Two in the morning!?!?

I am about to hang Darcy from the clothesline by her toenails
For the past two months that we have had her, she has slept through the night with no problem. Suddenly, this week, she feels the need to wake up at two in the freaking morning going "ow, ow?, oooww" (she is very nasal so that is what her little noises sound like) and scratches at the wall, or the door, or whatever is handy. I have tried ignoring her, I have tried spraying her with water (she just moves to where I can't get to her) I have tried making an extra effort to wear her out before bed, but nothing works. She isn't scratching at a particular place on the wall, so I don't think that it is a rodent problem, she just seems to want our attention.

I am about ready to cry. She didn't used to do this. The only suggestion that I have had is that maybe she really wasn't spayed (even though her adoption records says that she was) and that she might be in heat. I can't find a scar on her tummy, but she is covered in fur.

Why would a cat start this all of a sudden

Has there been any changes in the household at all? Sometimes that can make their behavior change a little bit! Im not really sure but I hope it gets better for you soon!!

No major changes in the house. The only changes that I can think of are:

I am now using crutches and have my foot in a brace.

Hubby and I have had this week off.



None of the changes have really been anything that I would attribute to this new behavior.

Can you take him to the vet?? Maybe he's trying to tell you something. Mine do that! I always get told when there's something wrong!

I don't think that anything is physically wrong with her. She has a great appetite, normal litterbox habits, normal stools, and is as active as ever. Her coat is sleek and shiny. The only reason that I would take her to the vet for this problem, is if I continue to think that she may be in heat, but I don't know how a cat in heat behaves. If she is in heat, then the adoption ppl lied about her being spayed.

Check her belly for the scar! It stays there forever so It should still be there if she was really spayed!

I did, but I couldn't find a scar. Awhile back, I had her at the vet for a checkup and I told her about a bump that I thought was an umbilical hernia, but the vet said that (without looking, just feeling) it was the top stitch from her incision that hadn't dissolved yet. This was a brand new vet for Darcy because she had just been adopted by us, so it wasn't the one who had performed the spay.

Your being home might be a reason as to why the cat is now waking you up at 2am. Every time my schedule changes, George's schedule also changes - and it doesn't jive with mine!! If I'm home a lot during the day, he gets use to seeing me and thinks I should be able to play all day and night long. I try my best to ignore him when he comes around trying to wake me up and it usually takes him a few nights to realize that I'm NOT getting up - no matter how much he wants me to. Hopefully, once you get back into your "normal" routine you'll be sleeping through the night again (it might take a few nights). But then, if you're taking time off during the Christmas holidays everyone might be off kilter again! Maybe by mid-January you'll be back to normal (sorry to say!).

I hope that is all it is. We haven't been home during the days though, and she never acts like this on weekends. This is just so "out of the blue" for her, I hope she quits this behavior soon. I can't take this now, much less when I have to work.

I have yet to be able to see a spay scar on any female cat that I've had...at least not after the hair grew back, so that's no indication of a spay. I seriously doubt that a shelter would lie and say the cat had been spayed when she had not. It is possible that a bit of uterus gets left behind inadvertantly during a spay, and so a cat can go into heat, but other causes would seem more likely. To my mind, there are three possible causes.

1. Something physically wrong. Eating and good litterbox habits are not the only signs of health. Changes in behavior can often signal changes in health. I'm not saying that there is anything physically wrong with her, but I wouldn't dismiss the possibility out of hand either.

2. Some change in her environment that is stressing her out. It could be something as simple as another cat hanging around outside, or some change inside...even something as seemingly minor as a new cleaning product being used can upset a kitty if she finds it unpleasant.

3. She's just looking for attention, for whatever reason. Maybe she's lonely...is she an "only kitty"? My JinJin would do that at 5am...just cry like that to beat the band. She stopped doing it when Sabina came. Now they keep each other company in the wee hours.

Whatever the cause, she is not doing it to annoy you. She's trying to communicate with you in the only way she knows how.

Well, Darcy is not an only cat. I actually got her to keep Marcie company. I guess that I will call the vet tomorrow and get her opinion on the change in behavior. Dr Young is really good with my girsl, she will probably have some good solutions. It is just incredibly frusterating to be awakened at two in the morning three straight days in a row. She usually doesn't stop this behavior until about 6 or 7 am.

I hope you find out it's "nothing" and don't need to worry. When I finally get George trained, something changes and we start all over again He really was all messed up with Thanksgiving - the hours and the commotion - not to mention the fire in the fireplace!! I went in to work for a bit this afternoon just to get back home at the "normal" hour. He's then ready for his dinner and lounging around for the evening. George is really into "routine" and hates to stray from it.

My guess is that it's the schedule change. My cats know my schedule and anytime there's a change to it, there's some effect on them. I can count on my Callie to jump in bed with me around 4AM, after she's had a little snack and gone potty. If she jumps in between 2A & 3A, then she's looking for love. If I've lost track of time during the day, Hannah will loudly remind me it's feeding time. If I don't get up and feed her, she starts terrorizing Callie, then she proceeds to start running around the house like her tail's on fire!!

Hope you're able to figure it out soon as I know how frustrating it can be to lose sleep!!

Stephanie

clipix: does that mean that they screwed something up on kitten? You could see and feel that scar until the day she died! It protruded outward and I guess I just thought it was suppose to do that!

I've seen some kitties where you can see the spay scar, but for most of them, you cannot.

How's Darcy? Is she still a 2am girl?