer without food. But, water is definitely one of the biggest factors. In fact, a cat will not live for more than a few days without having water.

Why has your cat stopped drinking water?

There are a number of reasons why your cat may have stopped drinking water. The annoying thing is, it could be something very small which has triggered this behaviour. Here are a few reasons why it’s happening…

• Their water is dirty.
• The location of their water.
• They simply forgot to drink.

Water is dirty.

If their water is unclean, and I mean, this could literally be one speckle of food in their water, your cat may refuse to drink the entire bowl. Yes, the entire bowl, but honestly, would you drink a glass of water if you saw a random piece of food in it? Especially if you never poured the glass yourself? (Exactly).

Therefore, this is one of the reasons why people say it’s very important to clean out the water bowl once a day, at least. To be honest, it should be more frequent than that.

The location of the bowl.

Believe it or not, the location of the bowl may influence how much water your cat will drink. The annoying thing with this is, there is no exact science as to where this idea location is, are you with me?

Therefore, you have to take just test it to see how your cat responds.

Forgetting to drink.

This may seem silly, if not unbelievable, but sometimes your cat may not have a compelling urge to drink. This could be because they are indirectly getting enough water through the food they consume.

Or, it could be because they simply do not like drinking from the water bowl you’ve provided.

Using devices such as pet water fountain (Click here for my best one) can vastly increase the chances of them drinking if they are refusing to drink from the bowl.

How do cats drink?

You may be wondering how your cat actually drinks. The funny thing is, a cats drinking technique is very different from dogs. They do not lap up the water in big gulps like a dog may do.

Instead, they skim the water with their tongue at an alarming rate. This will create a vacuum of water which they quickly lap up. If you see this it’s very hard to catch it with the naked eye.

In fact, it’s better to see this recorded at slow-motion to fully understand how impressive this is.

How can you monitor how much water your cat is drinking?

You may be wondering how you can actually work out exactly how much your cat is drinking. This can be useful, so you can get an idea if they’re drinking enough. This is a great thing to consider but is not as easy as you may think it is to actually do.

The reason is, cats do not make it easy for you to see how much they consume. Why? because you may find that there is a large proportion of their water consumed through the food they eat.

To add more confusion, they do not always drink when you are watching them. Therefore, you may think that they’re not drinking but in reality, she might just be drinking when you’re not around.

Therefore, the best way to measure it is to monitor the levels of water that’s been consumed from their bowl directly.

You need to take a measure of the level of water you’re putting in and consistently put the same in every day. Then monitor how much has been consumed since the last refill. By looking at the water level.

To do this it is important to be consistent about when you fill and refill the bowl.

What happens if your cat does not drink water?

If your cat persists without drinking water and you are confident they are genuinely not drinking properly, it is important to get them to the vet as soon as possible.

Because without water they can become dehydrated which will cause them serious problems long-term. If they are dehydrated your vet may be able to give them a solution which will start working almost straight away.

But, in worst cases, it could be a longer and more complicated solution which could take days. So better to get her over to the vet ASAP.

How can you encourage your cat to drink more water?

Obviously it is much better to prevent dehydration happening. Rather than waiting for it to happen and then fixing it, are you with me? That old saying, prevention is better than cure, right?

Therefore, in this section I’m going to suggest a number of ways that you can encourage your cat to drink more water to avoid dehydration.

Elevating the bowl or changing its location.

Elevating the bowl, believe it or not, may change the way that your cat perceives the water. Try this simple trick to see if it makes a difference.

Also, you can try, as discussed earlier, to change the location of the bowl to see if it makes a difference.

Water fountain.

Water fountains are ideal (Click here for my best water fountain for your cat) because they are more natural to cats. It’s more in line with their instincts to drink from flowing water rather than still water in a bowl.

In fact, there are some cats that will only drink from water fountains because it is more natural for them to do this.

If you tried everything else this is quite a quick-win that you can try. The good thing is because it’s flowing constantly it will encourage your cat to have regular drinks of freshwater.

Switching to wet food.

If your cat primarily drinks dry food and you are finding that she is getting dehydrated. Then there is a good chance that you need to consider switching to wet food.

The reason for this is it a lot easier to get them to consume more water by having them eat wet food rather than doing it the opposite way round, are you with me?

Adding water to dry food.

If your cat is adamant that she won’t eat wet food or there are some reasons why you cannot do this. You can also consider applying some water their dry food to see if this make a difference.

Another suggestion is adding flavour to the water.

Sometimes cats are not drinking the water in the bowl because they just do not like the flavour. You can test out adding some flavour to the bowl. This can be done by adding clam juice, chicken broth, etc. See if this will encourage them to drink more water.

How does old age affect their water intake?

As cats get older they need to consume more water. As discussed earlier, their water intake is based on their body weight. Therefore, they naturally will drink more as they grow bigger and their body will require more hydration.

As they get even older though, beyond their adult years, you will find and they will need to consume even more water to keep them active.

