My cat is keeping me up

[EQD]

my cat Misfit meows in the early morning. not only this he rakes the bottom of my door with his claws and runs into the door making a loud banging sound.

He did this at my brothers house, but not bad. He would stop after you threw a shoe and hit the door.

the cats arent allowed in my room overnight for fur reasons. My other cat shiddy kiddy is fine, she does meow a peep.

But in the beginning this started when misfit meowed and meowed when we first moved them over. so alright. he got lonely or whatever. eventually we rode his 'crying' spells out. So then we got sleep.

Then i got him alot of toys. Well he would push the toys under my door and try to get them back. Making sooo much noise!!

We blocked the bottom of the door with plastic--he started running into it and scratching the door.

 

All in all it sounds like he decides he's bored at 4 in the freaking morning.

 

He has toys, they are scattered all over the house. he has a scratching post, and they have a little bit of window to look through in the living room.

 

what the hell else can i do?

 

i was thinking about drawing a shallow bath for them and tossing in some soft floaty toys just at night though. He loves to grab stuff out of the water. its why my beta fish died last year.

 

Any other suggestions??? or tips? or insight?

[jengh]

Oh god, I don't know... Cairo's been doing the same thing lately.. except that she jumps into bed with me and starts licking, biting at me until I wake up.

 

Are you playing with him enough before bed? Maybe if you REALLY wear him out he'll sleep better and longer. Does he fetch? What about having him chase a laser pointer around?

[HealingHandsWarmHeart]

squirt him with a water bottle when he hangs out by the door and cries- maybe he'll stop?

[BellaDonna]

For the door scratching, try getting some of that sour apple spray that dogs and cats don't like the smell of, and spray it all along the bottom of your door- maybe it will keep him away. It works to keep my mom's cats from scratching her furniture.

[EQD]

no. i dont play with them alot. this is his way of crying for attention and fun i guess and its driving me and my SO up the wall...

[lavenderdove]

do you feed him when you get up in the morning? or feed him better stuff then than just dry food?

 

try feeding him good stuff before you go to bed so he has a full belly, but stop putting down food in the morning (other than leaving dry food). He may be trying to get you up early because he wants to eat.

 

Dogs will do the same thing, but if you don't feed them in morning, or only feed them 'blah' food in the morning, they won't try to get you up as much.

[BellaDonna]

do you feed him when you get up in the morning? or feed him better stuff then than just dry food?

 

try feeding him good stuff before you go to bed so he has a full belly, but stop putting down food in the morning (other than leaving dry food). He may be trying to get you up early because he wants to eat.

 

Dogs will do the same thing, but if you don't feed them in morning, or only feed them 'blah' food in the morning, they won't try to get you up as much.

 

That's a good idea. Usually they are trying to wake you up and even if they are not hungry- they like the "routine" of being fed. So change the feeding time to night- make sure their bowls are full before you go to bed.

[EQD]

do you feed him when you get up in the morning? or feed him better stuff then than just dry food?

 

try feeding him good stuff before you go to bed so he has a full belly, but stop putting down food in the morning (other than leaving dry food). He may be trying to get you up early because he wants to eat.

 

Dogs will do the same thing, but if you don't feed them in morning, or only feed them 'blah' food in the morning, they won't try to get you up as much.

 

i feed them in the most unhealthy way possible. he gets dry food and never goes hungry. so no. he isnt doing it because he is hungry. Their bowls are never empty.

[BellaDonna]

Sometimes, even if there is food in their bowl and they are not hungry- they get all excited about the concept of being fed-

 

My cat would drive me nuts until she heard and saw the food poured into her bowl while she danced around my ankles. So now I feed her at night.

[EQD]

Sometimes, even if there is food in their bowl and they are not hungry- they get all excited about being fed-

 

My cat would drive me nuts until she heard and saw the food poured into her bowl. So now I feed her at night.

 

thats what i dont understand though, they are fed whenever. night or morning there is no real routine. i'm not about to wake up at 4 and put even more kibble in his already full bowl.

but for instance if i open the door (and i've only done this a few times when i was getting up anyway) thats all it takes, he walks in and doesnt make another noise. doesnt come over to be pet, just walks around my room and shuts up.

](*,)

[BellaDonna]

but for instance if i open the door (and i've only done this a few times when i was getting up anyway) thats all it takes, he walks in and doesnt make another noise. doesnt come over to be pet, just walks around my room and shuts up.

