Changing the clocks? Pfft! Cats set the time
31.10.2025
Translation: Katherine Martin
Pictures: Darina Schweizer
I always used to enjoy turning the clocks back in autumn and getting an extra hour of sleep. But since I’ve had cats, it’s been a real nuisance.
«Meow!» Jasper the cat howls at me in annoyance as I walk past the kitchen. The message is clear: he’s hungry. «It is, indeed, high time, subject,» his accusing gaze tells me. «I’m on the verge of starvation here. I already see a light at the end of the tunnel…»
I switch on the kitchen light and look at the clock: it’s seven. One whole hour before he’s usually fed. So what’s with all the drama? Joy the cat is also chirping like a timer going off. And as it’s already starting to get light outside, it dawns on me: it’s because the clocks changed last weekend.
A curse for pet owners
I’ve often heard that putting the clocks forwards and back is a problem for livestock owners – especially farmers (page in German). They sometimes adjust their feeding and milking times in small increments a long time in advance. Otherwise, the abrupt time change can cause stress, especially in dairy cows. They could even produce less milk for a short time.
However, I wasn’t previously aware the time change could also be a problem for pet owners. I didn’t notice any changes when the clocks went forward in March. That’s no surprise: a bowl that’s filled earlier is no reason for a feline uprising. But, if the food arrives too late...
Jasper also loudly expresses his displeasure at lunch and dinner. The advantage of having fixed feeding times turns out to be a disadvantage after the clocks are changed.
Why not just leave it alone?
The animals aren’t the real problem. After all, these creatures of habit have a very precise internal clock. Jasper knows – almost before my kitchen clock – when a new hour begins. This is when he stands like an apostle at the kitchen door and proclaims the message of his people: «Don’t follow the clock, follow us!».
How do your animals react to the clocks changing? Let me know in the comments.
Darina Schweizer
Senior Editor
Darina.Schweizer@digitecgalaxus.chI love anything with four legs or roots - especially my shelter cats Jasper and Joy and my collection of succulents. My favourite things to do are stalking around with police dogs and cat coiffeurs on reportages or letting sensitive stories flourish in garden brockis and Japanese gardens.
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