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Why Does My Cat Sleep Under My Bed? (7 Reasons)

If you are a proud cat owner and wondering why your cat is hiding and sleeping under your bed, it could be a simple case that you have not offered a suitable cat bed for her (click here for my best cat beds). If not, there could be a few other reasons…

Why does my cat sleep under my bed? Its either because she is anxious, scared, seeking comfort, hiding for safety, pregnant (more on this later), or unhappy with changes in her environment. As there is a wide selection of reasons here you need to evaluate your cat to see what matches their behavior.

Now that you know why this might be happening, let me break down the seven reasons why your cat could be hiding under your bed, what you should NOT do if they are, and the best way to deal with it, keep reading…

7 reasons why your cat sleeps under your bed

As discussed earlier, there are numerous reasons why your cat is sleeping under your bed.  For that reason, I have compiled a list of 7 potential reasons why your cat is doing this so you can understand why is happening.

01. Comfort.

One thing to understand about your cat, they need to sleep a lot, which I am sure you will agree.  In particular, you can expect your cat to sleep up to 18 hours of the day. This is typically broken up into small, frequent naps (or cat naps, as they are known).

For that reason, they are always looking for a nice comfortable, quiet and dark spot where they can relax and catch up on this sleep they need.

This is why under your bed is a very attractive option for them. And, maybe one of the reasons why your cat is doing this.

02. Hiding from hot weather

Depending on where you live your cat could be hiding under the bed simply because of the temperature.

In some countries, it’s exceptionally hot in different areas of the house, especially if there’s no air-conditioning throughout property.

Therefore, your cat could be clever enough to learn that underneath your bed is one of the coolest spots to hang out and hide from the direct sunlight.

03. Anxiety or stress

It doesn’t take much for your cat to feel stressed out or unhappy. Even basic things like a boisterous toddler that is running around could make them feel a little bit stressed and anxious, are you with me?

So, you may find out that your cat is retreating to hide underneath the bed to keep away from some of these stressful situations.

04. Health problems

Cats act a bit weird when they are feeling sick or in pain. For us humans, we typically like to communicate our problems by talking or by showing some obvious body language.

As you can understand cats do not have this luxury. They actually have a weird reaction, which is to effectively hide or mask up the pain. This is understood to be a safety measure that has followed them instinctively from living in the wild.

The idea is, they do not want to show any weak vulnerabilities to their predators, because they stand a much greater chance of being attacked.

Obviously, in the domestic environment, this is not an issue. But instinct is hard to avoid, it just happens. Therefore, you could see your cat under the bed hiding to cover up a health issue.

05. Changes in the environment.

Cats do not like changes. In fact, they like things to say static. This is so they know where things are and makes them feel comfortable.

Remember, they view your house is their territory. And, when things change it makes them feel uncomfortable and out of control. Even basic things like rearranging your furniture can really throw them off. Therefore, your cat may retreat to hiding under the bed to hide away from some of these situations.

06. Pregnancy

Believe it or not, pregnancy can also be an issue for them to run off hiding under your bed. The reason for this is what is known as “nesting”.

This is where your cat starts to prepare things for the upcoming birth of a new kitten. This is similar in humans, but not exactly the same symptoms that you may see. Therefore, your cat may be just preparing for things and this may not be a cause for alarm.

07. Safety

one of the more obvious reasons why your cat may be hiding underneath the bed is for their safety. In reality, when we look into the reasons why they’re hiding, it may not really be such an issue to us. But, we are different.

To be honest, this can be something as simple as a loud bang,  for example. You know, maybe if you have a fireworks night that particular night. Or, it could be the intrusion of another animal that is causing them to be fearful.

Why do cats like to hide?

As we discussed earlier there are numerous reasons why your cat is hiding under your bed. However, in general, why do cats enjoy hiding?

They enjoy hiding because they enjoy some time on their own. They also like to feel comfortable as much as possible. Like us humans, they are programmed to avoid pain and seek pleasure.

If you have not provided an obvious comfortable area, such as a cat bed (Click here for my best cat bed) for example, then they may seek out areas like under your bed to find a suitable alternative.

The dangers of hiding

In general, hiding is harmless. However, there are some situations when it can be dangerous. Apart from the fact that you may be tearing your hair out wondering where your cat is.

There can be some real issues such as them hiding behind an electrical device which could potentially be a shock hazard. Or hiding behind a parked car, etc.

The point is, they could be in the face of danger but not clever enough to understand this. This is the reason why it’s a good idea to always monitor your cat just to make sure they are not doing something silly which can put them in some serious danger.

What you should NOT do if your cat is hiding underneath the bed

If your cat is hiding under the bed and you want to change this there are some things that you should just NOT do.

Physically removing or coaxing her out

As tempting as it is, you should not try to put your hands under the bed and move them. It is far better to let them come out on their own time.

The same goes for trying to coax them out of their hiding spots only to remove & relocate them to an area that you would prefer.

Both of these actions will just make your cat feel unhappy and make her grow to not trust you.

It may be a bit annoying at first but if you are patient with it you can get her to stop doing this by just being patient and offering her positive reinforcement for doing things that you prefer her to do.

Trust me, this will make them more likely to do what you want in the future.

What things should you do?