](*,)

 

He's afraid he is missing out on something.

 

My cat does things like that too- I don't usually lock her out intentionally- but sometimes she'll cry near the door and if I let her in the room she just stays for a brief time and then leaves.

[EQD]

He's afraid he is missing out on something.

 

My cat does things like that too- I don't usually lock her out intentionally- but sometimes she'll cry near the door and if I let her in the room she just stays for a brief time and then leaves.

 

oh god then you feel my pain! lol

i'd have no problem letting them in but 1) they shed all over the bed and 2) they'd probably lay on us and wake us up.

 

My SO is very intent on taking some pepper or hot spice and sticking it along the bottom of the door. but that wont stop the meowing...

[thejigsup]

My dear, you have to play with cats, really you do. I let mine sleep with me even though I'm allergic to pet dander. Hey, I love them. Maybe you need a quieter pet, like another fish. Why would you spray a creature who just wants your attention and love?

[EQD]

My dear, you have to play with cats, really you do. I let mine sleep with me even though I'm allergic to pet dander. Hey, I love them. Maybe you need a quieter pet, like another fish. Why would you spray a creature who just wants your attention and love?

 

hey now i didnt say i was going to spray my cats, i'm actually against my SO's pepper idea.

thats why i want to try the bathtub thing at night. I cant sleep very well with cat hair in my eyes, it takes 15 minutes to get out and they feel like effin razors, its not that i dont love my cats, i just dont like pain and losing sleep because i have small hamsters in my eyes.

i love my cats and when i adopted them both from the shelter i dedicated myself to them for life. meowing or not.

so. when i have time to play with them i do, my schedule is packed but that doesnt make me a bad pet owner... i came on here for help, so its better to see these threads asking for help than no thread at all.

[Perfect Dark]

I feel your pain. My cat does exactly the same thing.

[BellaDonna]

I think the sour apple spray is your best bet. They don't like the smell of it, but it is harmless to them. link removed

 

Pepper, or anything spicy can do them harm if they breathe it in or get it in/on their eyes or nose.

[annie24]

if your cat shuts up when you let him in, then just keep the door open a crack at night so he can come in if he wants. i think like bella said, he doesn't want to 'miss out' if he thinks there is fun being had. my cat used to do that too at 5 AM. however, i am a heavier sleeper and go right back to bed!!! he'd be quiet and give up.

[lavenderdove]

is there a way you can get a baby gate and put up at the door?

 

Perhaps the cat just wants to check on you and see what you're doing... get a gate the cat can see thru, but not climb over very easily. I had a cat like that, who couldn't stand a closed door, but was fine if she could see you.

 

Something like this maybe:

 

link removed

[Tethys]

Sheesh. Just get up and put him out in the morns. My cat does the same thing, every morn, like clockwork. It is annoying.

 

I call him demon-cat.

[COtuner]

could it be the time change?

[EQD]

Sheesh. Just get up and put him out in the morns. My cat does the same thing, every morn, like clockwork. It is annoying.

 

I call him demon-cat.

 

first of all.. i've already listed why i dont want the cats in my room

second, if i put my cats outside they will die. i live on a bad road and they arent outdoor cats.. i've seen alot of dead ones to know its not a good idea. plus there are dogs.. everywhere.

 

anyway i filled up my tub and put floaty toys in it, and i also happened to have got new tires yesterday and kept the old ones, i left them in the living room. And i also played with them and the feather toy on a stick for a little while before going to bed.

 

I got a full nights sleep.

 

Hopefully this is the magic formula.

[Tethys]

I live in the City -- but my cat has a garden to go to, and he sticks to it. That's why I said to put him out. If your situation is different, I understand.

[EQD]

I live in the City -- but my cat has a garden to go to, and he sticks to it. That's why I said to put him out. If your situation is different, I understand.

 

i live in the country, there is a pack of dogs that live behind my house, there are coyotes, and there are even more dogs accross the street.

my cats wouldnt last long at all if i set them out.

not to mention traffic.

[EQD]

last night didnt go as well as the night before.

he started up a little before 4 am. and went off and on until 5:15.

 

I played with him before bed, i fed him, the bowl was full, i filled up the tub, and i threw little plastic rings into his water dish that he could fish out and play with..

still.... meowing!

[Tethys]

I have lived in the country too, and it isn't that bad. Sounds like the pack of wild dogs should be dealt with.