Morning Moaning!!

miss wiggle

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Hi there,

Joined up cos I'm having a few issues with one of my cats, it's nothing massively serious just a bit annoying and I'd like to be able to sort it if I can. I've had a browse through the pinned topics but there doesn't seem to be anything which deals with my situation.... if there is and I've missed it then sorry and can you give me a link to it!

So I've got two cats, only other pets and fish and a gecko so no other animals running loose around the house or anything like that. No kids, it's just me and the other half.

So background....

Our oldest cat Miss Mittens, is about 5 years old, I got her from the RSPCA when she was about 2, she'd been shipped around from pillar to post, had several homes, as a result of this she didn't trust anyone and when she felt backed into a corner she'd get agressive. I took a chance on her and once she'd been settled and living with me for a year or so she was a million times calmer and started to grow into a really nice cat, then she started to get quite posessive of me wouldn't like to have anyone else in the house and would get agressive with them. Came to a head when I started seeing my partner, he came round once after we'd been seeing each other a month or so.... we were having a cuddle on the sofa... i won't elaborate but lets say she must have thought he was attacking me or something cos she launched herself at his head and scratched him really badly. At that point I thought I really have to do something about her behaviour. Looked around for advice and got some suggestions, nothing seemed to make any difference and it really got to the kill or cure point, you know when you're at your wits end and you try something drastic in the hope it'll work out.

So we decided to get another cat, I hoped that having some company for her and forcing her to accept another prescence in the house would make her learn to accept other people in the house. Had a rough couple of months introducing them but once the initial hostilities were over it did work out pretty well. Miss Mittens calmed down and is now quite comfortable with other people and is a brilliant cat.

The new cat we got Lu-Li (both female by the way) is pretty boisterous, the two cats aren't best friends but get on ok, they have a little scrap from time to time but nothing serious and they never do any damage.

They aren't indoor cats but we don't have a cat flap (not possible where we live) so we have to let them in and out ourselves. Miss Mittens is quite independent and especially in the warm summer weather will quite often stay out overnight or through the day while we're at work. Lu-Li likes going out, but doesn't like having the door shut on her, if you shut the front door she immediatley wants to come back indoors. So she will go out and if the weather's nice I don't mind leaving the door open for her to come and go, but she won't stay out overnight or anything like that.

Anyway sure that's more than enough background, onto the actual problem

Lu-Li is very vocal and very demanding, particularly in the mornings. She's got into a habit/routine which I would like to break, would like some advice on how to go about it.

Basically from the minute I sit up in bed in the morning she's miaowing at me for her breakfast, she'll miaow literally every 10 seconds or so from the minute i set foot out of the bed until i go and feed her. we've another cat who doesn't do this at all, just waits patiently until I feed her and only starts miaowing at me as I get the food out of the cupboard for her.

Morning routine is basically I get up, go to the bathroom and go to the loo, as Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m sat on the loo she comes in and miaows at me and rubs herself around my legs, then Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ll go back into the bedroom and brush my hair as Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m doing this she stands in the door between the bedroom and the landing and miaows at me from there, then as I go to the bathroom she runs off downstairs thinking Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m going to feed her straight away, I go into the bathroom and get into the shower, sheâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ll come back upstairs maybe 20 seconds later and she jumps up onto the basin which is opposite the shower so she can see in to me and all the time Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m in the shower she constantly miaows at me. I donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t take ages but I like to wash my hair every day so Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m probably in there for 5-10 minutes. Then I go back into the bedroom to get dressed, again she follows me and stands in the doorway and moans constantly. I donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t blow dry my hair or wear make up most days so I donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t take ages, just long enough to find something to wear, put it on and brush my hair. Then I go downstairs, the other cat is often out overnight so I let her in first then give both cats their food. So this probably takes 20 minutes or so, all this time Lu-Li is just constantly moaning at me and it really does my head in. Sheâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s a lovely cat (if a touch boisterous) apart from this but you know when something happens everyday and it just grates on your nerves that little bit more every day!!

