The problem with Bob is getting worse. He initially would wake me up around 5am to be fed, usually by knocking things (pens, alarm clock) off the table next to my bed. He then moved the time to 4am, and now he's after me to get up and feed him as early as 1:45am! I sprayed the table with repellant, which works as far as keeping him from attacking the table but now he goes after anything else in the room. I had to kick him out and shut the door last night, which I hate doing. My other cat Bickford never gives me a hard time at night, nor did my late cat Freckles. Any suggestions?
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Cat disrupting my sleep
- Thread starter bob'smom
- Start Date
What time the previous evening does he get fed? If he is not "free-fed" maybe you should push his dinner time back some, or give him a little snack right before bed. He may just be waking you up for attention, but if it is hunger, a bedtime snack might help him wait a little longer.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #3
He gets free-fed dry food and gets wet twice a day (morning and when I get home from work). I've tried giving him a snack around 10pm or so, but he still wakes me up.
Maybe he is doing it for attention? Or perhaps he just likes waking up early and can`t understand why you keep sleeping? Our cat is the same but he wakes my mom at 5-6am and since she wakes up around 6:20 am or something most of the time it ain`t a problem for now.
I dont know how long you've had your kitty, but when I brought Smidge home she disrupted my sleep too much - and the quickest way to get on my bad side to interrupt my prescious sleep Grr...
I used conditioning behavior and never deviated from my routine. It did not take her long to 'get it".
First thing - I never ever get up and feed her if she wakes me before I'm ready to get up. She's never rewarded for her bad behavior of 5:00 am wakeup calls so she gave it up quick.
Second thing - for any bad behavior once I'm sleeping (her fave thing is to go on top of the bureau and knock stuff off), I get up and remove her immediately from the room. I do not speak to her or cuddle, just a swift unemotional removal, with a closed door. I wanted to teach her it is a privilege to sleep with mother.
Setting up a nightly bedtime routine may or may not have helped. We have our bedtime ritual - I give her a snack and set up her bed on the couch (she has a fave blanket I set up every night, and only at bedtime). She immediately jumps on it and hunkers down. Once I'm in bed reading she usually comes in for a few minutes for licks and snuggles. I give her hugs and kisses and tell her it is bedtime a few times and turn out the light. The ritual is my way of saying "It is bedtime and no awake games until mom is up". I want her to distinguish between "awake" time and activities and "bed time". With consistency again, she figured it out right quick.
She also has calmed down as she got a bit older. I brought her home at age 10 mns or so when she had a lot more energy.
The key thing to remember is not to reward your kitty for his"bad" behavior, by reacting, or feeding, or whatnot.
I used conditioning behavior and never deviated from my routine. It did not take her long to 'get it".
First thing - I never ever get up and feed her if she wakes me before I'm ready to get up. She's never rewarded for her bad behavior of 5:00 am wakeup calls so she gave it up quick.
Second thing - for any bad behavior once I'm sleeping (her fave thing is to go on top of the bureau and knock stuff off), I get up and remove her immediately from the room. I do not speak to her or cuddle, just a swift unemotional removal, with a closed door. I wanted to teach her it is a privilege to sleep with mother.
Setting up a nightly bedtime routine may or may not have helped. We have our bedtime ritual - I give her a snack and set up her bed on the couch (she has a fave blanket I set up every night, and only at bedtime). She immediately jumps on it and hunkers down. Once I'm in bed reading she usually comes in for a few minutes for licks and snuggles. I give her hugs and kisses and tell her it is bedtime a few times and turn out the light. The ritual is my way of saying "It is bedtime and no awake games until mom is up". I want her to distinguish between "awake" time and activities and "bed time". With consistency again, she figured it out right quick.
She also has calmed down as she got a bit older. I brought her home at age 10 mns or so when she had a lot more energy.
The key thing to remember is not to reward your kitty for his"bad" behavior, by reacting, or feeding, or whatnot.
ugggh my boyfriend and I are having the same problems...our 7 month old kitten will NOT sleep through the night...and I thought this may be because she is just younger and has more energy...but I just don't know. I would LOVE to be able to not allow her in our room and shut the door at night if she is bad but she will stick her paws under the door and bang on it that way until one of us gets up and lets her back in. I haven't had a good, uninterrupted nights sleep in awhile. If you have any suggestions for keeping her from sticking her paw under the door and making noise that way...that would be GREATLY appreciated.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #7
I've had him for almost 2 years. He was a stray and is about 5 or 6 years old. I get up not to feed him when he wakes me up but to go to the bathroom. I think I do react too much, even if I'm not feeding him. I didn't mind this behavior when it started at 5am, but 4 and earlier is just too much.Originally Posted by CDubbie
I dont know how long you've had your kitty, but when I brought Smidge home she disrupted my sleep too much - and the quickest way to get on my bad side to interrupt my prescious sleep Grr...
I used conditioning behavior and never deviated from my routine. It did not take her long to 'get it".
First thing - I never ever get up and feed her if she wakes me before I'm ready to get up. She's never rewarded for her bad behavior of 5:00 am wakeup calls so she gave it up quick.
Second thing - for any bad behavior once I'm sleeping (her fave thing is to go on top of the bureau and knock stuff off), I get up and remove her immediately from the room. I do not speak to her or cuddle, just a swift unemotional removal, with a closed door. I wanted to teach her it is a privilege to sleep with mother.
Setting up a nightly bedtime routine may or may not have helped. We have our bedtime ritual - I give her a snack and set up her bed on the couch (she has a fave blanket I set up every night, and only at bedtime). She immediately jumps on it and hunkers down. Once I'm in bed reading she usually comes in for a few minutes for licks and snuggles. I give her hugs and kisses and tell her it is bedtime a few times and turn out the light. The ritual is my way of saying "It is bedtime and no awake games until mom is up". I want her to distinguish between "awake" time and activities and "bed time". With consistency again, she figured it out right quick.
She also has calmed down as she got a bit older. I brought her home at age 10 mns or so when she had a lot more energy.
The key thing to remember is not to reward your kitty for his"bad" behavior, by reacting, or feeding, or whatnot.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #8
I took the advice and put Bob out of the room when he acted up. I heard him tearing up the living room (the heating unit has a duct that comes into the bedroom and I heard him on it half the night). I ignored him and when I awoke at 5:30 this morning then I fed him. I hope he gets the message soon!