We talked a little bit about what you should not do but there are a few things that you could do that are good quick wins that will help you and the relationship with your cat.

Treating your cat

Treating your cat as much as possible when they do positive things is the best way to guide her.

There are other direct things that you can do. Such as offering pheromone collars (Click here for my best options) which can help them feel comfortable and happy in areas which you would prefer them to be in. For example in their cat bed.

Positive reinforcement & Quality time

Also, general praise of your cat to make her feel more confident and happy will help a lot. As well as this you should also be spending a lot more quality one-on-one time with your cat. This will make her feel happier in your house.

Related questions:

In this section, I am going to answer some questions related to cats and beds. If you have some extra questions please feel free to drop a comment below.

Q: Do cats become more affectionate with time?

Yes, If you have a kitten that has grown up around humans, in time, they will become more susceptible and comfortable around humans. Therefore they will naturally become affectionate.

However, if you have a feral cat that has had little, to no, contact with humans it is unlikely that they will become more affectionate. In fact they’re more likely to become more fearful and hostile towards humans.

Q: Do cats miss their owners?

In general, yes, people do believe that cats miss them. And in my opinion, it seems obvious at times.  However, there are recent studies that show that cats do not need their owners as much as dogs do.

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My Cats Fur Looks Separated (Now What?)

If you have noticed separated fur on your cat, you may be looking for a solution to get rid of it (Click here for my best cat grooming combs to help this) and to understand why it’s happening.

How do I get rid of my cat’s separated fur? The best way to get rid of separated fur is to help your cat by grooming their fur. This is typically done by using a cat comb and it is also a good idea to consider shampooing their fur on occasion.

Later on, in this article, I will give you some advice on how you can groom their fur, such as de-matting it and other useful techniques.

What does healthy cat fur actually look like?

So by now, you understood how to help to get rid of your cat’s separated fur. But, how do you actually know when you’ve done a good job, and your cat is looking in good shape?

Ideally, your cat’s fur should be shiny and smooth looking. It should have a coarse texture without being brittle, are you with me? It is quite hard to describe this, but once you see it you’ll know what I mean.

As for the skin…

Their skin should be smooth without looking flaky. if you see flaky skin it could be an indication that it could be dandruff or it’s getting dried out. Also, their skin should not be too greasy and without bumps on it. If you can see greasy skin this could be an issue, but more on this later.

How do you get rid of mats in your cat’s fur?

If you notice that your cat’s hair is matted then this is a big problem, if you do not get on top of it. This is typically seen in long-haired cats who have fur which is typically hard to manage.

Using a simple de-matting comb (Click here for my best choice) and some effort you can help to de-matt your cat’s fur. This is so that it doesn’t have big unsightly mats of fur that it can’t deal with.

Make sure you use gloves

But, before you even think of de-matting their fur, you need to make sure that you put on some heavy-duty gloves.

Why?

This is because your cat is likely to put up some serious resistance when you start combing those difficult and painful mats out of her fur.

Think of it this way, if you had really long hair with knots in it, and someone attempted to aggressively comb them out, wouldn’t you be apprehensive? Let’s be honest, it would be quite painful. And, chances are, you would put up resistance yourself, right? So, be mindful of this.

Adult Cats, without experience, can be hard work…

This resistance is even harsher if it is an adult cat, that has never been de-matted or combed before, as you can imagine.

Therefore, if you find this to be overly difficult, and you find that your cat is getting quite vicious. You need to stop, give it a break and then maybe try again at a later date, are you with me?

If all fails, get a professional groomer

If you find that even after you’ve given it a break and attempted to do it again, your cat is still not enjoying it, or shall I say not co-operating, because in hindsight they never really will enjoy it.

Then you need to think about getting a professional groomer involved. This is because they have the experience and knowledge of how to do this without injuring your cat or aggravating you in the process.

Why is my cat under-grooming?

If you notice that your cat is not grooming properly, it is a very good chance that it is connected to some health-related problems. The challenge is finding out which particular problem it has.

To give you an indication of what is possible, I’m going to list a few of these potential problems and then provide detail about them.

• Arthritis
• Old age
• Injured
• Dental issues
• Obesity

Arthritis and old age.

Arthritis and old age typically go hand in hand. As your cat gets older they will find it harder to do basic tasks such as grooming themselves.

As you may know, arthritis causes serious joint problems in your cat. And, can make grooming a painful exercise. Therefore, you could find that she is not grooming properly because she is in pain.

Injured

If your cat has been injured in some way she may not groom herself properly, which could cause problems. This is simply because basic grooming techniques are going to cause problems and aggravate the injury.

Therefore, it is a good idea to consult your vet to understand exactly what the injury is. Especially if it’s not obvious.

Dental problems

As you probably know, cats use their mouth (and tongue) to groom themself. And, therefore any dental related problems is likely to cause them to stop grooming.

Sometimes these issues are quite obvious. However, there are occasions where it’s quite hard to see or your cat is keeping it to itself.

The best thing to do is to consult your vet to understand exactly what the issue is. Because in some cases it could be a simple fix. And, in some cases, it could be fixed and get them back to grooming again.

