Whether it’s kicking your prized potted plants off the bookshelf at 2:00 a.m. or splashing around in the dish-filled sink, when the moon’s up, a cat’s witching hour begins. In fact, a new study conducted by natural pet food brand Blue Buffalo found that “4 out of 5 cat parents report their cats are awake and active at night, and 47 percent say their sleep is disrupted by their cat’s antics.” In addition, “nearly two-thirds (64 percent) of cat parents who experience disrupted sleep [are] looking for ways to manage their cat’s activities.” Dealing with cat zoomies yourself? We chatted with real-life Cat Lady, and new Blue Buffalo partner, Angela Kinsey from The Office, on her top tip to get your little fur balls to bed at a reasonable hour—and save your own sleep schedule while you’re at it.
Kinsey’s tip? Get your cat(s) into a set routine. For Kinsey, her routine includes the daily ritual of “putting the house to bed.” If your kids can do it, so can your cats. Trust.
“I know all too well about funny dawn and dusk behaviors with my cats, Snickers and Oreo, from tugging at my hair and running full speed through the house to even throwing themselves against our glass doors,” Kinsey shared with us. “Since these hilarious hijinks can often lead to sleep disruption for my family, I’m thrilled to be partnering with Blue Buffalo to share some simple solutions that have worked in my home.”
To begin creating a routine for your little furballs, Kinsey recommends keeping the cats energized and active during the day by playing with them while the sun’s up and minimizing those namesake catnaps. When it gets close to bedtime, you’ll want to play with them again to get that excess energy out. According to Kinsey, it’ll “enhance your bond at the end of a busy day and help tire them out.” At the same time, you’ll want to keep the cat’s mealtimes on a regular daily schedule to create consistency. You can also try shifting one feeding much closer to bedtime so that your fur baby has a full belly before sleep. And when it comes to mealtime, you want to make sure that the nosh your pet’s chowing down on is full of healthy ingredients with lots of nutrients.
