Dear Sparkle,
I love to play in my boxes, and I especially love to scratch around in my favorite ones at night when I can’t sleep! I don’t understand why my human gets so annoyed — she is going to get up eventually anyway, so what’s the big deal? Is there some way I can convince her that late night box play is a great boredom cure?
Signed,
Box A Lot
Dear Box A Lot,
Here is more proof that cats are superior to humans (as if additional proof was needed). While we kitties can do whatever we want at any time of day, humans are forced to adhere to self-imposed schedules. They believe they have to sleep certain hours, and work at other hours, and if they get off their schedule, it makes them cranky and unpleasant to be around. We kitties do like routine, but the way humans approach it is completely against their natural body rhythms. So there you are, in the middle of the night when your human is on the sleeping part of her schedule and you’re bored. I don’t blame you for playing with your boxes. I mean, what else are you going to do in the middle of the night?
I think you might already know where I am going with this. The problem is clearly not your box play at all, but your boredom. And of course, that is your human’s fault. She should be coming up with fun games for you to play close to her bedtime. And I don’t mean rolling around with a little catnip toy type of fun — I’m talking all-out interactive action! You and your human should play chase and attack, stalk and hunt, or any other game that involves full body exertion. After you are tired out, then your human should give you either a treat, or part of your dinner that she has set aside as a post-play meal. That is your reward for showing off your fine prey-hunting skills. After all that, it will be way more likely that you will sleep through the night and you won’t wake up bored. And you won’t have to deal with human crankiness. This is the kind of “schedule” I can get behind, because it is quite satisfying.
I will tell you a little secret: my favorite time to play and go crazy is around midnight and my last meal of the day is usually right around that time too. And I go to sleep and wake up at exactly the same time as my human. Actually, sometimes I sleep in even later than she does, which is really saying something!
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🙂 Guud advice Sparkle!! Mum n me play a bit n she brushez me tween 11 pm n midnite. Last suppa iz out n me letz her sleep til 6-7 am n all is well wif Mum n no crankiez 😉
We gotta make shure da Hu’Manz are happy…
Lub Nylablue xxx
Excellent advice Sparkle! If only more cats could make their humans understand…
Me KNOWS mommy is jealous of mes as the Hairy Slobbery sisters gets her up every morning even though me has waked her up playing great thundering herd in the middle of the night!
Kisses
Nellie
Dear Box a Lot, Ask your human if she would prefer that she get nipped in the ankle in the middle of the night? Not that I know anything at all about such things. Signed, Faraday
Great advice, Sparkle! To be fair my human mum does play with me a lot, even when she’s too tired. I guess I’ve trained her well 🙂
if they complain about your box playing waking them up couldn’t you just jump onto them first? You know leap onto them and they go play in your box, that way the noise wouldn’t wake them?!!
Excellent advice as always, Sparkle! Now, the other solution is (D’oh!) earplugs! Sometimes even a well exercised kitty can get to feeling a little bored around 3:30 a.m. If a kitty wants to play in a box, a kitty’s gonna play in her box. Am I right?
That is very good advice and ifin its gets treats then win-win!
We can’t imagine who that boxing kitty is! That is great advice and we hope someone takes it to heart.
Excellent advice Sparkle! I too sleep through the night but I get up 1-2 hours earlier than my lazy humans. They would sleep all day if it wasn’t for the kitties in this household waking them up! Meow and Namaste! Pippy the Feline Yogini
great post and advice, Sparkle! our mom is stingy in the treat department after any of our play sessions 🙁
Pip, Smidgen, Minnie, Hollie
Great advice. A lot of exercise and a snack before bedtime will help you get sleepy and cuddle through the night.
Sparkle you always have some good advice.
Whoa! TW actually does something right! We play hard right before she goes to bed and then she gives me some Greenies Smartbites. I sleep through the night but the exercize before bed keeps her awake. MOL!
I think I have my human quite well trained in that respect. She plays with me, gives me a brush, feeds me, treats me and then she is so exhausted she sleeps through the night, doesn’t matter what I do to her at 3 a.m.!
The Farm cats all hop on the bed around 2am and chase each other in circles. The male person especially does not appreciate this. He says they land in delicate places.
Hey, why can’t we kittehs have our midnight – or 4 am – fun? Hoomins are so silly sometimes. They should play with us then. 🙂
Oh too funny. Mom calls that romping after midnight the night crazies!
And it can surely get one in trouble
Hugs Madi your bfff
My boys love to play with various toys at around 3:00am….but that’s just the way cats are 🙂
Great advice Sparkle!
We think we know who wrote this letter ’cause her human is always complaining 👿 about her nocturnal box play…Oui Oui! We always sleep when our pawrents do. Angel Thelma was the only one who ever got up in the middle of the night. She was a really quiet kitty, but the humans would wake up and hear her downstairs in the foyer playing and talking. Mommy misses it. Purrs and paw-pats, Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth and Calista Jo
Deer Box A Lot,
I bring my fetch toy to bed and push it under Glogirly so it pokes her in the back. It’s much easier than bringing a box to bed.
love,
Waffles
I don’t know why the humans don’t just understand that they are on OUR schedule not the other way around!
I mean, really…
Noodle
WE think that is great advice too, Sparkle. Our Person does need to play with us more, although , we are very good and go to bed the same time that she does. Take good care.
That is right on Sparkle! We have a very active playtime followed by treat time right before bedtime and we all sleep though the night too!
That’s great advice, Sparkle.
The mom got mad at me and Ernie last night. We were sleeping on her feet (like we always do) and about 3am we decided it was time for some smacking paws. The mom did not appreciate that at all.
Wally
That was good advice Sparkle and we always get a mad five minutes as Mum calls it before she goes to bed (we also get our suppers before we settle down down for the night).
Luv Hannah and Lucy xx xx
Excellent advice! It’s ALWAYS the hooman’s fault!!!
Great advice Sparkle.
We also think humans are jealous of us 😉
Purrs Georgia and Julie,
Treasure,JJ
and Angels Tiger and Tillie