Obesity

If your cat has gradually become overweight, to the point of obesity. This could be causing her to stop grooming. Believe it or not, if she doesn’t look after her weight it can affect her doing basic things like grooming.

What about if your cat is over-grooming?

Overgrooming, as you can imagine, is the opposite of under grooming. It is when your cat is grooming himself to the point of injury. This will be quite obvious because you’ll see skin irritation, patches or other obvious signs.

Usually, this is to do with some kind of parasites or irritation that has occurred in their skin. And, they are overcompensating by continuously biting, nibbling or excessively licking the infected area.

The best way to deal with this is to consult your vet to understand exactly what the issue is. This will help to see what can be done to get rid of the root cause of the problem. Rather than just dealing with the symptoms, are you with me?

If it is a flea problem they may give you a good flea shampoo (Click here to see my best fleas shampoo) which can help to get rid of it. But, either way, your vet will have some good advice on this.

Greasy or Clumpy fur

If you notice that your cat seems to have greasy or clumpy fur. This again could be due to some physical problems. The best thing to do is to consult your vet to understand what the issue is.

But, in the meantime, you can intervene by lending a hand with grooming by using a wide-toothed comb to clear up some of the greasy or clumpy areas of the fur.

Related Questions:

In this section, I am going to answer some questions related to cats and fur. If you have some other related questions that you need answering, please feel free to drop a comment below.

Q: How often should I bathe my cat?

As you know bathing your cat is sometimes required (Click here for the full article). Not all cat owners do this because cats are quite good at grooming themselves. And, in some cases, you can get away without doing it.

However, there are situations where this is necessary and some cat owners do this on a regular basis regardless.

To cut a long story short, you shouldn’t bathe them too regularly and anything less than every 4 to 6-weeks I would suggest is not a good idea.

Q: How does their diet impact their skin and fur?

Like us humans, cats rely on their food intake to regulate how the body functions.

Therefore, the right level of protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals is needed to maintain a healthy-looking coat and skin.

The challenge with this is these things are not instantly noticeable. And therefore, a lack of one particular macronutrient is not instantly noticeable, but, can cause deficiencies at a later date. Therefore, it is important to monitor this.

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Why Does My Cat Sit at the Front Door? (Escaping?)

If you have noticed your cat is hovering at the door, you may be wondering why it’s happening (Click here to see my best cat flaps to deal with this) and how you can deal with it.

Why does my cat sit at the front door? It is because she is either eagerly waiting for you to get in, wants to get out or a potential door darter. How you deal with this varies (more on this later). Either way, there is a good chance it’s one of these.

Now that you know why she is doing this, it is likely that you may be thinking of ways to get around this. Keep reading and I will reveal how you can deal with these issues and keep your cat happy at the same time.

 

How do you stop your cat from sitting at the front door?

So, now you know why your cat is sitting up the front door. This is all well and good but how do you actually deal with these problems? Well, in this section I will explain how to address these issues and potentially stop your cat moaning at the front door.

Wants to get out

Firstly let’s look at the problem of your cat jus wanting to get out. If you are inside your house and you constantly see your cat waiting at the door. This is obviously an indication that she wants to get out.

There are two ways you can deal with this:

• Training your cat.
• Or get a cat flap.

Training your cat

Training your cat may seem like a good logical thing to do. In all honesty, there is no right or wrong way to deal with it. It just comes down to your patience and how your cat will react to the training.

The training can be a simple as opening the door at a select time of day and only allowing your cat to leave when that time window is available.

It may take a few weeks for him to work out when this window is available. but when you start this it is important not to go back. Why? It will just confuse her.

Getting a cat flap

A cat flap (Click here for my best cat Flaps for your cat) is a good simple alternative. Effectively, your cat will have free reign to go and come whenever she wants to.

However, there are some really good cat flaps nowadays that will restrict access to only your cat. So, only your cat can enter the property. This is great because you do not have to worry about stray cats entering while you are at work, are you with me?

Potential Door darter

A door darter is a cat that has the potential to run out the door as soon as you open it. There could be a few reasons for this. It could be an indoor cat that is curious about going outdoors.

Or it could even be a cat that usually has access to go outside but is limited to a schedule. And, he is being a bit naughty and trying to escape on the off chance the door is open.

Either way, there is a simple way that you can deal with this. The best way to deal with this is to remove the emphasis of the front door.

What?

I mean, for example, you come home from work and the first thing you do is greet your cat at door and spend some time hugging or kissing her, right?

Well, don’t do that!

Instead, and I understand this might sound a bit harsh, completely ignore her.  And, no, I don’t mean in ignore her completely for the rest of your life, lol!

I mean, ignore her at the door for that short moment. This is to remove the emphasis and curiosity of what’s beyond the door, are you with me? It sounds a bit controversial, but with time and persistence, it can work like a dream.

Waiting for you to get in

The last reason why your cat is sitting at the door could just be because she is eagerly awaiting for you to get home from work.

Cats have a very special knack to work out your schedule and second guess when you are likely to come through the door.

