Dont ignore your meowing cat without first checking whether something is amiss in his life. Is the water bowl empty? Is there easy access to the litter box? Is he inadvertently trapped in a room or closet?
Make sure your cats basic physical needs are met before assuming that hes demanding attention. And resist the urge to shout at or punish him for excessive meowing. Any form of attention, even anger, is more likely to exacerbate rather than solve the problem behavior.
Instead, try playing with your cat in the evening to burn off excess energy, Dr. Houpt says. Another technique is to feed cats their dinner later at night – for example, before you go to bed. This way, they will be satiated and less likely to awaken you due to hunger. If your cat sleeps in your bedroom and is not prone to gaining weight, try keeping a bowl of food in your bedroom so he can eat it when he awakens instead of waking you up. Or try confining them elsewhere in the house.
When all else fails: A product called Ssscat provides a harmless burst of compressed air and may serve as an effective deterrent to keep your cats out of your bedroom, Dr. Houpt says. Whatever you do, dont reward bad behavior.
