My cats are driving me insane
Discussion
It seems a pretty recent thing, but currently anywhere between 4 and 6am they'll come into our bedroom and basically be a nuisance. The only way to really stop them is go and feed them.
Problems are: we can't shut the bedroom door, as they just scratch at the door constantly. We can't 'lock' them downstairs (where the dry food, water and cat flap is) as we have quite an open plan set up so there is no door to shut at the kitchen entrance, so no way of keeping them downstairs.
I suppose I'm not even sure what advice anyone can give me here, unless I'm prepared to somehow get a door fitted to the kitchen. The only thing I can think is that we start feeding them more wet food before we go to bed and hope they're satisfied until the morning? But I worry that won't that start over feeding if we're effectively adding in an extra mealtime to their day?
My other idea is to fill some trays with water and leave them by our bedroom door which might stop them scratching at it if we shut it as they won't want to stand in water! But that seems a but crazy.
I've had them nearly 14 years, so I'm certainly not new to owning cats, but it's only recently they've decided to start ruining our sleeping patterns.
Problems are: we can't shut the bedroom door, as they just scratch at the door constantly. We can't 'lock' them downstairs (where the dry food, water and cat flap is) as we have quite an open plan set up so there is no door to shut at the kitchen entrance, so no way of keeping them downstairs.
I suppose I'm not even sure what advice anyone can give me here, unless I'm prepared to somehow get a door fitted to the kitchen. The only thing I can think is that we start feeding them more wet food before we go to bed and hope they're satisfied until the morning? But I worry that won't that start over feeding if we're effectively adding in an extra mealtime to their day?
My other idea is to fill some trays with water and leave them by our bedroom door which might stop them scratching at it if we shut it as they won't want to stand in water! But that seems a but crazy.
I've had them nearly 14 years, so I'm certainly not new to owning cats, but it's only recently they've decided to start ruining our sleeping patterns.
Sheets Tabuer said:
Well bugger me I thought all cats woke you up at 5am.
It was more like 4am this morning. But your post worries me that perhaps that IS normal. It doesn't help that we only moved here a year ago, the last place we could shut them in the living room/kitchen where food and cat flap was. Scrump said:
Has this started since you moved house or more recently?
If more recently then has something else changed in their routine/food/environment?
It's been more recently, but to be honest since our move we have been renovating, so we've spent some time sleeping in the spare room, then even spent some time sleeping on the sofa, so nothing has been settled. If more recently then has something else changed in their routine/food/environment?
When we were sleeping in the spare room for quite a while, they did both like going under the bed and both had nice spots on the carpet underneath the bed that they spent most of the night.
Currently we have no carpets in the bedrooms, it's all still rather bare and 'work in progress' so I wonder if that's got something to do with it? When we get carpets down and it all becomes a bit more homely maybe they'll just settle in for the night in a comfy spot.
They do take turns sleeping on the bed, but for some reason despite being brother and sister they don't like being on the bed at the same time.
take-good-care-of-the-forest-dewey said:
So the cats have learned that if they pester you, you reward them with food... 
They'll have their own you tube channel on how to train humans soon.
Yes, this has also crossed my mind. They are clever buggers aren't they, so they probably know exactly what they're doing.....but for lack of any other option they might just have to win this one! They'll have their own you tube channel on how to train humans soon.
take-good-care-of-the-forest-dewey said:
UTH said:
Not much else I can do when the wife is also kicking me!
Whatever you do... Don't feed her. Voldemort said:
fwiw in the last couple of weeks our cats have increased their food intake by 50%. I'm predicting a hard winter.
In your case, you had let the cats have full access to the sleeping quarters and have now withdrawn this privilege. They will be pissed off about this.
You mean the sleeping quarter under the spare room bed? The bed is still there, but the carpet isn't, which I guess is the bit they liked. So yes, they are probably a bit pissed off about that perhaps. In your case, you had let the cats have full access to the sleeping quarters and have now withdrawn this privilege. They will be pissed off about this.
Vasco said:
Have they got a comfortable bed/space to sleep on in the kitchen?
Yeah they have access to the sofa where they spend most of the day when I'm working from home! They even both seem to have their favourite spots. Part of the problem might be me working from home since last March, they're used to being around me constantly, so perhaps they also want to follow me at night, even though staying down here would be much more comfortable!
Ronstein said:
It's a factor I've noticed appearing as cats get older. Our current cat is 16 and has three feeds a day now, the last one being as we go up to bed around
10:30. She's then usually quiet until around 7am, but no lie-in's are allowed!!!
Ok, interesting.....I wonder why this is? Don't old humans eat less and less and get thinner? But cats seem to do the opposite? 10:30. She's then usually quiet until around 7am, but no lie-in's are allowed!!!
We had exactly the same issue when we moved house. Open plan so no way of keeping the cat away from our bedroom (old house had a door from the kitchen to the rest of the house which did the job), cat would badger us for food any time from 4am. We too thought about installing a door or sending the cat to the circus. It’s all very well telling the OP not to feed the cats, but the cats will keep badgering until they get what they want, anyone who has cats knows they can’t be trained.
OP, our solution was to buy an automated cat feeder set for 5am. We have never been disturbed by the cat at an unreasonable hour since. Just a shame it doesn’t also work for 4 year old children
ETA: Cat Mate C100 - best £20 I spent in a while! (Or C200 for multiple cats).
OP, our solution was to buy an automated cat feeder set for 5am. We have never been disturbed by the cat at an unreasonable hour since. Just a shame it doesn’t also work for 4 year old children
ETA: Cat Mate C100 - best £20 I spent in a while! (Or C200 for multiple cats).
Edited by JagYouAre on Wednesday 20th October 11:37
UTH said:
Ronstein said:
It's a factor I've noticed appearing as cats get older. Our current cat is 16 and has three feeds a day now, the last one being as we go up to bed around
10:30. She's then usually quiet until around 7am, but no lie-in's are allowed!!!
OK, interesting.....I wonder why this is? Don't old humans eat less and less and get thinner? But cats seem to do the opposite? 10:30. She's then usually quiet until around 7am, but no lie-in's are allowed!!!
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