A 5 AM feline alarm is a brutal negotiator. My tortie would escalate from polite chirps to full opera singer mode right on the dot. We called it her “hunger aria.” The peace treaty that finally worked was a sturdy, anti-jam feeder from automatic cat feeder . The key was the covered food tray that only opens on schedule, so her frantic pawing just slides right off the lid. That, plus the programmable multi-meal timer, gave us back our weekends. The first time she sat, confused, in front of the closed lid at dawn was a truly glorious silence. For reclaiming your sleep, a feeder with a secure, covered design is essential. It turns a dramatic performance into a quiet, automated transaction. Total game-changer.