Our bedroom door doesnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t close properly so canâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t shut her out of there (weâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]re refurbâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ing the house….. itâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s on the list of jobs but itâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s nowhere near the top of the list!!), the bathroom door does shut but if I shut her out she just stands outside the door, scratches at it and moans, I donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t want her running the doors so Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ve found itâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s best to just leave them open.

We have a bottle of water which we use to squirt at them when they are being naughty and it seems to sort of work short term but not long term. So if they get squirted they will stop whatever they are doing, but it doesnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t stop them from going back and doing it again. Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ve tried flicking water at her from the shower while sheâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s moaning at me and she runs off but it back a minute later doing it again.

Is there anything I can do to discourage this or break her habit?

While she's a handful at times she really is a lovely cat, when she's been fed she's so happy and fairly chilled out and loves nothing more than cuddling up with her Daddy. But I am not a morning person at the best of times and every morning it just grates on my nerves that little bit more and is starting to become a bit of a problem.
 

skimble

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Cats out during the day.

Bring them in at night and play with them.

Feed them a good meal before bed.

Leave enough food out for them all night.

Close the bedroom door.
 
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miss wiggle

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i feel like if i give in to her it'll only make her think that crying at me gets her what she wants, i don't want to encourage her to behave like this..... have i got that wrong?!

I couldn't shut her out during the day, she scratches at the front door if she's shut out and she'd trash it.
 

sport

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Hi,
In my limited experience, I find that playing my little Sport really, really hard just before bedtime seems to do the trick for me. I have him wound up like a top..then I feed him, and then we go to bed and he doesn't bother either me or my partner until it is time for US to get up. So I would definitely have to agree with Skimble. Best of luck to you. Please let us know if anything works.

Peace, Love and Tie Dye
,
Rob and Sport
 

sport

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Originally Posted by Miss Wiggle

i feel like if i give in to her it'll only make her think that crying at me gets her what she wants, i don't want to encourage her to behave like this..... have i got that wrong?!

I couldn't shut her out during the day, she scratches at the front door if she's shut out and she'd trash it.
Hi,
Again..in my limited experience, cats are going to do what they want, wheather we like it or not. If you give in to them, they will eventually find...that whatever it is that you give into them on...will lose it's "specialness", if you know what I mean. I know that's kind of double talk. Give in to them and they will then give in to you. Messed up, I know, but it works for me.

Peace
,
Rob and Sport
 
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miss wiggle

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ha ha that sorta makes sense, thanks for the tips. she normally has her dinner fairly early in the evening, i'll see if putting a little bit of extra food down before bed calms her in the morning.
 
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miss wiggle

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well i tried feeding her before bed and playing with her before bed...... absolutely no difference! guess it's something i'll just have to live with.


thanks for the tips though
 

shanynne

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Originally Posted by Miss Wiggle

Hi there,

Joined up cos I'm having a few issues with one of my cats, it's nothing massively serious just a bit annoying and I'd like to be able to sort it if I can. I've had a browse through the pinned topics but there doesn't seem to be anything which deals with my situation.... if there is and I've missed it then sorry and can you give me a link to it!

So I've got two cats, only other pets and fish and a gecko so no other animals running loose around the house or anything like that. No kids, it's just me and the other half.

So background....

Our oldest cat Miss Mittens, is about 5 years old, I got her from the RSPCA when she was about 2, she'd been shipped around from pillar to post, had several homes, as a result of this she didn't trust anyone and when she felt backed into a corner she'd get agressive. I took a chance on her and once she'd been settled and living with me for a year or so she was a million times calmer and started to grow into a really nice cat, then she started to get quite posessive of me wouldn't like to have anyone else in the house and would get agressive with them. Came to a head when I started seeing my partner, he came round once after we'd been seeing each other a month or so.... we were having a cuddle on the sofa... i won't elaborate but lets say she must have thought he was attacking me or something cos she launched herself at his head and scratched him really badly. At that point I thought I really have to do something about her behaviour. Looked around for advice and got some suggestions, nothing seemed to make any difference and it really got to the kill or cure point, you know when you're at your wits end and you try something drastic in the hope it'll work out.