Who knows how they do this without the use of watches or clocks. But, for whatever reason, it seems to work for them.

But, my point is, is this really an issue? No, in my opinion.

In fact, I think this is pretty cute. Don’t you? The only thing I would say if you have a cat that is likely to bolt through the door when you open it, then yes you have an issue.

As discussed earlier, is this is the case, it’s really a different issue, you have a “door darter” on your hands. And, if that is the case, you will need to use that same strategy I explained earlier for this.

Why is there a cat meowing at my door?

Cats often meow at doors because they are indicating to their owner, or any other human, that they need something.

Cats like attention and they know that using their meow will grab your attention, are you with me? The chances are your cat is either hungry, tired or just cold. You may even have instances where you own cats and another stray cat is randomly meowing at your door.

Why? This could just be out of sheer curiosity. Or, this cat could be anticipating that you may have food inside (smart cat, right?).

It’s your own judgment call if you want to entertain this new guest. Or maybe you prefer to be cautious because you do not want to put your other cats at risk.

What does it mean if you have cats hanging around your house?

There is an old superstition that leads to a lot of curiosity in people. It is regarding why cats are hanging around your house.

I am not talking about your own cats that you own. Instead, I am referring to random cats that you do not know about.

The rumor…

The rumor has it that this is a good indication that you have good energy and your house has positive vibes.

Therefore, you should take this as a compliment. That is if you believe in some of these superstitions or rumors that have been spread.

What about if a black cat hangs around your house?

For those of you that are into superstition. There is an additional rumor that black cats hanging around your house brings good luck.

In all honesty, this is a little bit confusing to me. Why?…

Because there is another rumor (or superstition) that if a cat crosses your path it is deemed as bad luck. So it depends on your beliefs if you want to take this on board or not.

Related Questions:

In this section, I am going to answer some questions that are related to cats, doors, etc. If you have any other related questions you need answering, feel free to drop me a comment below.

Q: Why do cats meow?

Cats tend to meow as their communication with humans. Feral cats are less likely to meow. Why?  Because they do not have much contact with humans at all.

A lot of this meowing stems from kittens meowing around their mother. This behavior transfers to you as the owner because they see you as their caregiver and someone that a contrast. Its almost as if you are there substitute mother, are you with me?

Q: Why do cats hate closed doors?

You may notice that anytime you close the door in your house you have an upset cat (or kitten) on the other side constantly scratching and meowing, right?

This is usually because the cat is very curious and knows that you are on the other side. And as discussed in the previous section, because you are seen, in their eyes, as their substitute mother. Basically, they want your attention.

Another reason for this is they see what’s beyond that door as part of their territory. Meaning that they want to make sure that they have access to their territory and can walk around it at their leisure.

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Can you put two cats in one carrier?

If you have two cats there are quite a few considerations. Such as food, entertainment, grooming, etc. But what about transportation, can you carry both cats together?

Can you put two cats in one carrier? Yes, you can put two cats in a carrier (Click here to see my best cat carrier for two cats on Amazon). However, you need to make sure that you get the correct sized carrier for this to be possible. Not just the size, but it needs to have the correct ventilation and durability.

Now that you know that you can carry two cats in a carrier, let me share with you 3 of my best cat carriers that can support two cats, features that you should be looking out for in these carriers and much more.

Quick Comparison of carriers

Name	Image	My Rating
01. Petmate Cat Carrier (Best option) Click here for the Price on Amazon
02. Aspen Cat Carrier Click here for the Price on Amazon
03. Necoichi Cat carrier Click here for the Price on Amazon

Features you should be looking for

In this section I am going to list some features that you should be looking for before you consider buying a carrier for your cats:

• Size (Needs to be big)
• Good ventilation
• Easy-open latches
• Easy to assemble
• Good handle grips
• Secure

Size (Needs to be big)

Firstly, when you are thinking about multiple cats, you need a good size. I guess this goes without saying, but it’s important to look out for this.

Good ventilation

If your kitties are in there, it needs excellent ventilation. Therefore, you need to look out for the carrier that clearly specifies this to make sure.

Easy-open latches

Simplicity is the key. That is why a simple easy-open latch is highly desirable. These latches just give you peace of mind that you can release them easily, without the hassle and more importantly, without them getting anxious while they wait to get out, are you with me?

Easy to assemble

I am not sure about you. But, personally, I need an easy assembly. If it gets too complicated I am off. Therefore, look out for a carrier that makes life easier.

Good handles and Secure

A good secure carrier is a must. It needs to carry two cats and also keep them safely inside. So, this is a feature that cannot be skipped, I hope you will agree. As well as this, carrying it should not be a pain in the rear either. Therefore if it has well designed handles to absorb the weight of the carrier that will be seriously advantageous.

Best 3 Carriers for two cats

In this section, I am going to share with you a few carriers that can be used for two cats. This will help you decide which is the best for you.

