We get it, you’re a curious. You’ve got questions and we’ve got answers. For this series, we send your burning kitty q’s to our panel of experts who can help you get inside your cat’s high-held head.
We consulted Dr. Mikel Maria Delgado, a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist and a postdoctoral fellow at the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California, Davis. Mikel has worked professionally with cats for almost twenty years, starting in the Cat Behavior Program of the San Francisco SPCA, and more recently through her cat behavior consulting partnership, Feline Minds. She’s also co-author with Jackson Galaxy of the 2017 book “Total Cat Mojo,” and has published her research in several academic journals.
Dear Smalls,
Okay, like I'm sure most do, I enjoy sleeping in, especially on the weekends. My cat however usually has a different idea and will begin meowing until I eventually get up and fill up her bowl. I would love just one morning to sleep in, but if I could also modify this behavior, that would be fantastic. Any tips?
— Sleepyhead
This is a very common question we get on the weekly Smalls Instagram Live Ask an Expert Q+A! Begging behavior can be because your cat is hungry or excited about the food. But meowing can also be a habit that gets reinforced by human attention. So what can you do if your cat is desperate for their dinner?
Cats learn when to expect meals - so keep things predictable, and try to set up mealtime on a strict routine.
If your cat meows in the early morning for food - DO NOT feed them. If you reward the behavior, it will continue (and often get worse!). Ignore meowing during the time you’d like to be asleep, and do not give in.
Getting out of bed? STOP!! Do not go straight to the cat food dish. If you feed your cat immediately when you wake up, then your cat’s entire strategy is “get the human vertical”. First, do your own thing - have your coffee or tea, take a shower, and THEN feed your cat at a time that you tend to be awake every day.
Train your cat to sit quietly before their food hits the floor.
Use food puzzles to slow down your cat’s feeding, or to allow them to more naturally graze throughout the day.
You can also try slow-feed bowls or mats to help your cat chill out at meal time, especially if they are prone to “scarf and barf.”
Cats naturally eat 8-15 small meals a day. If you offer just one or two meals a day, it may increase your cat’s begging behavior.
An automatic feeder can help you offer your cat more frequent, small meals -- you may even find that your cat starts pestering the feeder instead of you!
Exercise your cat in the evening, followed by a meal or snack at your bedtime to help them sleep through the night.
Work with your veterinarian to determine how much food your cat needs each day to stay at a healthy weight.
[#BeginTLDR#] Create a routine for your cat, so they know when to expect meals. [#SplitTLDR#] As hard as it may be, don't give in to the meows! Reinforcing the behavior with a meal shows your cat that it's okay to beg [#EndTLDR#]