So we decided to get another cat, I hoped that having some company for her and forcing her to accept another prescence in the house would make her learn to accept other people in the house. Had a rough couple of months introducing them but once the initial hostilities were over it did work out pretty well. Miss Mittens calmed down and is now quite comfortable with other people and is a brilliant cat.

The new cat we got Lu-Li (both female by the way) is pretty boisterous, the two cats aren't best friends but get on ok, they have a little scrap from time to time but nothing serious and they never do any damage.

They aren't indoor cats but we don't have a cat flap (not possible where we live) so we have to let them in and out ourselves. Miss Mittens is quite independent and especially in the warm summer weather will quite often stay out overnight or through the day while we're at work. Lu-Li likes going out, but doesn't like having the door shut on her, if you shut the front door she immediatley wants to come back indoors. So she will go out and if the weather's nice I don't mind leaving the door open for her to come and go, but she won't stay out overnight or anything like that.

Anyway sure that's more than enough background, onto the actual problem

Lu-Li is very vocal and very demanding, particularly in the mornings. She's got into a habit/routine which I would like to break, would like some advice on how to go about it.

Basically from the minute I sit up in bed in the morning she's miaowing at me for her breakfast, she'll miaow literally every 10 seconds or so from the minute i set foot out of the bed until i go and feed her. we've another cat who doesn't do this at all, just waits patiently until I feed her and only starts miaowing at me as I get the food out of the cupboard for her.

Morning routine is basically I get up, go to the bathroom and go to the loo, as Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m sat on the loo she comes in and miaows at me and rubs herself around my legs, then Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ll go back into the bedroom and brush my hair as Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m doing this she stands in the door between the bedroom and the landing and miaows at me from there, then as I go to the bathroom she runs off downstairs thinking Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m going to feed her straight away, I go into the bathroom and get into the shower, sheâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ll come back upstairs maybe 20 seconds later and she jumps up onto the basin which is opposite the shower so she can see in to me and all the time Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m in the shower she constantly miaows at me. I donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t take ages but I like to wash my hair every day so Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m probably in there for 5-10 minutes. Then I go back into the bedroom to get dressed, again she follows me and stands in the doorway and moans constantly. I donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t blow dry my hair or wear make up most days so I donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t take ages, just long enough to find something to wear, put it on and brush my hair. Then I go downstairs, the other cat is often out overnight so I let her in first then give both cats their food. So this probably takes 20 minutes or so, all this time Lu-Li is just constantly moaning at me and it really does my head in. Sheâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s a lovely cat (if a touch boisterous) apart from this but you know when something happens everyday and it just grates on your nerves that little bit more every day!!

Our bedroom door doesnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t close properly so canâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t shut her out of there (weâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]re refurbâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ing the house….. itâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s on the list of jobs but itâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s nowhere near the top of the list!!), the bathroom door does shut but if I shut her out she just stands outside the door, scratches at it and moans, I donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t want her running the doors so Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ve found itâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s best to just leave them open.

We have a bottle of water which we use to squirt at them when they are being naughty and it seems to sort of work short term but not long term. So if they get squirted they will stop whatever they are doing, but it doesnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t stop them from going back and doing it again. Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ve tried flicking water at her from the shower while sheâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s moaning at me and she runs off but it back a minute later doing it again.

Is there anything I can do to discourage this or break her habit?


While she's a handful at times she really is a lovely cat, when she's been fed she's so happy and fairly chilled out and loves nothing more than cuddling up with her Daddy. But I am not a morning person at the best of times and every morning it just grates on my nerves that little bit more and is starting to become a bit of a problem.
No offense but why not just go and feed them after you're finished in the loo? Why should your cats have to wait on *you* ?? It doesn't take that long to feed them. To you, your morning routine might not seem to take long, but to a hungry cat, it seems like an eternity.
 
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