01. Petmate Cat Carrier (Best option)

Click here to see the price on Amazon

Pros

• Secure (4-way vault door)
• Ideal for two cats (Big)
• Strong
• Great ventilation (wire vents & ventilation is 360 degrees)
• Portable (Clip-on food & water bowls)

Cons

• The latch is not easy to open
• Plastic bolts (appear flimsy)

What I like about the Petmate Cat Carrier

This carrier is beefy, if you are worried about transporting two cats, don’t worry. This bad boy will carry them like a champ! It’s secure with its 4-way door vault system and looks strong as an ox. Another thing I like is the ventilation it provides. It has numerous wire vents allowing your cats to breathe easy.

What I do not like about this Petmate Cat Carrier

Firstly I have to comment on the latch. Yes the carrier “looks” beefy, but as they say, you are only as strong as your weakest link, right? Well, the latch is a bit too easy to open as far as I’m concerned.

Also, the bolts supplied are a bit flimsy, in my opinion. Why? Well, for some reason the manufacturer opted for plastic bolts. Not sure if this was a cost-saving tactic, or maybe to cut back on the overall weight, who knows? All I am saying is, would it be better if they were metal, are you with me?

02. Aspen Cat Carrier

Click here to see the price on Amazon

Pros

• Large carrier (Ideal for two cats)
• Good for air travel
• Great visibility & ventilation
• Easy open latch
• Ergonomic Gripped handle

Cons

• Plastic is a bit thin
• Not ideal for aggressive cats

What I like about Aspen Cat Carrier

I want to start off by congratulating Aspen for the size of this carrier, it’s ideal for two kitties. The vendor also boasts that its ideal for air travel. In all honesty, I can’t say I have tested that side of it but it sounds like a great bonus.

It has a good amount of air ventilation to keep the kitties happy during a lengthy excursion. It has a handy easy-open latch to cut down on the complications when getting her out. It is also a cinch to carry with the help of the ergonomic gripped hande.

What I do not like about Aspen Cat Carrier

Before we get too excited, I need to highlight a couple of issues. Firstly the plastic. It is a bit thin, in my opinion. It just comes across as a bit flimsy at times, are you with me?

03. Necoichi Cat carrier

Click here to see the price on Amazon

Pros

• Big enough for two cats
• Easy assembly
• Flexible
• Great Ventilation
• Secure
• Easy to clean

Cons

• Needs better Instructions
• Complicated storage procedure

What I like about Necoichi Carrier

Firstly, this carrier is great for two cats, you won’t get any issues with size here. It is relatively easy to assemble (however, the instructions are another thing, but more on this later).

The thing I like about this carrier is the flexibility. but, what do I mean by this? It can be used in many different ways, e.g. a little private area for your kitty, traveling from A-to-B, a place for your kitty while you clean up, etc.

The fleece mat and storage bag are easy to be kept clean, which is ideal if you are keen on cleanliness like me. It also has great ventilation, which is achieved by the mesh panels that it has. These can also be rolled up for convenience.

Lastly, I’d like to comment on the security. When I say security, I do not mean fort-nocks by the way. I mean secure enough to keep kitty in place and prevent her from escaping, are you with me?

What I do not like about the Necoichi Carrier

As good as this carrier is it does have some flaws, as you would expect. Firstly I am surprised to see the instructions are in Japenese. For some people, this is not even an issue, but for simpletons like me, this is annoying. I really feel they could make life easier with English instructions, especially if they are selling to an English speaking market, are you with me?

The next gripe follows on a similar theme. This carrier has quite a complex storage, in my opinion. Basically it needs to be folded in a very specific way. And, because there are no English instructions, it makes life unnecessarily harder.

Related Questions:

In this section, I will answer some questions related to cats and carriers. If you have any specific questions that have not been answered, feel free to drop a comment below.

Q: Can I take these carriers on an airline?

Yes, some of them claim you can. However, I would say that you should really double-check with your airline to confirm before you travel. Why? Because every airline has its own guidelines and there can be various different requirements that may change from airline to airline, are you with me?

Q: Can two cats share a water bowl?

Yes, two cats can share a water bowl. But, to honest its not ideal. Really, you should be providing two separate bowls so they get an equal share and reduce the chance of them fighting over the bowl.

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Do Cats Need Night Lights? (See in the dark?)

If you have a new cat you be wondering how to deal with them at night (click here for my 3 best night lights for cats. In particular, if night lights are required or add any benefit.

Do cats need night lights? No, cats do not need night lights. However, it can be helpful for us and the cats in certain situations. Such as elderly or young kittens with known vulnerabilities (more on this later).

Now that you know that cats don’t need night lights, but understand that it can help. Let me now explain the befits of cats having a night light, confirm if cats really can see in complete darkness if they are really nocturnal and much more…

What are the benefits of cats having a night light?

Earlier I briefly explained that cats don’t need a night light. However, there are certain scenarios that a night light will benefit them…

• An old aged cat that gets distressed easily.
• A new kitten that is a bit nervous
• Avoiding tripping over your cat in dim/dark light.

An old aged cat that gets distressed easily

If you have an older cat, then you will know that sometimes they can get anxious or distressed easily. To avoid this happening, you can simply use a night light to give them peace of mind. This isn’t the solution to all of her problems, but it will help, are you with me?

A new kitten that is a bit nervous.

If you have a new kitten, that may be a bit nervous in its new surroundings. a night light may be able to help. This simple light might help her to feel a bit more secure at night and give you a better night’s sleep.

Avoiding tripping over your cat

Aside from your cat’s benefit, you may even benefit from a night light. Why? Well, you can avoid simple things like tripping over your cat during the night or any other object for that matter.

Can cats see in complete darkness?

You may have heard rumors that cats can see in complete darkness. And for that reason, it may seem obvious that they will never need a night light, right? But, can they really see in complete darkness?

According to this site, cats have superior night vision than us humans. But to quantify this, they say cats have the ability to capture up to fifty percent more light than us.

This is all well and good, but it does not mean that they can actually see in pitch-black darkness, are you with me?

Why can cats see so well in the dim light?

Now that you understand that cats have the ability to see better in muted light. It may make you wonder, why can they see so well?

This comes down to genetics. Cats are physically built better in this area, to deal with low/dim light. in particular the following:

• Large eyes (Disproportionate to their head size)
• Flexible Irises
• High Rod count (in comparison to us humans)

Large eyes (Disproportionate to their head size)

Firstly, they have large eyes. Have you ever really looked at a cat’s eyes closely? In particular, looking at the size of their eyes in comparison to the size of their head? Well, take it from me, they are disproportionate and big, which is a bonus for dim light.

Flexible Irises

Your cat is also gifted with great Irises. I call them flexible Irises because they open very wide, especially in comparison to us humans.

This helps a lot with dim light because they can take in as much light as possible, even when there is much light available.

High Rod Count

Their retinas, that make up the back of their eyes (same as ours), according to this site, have two major cell types for light sensitivity. These cells are known as:

• Rods
• Cones

The rods, in particular, are what we are interested in here. Why? Because they reflect light. This is a big factor in their night vision. We all have rods by the way, humans, and cats.

But, the big difference is the number of rods. Cats have roughly four times the amount that we have, which makes a big difference for vision in dim light.

Are cats really nocturnal?

Maybe you have the rumors that cats are nocturnal. If not, take it from me, many people believe that this is the case. But, id this correct?

The reality is they are not nocturnal, strictly speaking. In fact, they are crepuscular. But what does this really mean? It means that they are generally more active at dusk and dawn.

But, why are cats active at this time?

In the last section, I explained that cats are crepuscular, meaning they are active at dusk & dawn. But you may be wondering why this might be? Is there any reason why they are more active at these times?

Yes, there is a reason. It revolves around the activity of their prey. In particular mice and rats. They are also active around this time. Meaning, logically, they have adjusted to increase their chances of a successful hunt.

You may be thinking, well domestic cats do not need to hunt, right? Well, that’s correct, they don’t. But, it is ingrained in their instincts to be up at this time.

It could be advantageous to have food available for them during these times to increase the chances of them not roaming around looking for food.

Do Cats Get Lonely at night time?

You may be wondering if these cats can see well in low light, do they ever get lonely and yearn for human attention in the night? Yes, they do, but why does this happen?

This is because cats are naturally social animals, they thrive off attention and contact with their owners. If they are not feeling tired at night, they will get lonely. And, the likelihood is, they will start bugging you when you are trying to get some sleep.

The best way around this is to keep them super active in the daylight hours, so they feel tired in the night. This will keep them off your back during the night hours, are you with me?

Related Questions:

In this section, I will be answering some related questions on cats, night lights and other closely related topics. If you have any additional questions feel free to drop a comment below.

Q: Do cats like sleeping with humans?

Yes. Cats do like sleeping with us humans (Click here to see if cats like to being under blankets?). You may even notice them trying to snuggle up right next to your head to feel your body head and avoid being nudged by your arms and legs during the night.

Q: How do I stop my cat waking me up at 4 AM?

The best way to stop your cat waking you up at 4 AM is to keep her active in the day. Effectively, you want to wear her out in the day so she is less likely to bug you.

Alternatively, a more direct, and arguably harsher method, is to shut her out of your bedroom. Yes, she will bug you initially. In the form of crying and scratching on the door. But, in time this will stop and you will get your quality sleep back.

In reality, she should have her own cat bed anyway (Click here for my best big cat beds).

Q: Is it ok to leave your cat alone for 3 days?

No, it is not ok to leave your cat alone for 3 days. And it goes without saying, long 3 month trips need another plan (Click here to see how to look after your cat for 3 months or more, while your away). In reality, you should not be leaving them alone for more than 24 hours unattended. And, even then they need a food and water supply to sustain them (Click here to see how to feed cats wet food while you are away).

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How to Wean a Stubborn Kitten

If you have a new litter of kittens, you may be wondering how you keep them happy and comfortable (Click here to see my best cat beds for kittens).  In particular, you may be keen to wean them off their mother’s milk and transition them. Let me explain how this is done for a stubborn cat.

What is weaning? its a way of transitioning your kitten from its mother’s milk to solid cat food. It is required to turn them into a mature cat and make them more independent. Cat breeders look forward to this ending so they can find new homes for kittens.

Now that you know what weening is I will go on to explain how you ween a stubborn kitten, how to wean a bottle-fed kitten (orphaned) and much more, keep reading…

Why is Weaning needed?

You may be wondering why this is even required. It’s a good question. However, there are scenarios where weaning is legitimately needed.

For example, the kitten may be orphaned and removed from its mother (more on this later) or the mother may have issues with her milk flow.

At what age do they start weaning?

The weaning process can start as early as 4 weeks old. However, if they are orphaned from their mother, this could even be earlier.

You may notice that a kitten will try to wean itself automatically by trying to eat her mother’s food. The usual response from their mother is to push the kids out of the way until they are ready for solid food.

How can you wean a stubborn kitten yourself?

From time to time you may encounter a kitten or a selection of kittens that are being very stubborn. And, for some reason, it will not wean no matter what you try.

For that reason, you may need to intervene. For that reason, I’m going to give you some examples of how you can do this.

01. Showing them the food.

The first part of the process is literally just presenting your kittens with the food.

The idea is to get some kitten food, which is typically a paste-like substance, and add some warm or hot water. The objective is to get a few eager ones to react and take you up on the offer.

However, it is likely that you will get some stubborn ones that still will not respond. But, don’t worry we have a plan for that later.

02. Guidance

You will probably find that there are still a few stubborn ones that do not want to take the bait. For that reason, you need to guide them towards the food, physically. I mean literally pick the kitten up and place them next to the bowl, are you with me?

In addition to this, you need to actually put a small amount of food on their paws. What!? I get it, you may be wondering why you would do such a thing. The reality is, you are hoping that when they start grooming and licking themselves,  it will get a taste and continue eating it, are you with me?

03. Get mommy involved

At this stage, if they still haven’t responded to the persuasion and they have this food on their paws. It is a good idea to get their mother involved. The reason for this is, this will help them to clean up and it will make them feel secure again.

You may think to yourself that giving the mother the opportunity to get involved is going back a step, right? Well, no, the reassurance of the mother will keep them from being traumatized and give you another chance at a later stage.

04. Repetition (& the cheeky finger method)

You have to understand that the chances are you will not get this correct first time or even the third. Repetition is the key. In addition to this, I will also explain why using the “cheeky finger” is a top tip.

The “cheeky finger” trick…

Basically, let’s step back a second, how will your kitten act in real life? Sucking on mummies teet, right? So, you need to try your best to imitate this, are you with me?

Therefore, you need to whip out your pinky and put some tempting food on it. The idea is to get the kitten to start lapping up the food off it and gradually move one step further to weening off the mil, are you with me?

05. Focus on the Winners!

The reality is, out of a litter you will not get all of them converted right away. This is just the way it is. But, to be honest, you do not need all of them at once.

Why?

Simple, once you have a few winners that grasp it right away, they will naturally entice their siblings to try it as well, in time. So, be patient, focus on weening the winners and, in time, the others will follow suit.

Why you should ween them slowly…

You may be wondering how long this process takes, and if there are any opportunities to speed it up. The reality is, you shouldn’t focus on speed with this.

Why?

Well, if you try and speed through the process and force nature to skip steps it can cause havoc with the mother cat. Basically, nature has a way of providing enough milk for her kittens at the right time (much like our mothers did for us, assuming you were breastfed that is).

If you suddenly speed up a kitten and ween them off their mother’s milk fast, this could cause issues with her milk production. But more importantly inflammation of her mammary glands.

This can be painful and avoidable if you take your time and let the kittens ween in their own time.

Weening bottle-fed kittens

If you have an orphaned cat, the weening process may be slightly different. Simply because you won’t have their mother there to support the process. So, I am going to provide some steps you can take to ween her off the bottle milk.

01. Gently Offering an alternative

The first step is simply offering her an alternative food source. This is a kitten milk replacement that can ease them into the process.

The trick here is to get it to feed in a similar way it would when it was being nursed by its mother.

02. Persist & keep a bottle ready

There is a chance that she might get frustrated with the offering. So you need to be prepared with a back-up bottle, just in case.

03. Mixing the Meal replacement

Once your kitten starts to take the meal replacement from the bowl, you can start gradually mixing it with everyday cat food, such as normal cat food. However, start slowly. The idea is, in time, to gradually increase the amount of real food. If all goes well, by the end your kitten should be fully weaned off the bottle milk.

How does a mother kitten (Queen) wean her kittens?

You may be wondering how this weaning process happens in real life, without the intervention of us humans, right?

Usually, the mother kitten will start weaning them when they are about four weeks old. This typically goes on for about one month. During this time there is a gradual process of moving them from nursing her milk to actually eating solid foods.

During this time the kitten starts to have liquid food and will gradually have more liquid food than their mother’s milk. Slowly but surely they will reduce the ratio of the mother’s milk to liquid food.

Examples of this watered-down food could be moistened kibble or water down cat food.  At the end of the process, the kitchen will have successfully weaned from their mother’s milk to solid cat food. This is a critical part of their development and one step closer to being an adult.