My cat won't sleep at night. Help?

ericyoung

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We've recently moved to a new smaller place with our cat and he won't lt us sleep. He also just came from a place with other cats to here where it's just him. We've tried playing with him until he's so tired he has to go lie down and cool off on the floor but after about 15 minutes he's back up getting into everything and whining/meowing and attacking the blinds. I have classes to go to and my girlfriend has insomnia among other things so sleep is very important for her. We've also tried putting anti stress stuff in his water, calming sprays, playing with him until he's panting and has to go lie down on the floor to cool off,  and putting him in his carrier for 10-20 minutes to see if he'd calm down and none of it is working. We live in a small apartment which is basically just an open square so closing a bedroom door to keep him out isn't an option. Any suggestions on how to get him to calm down and sleep at night would be greatly appreciated. 
 

stephenq

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Hi there,

Play for cats is predatory, its about killing the mouse so to speak so when you play with him before bed, you should complete the cycle of predation by finishing the play session with a small meal, about an hour before bed.  Now he gets to eat the "mouse" not just play with it and this may help him calm down.

How old is he?

He nay benefit from a buddy, so he has another cat to play with, instead of you.  Something to at least think about.

Here is a great article on this topic: http://www.thecatsite.com/a/cats-and-night-crazies
 

shatha

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I've been having the same problem for the past couple of nights. my 2 years old won't sleep alone in the living room any more. When i first got Pasha about 2 months ago i let him sleep in my bed but couple of weeks later i introduced a new routine for him to slepp in the living room and he's been fine for weeks. he even stopped hawling at 4:00 AM outside my bedroom. he would just wait for me to come out at around 7 or 8. however for the past couple of nights he just wouldn't have it. i nap with him a littel while watching TV and then go to bedroom around 11 or so at night but he would just keep hawling every couple of hours which means he doesn't sleep through and neither would his hawling allow me to sleep.

last night after going to bed and the hawling I went out to leave him with one of my t-shirts, I thought it would give him comfort but he ran so fast behind me before i close my bedroom and so I let him sleep on bed with me and he had a good night but not me.. he wakes up at 6:00 AM.. i let him out and close the door so I can go back to sleep but he keeps screating murder.

this routine used to happend when i first got him. i started ignoring his hawling and that's when he got the message and been good for weeks until recently. I have been going to work very tired and not in my greates moods. I am not sure what's going on. I have recently made the switch from dry to wet food which he loves. I have also spent one night out the last 2 weekends. there are the only 2 changes i can think of that happened around  him.

please let me  know if anyone has any insights to what's going on and what i should do to get a good night sleep and avoid him screaming murder almost all night long.
 

shatha

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he is two and a half years old and yes he is neutered.
 

loribeth

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wow ...seems this is a perianal problem!  Same problem for me pretty much ...2 yr. old neutered ..have had him about 6 weeks.  I work during the day so cannot keep him awake & busy ...he very likely sleeps much of the day ...and he has to be on top of me when he does sleep  at night ...he is very restless at night & always has to be on me, rather than beside me.  And yowling at the door if I shut him out ...I don't mean to hijack this thread,(but it seems foolish to start another one on the same topic) so I'll be following it closely

 

shatha

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He's sleeping on top of me as we speak.. I try to "put him to sleep" before I go to bed but obviously the minute the move he's up.. I go into my bedroom and he starts hauling minutes later.. He deaf so it gets really loud.. I had to come home at lunch today to nap because I had after I had woken up to let him in I couldn't go back to sleep.. I was thinking maybe he hungry coz I've change the food and portions but then he slept throughout the minute he was on my bed.. I really can't afford another night again.. Will write again tomorrow if any changes..
It helps knowing someone else is going through the same thing.. Thanks for sharing
 

shatha

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this is regarding Pasha, 2 years old nutered male cat  I have adopted about 2 months ago.

I finally had a good night sleep last night. it wasn't great but it was good.

As i had just switched to wet food and still figuring out the calories and quantity, I tried instead of leaving him with dry food as snack in case he wakes up early or mid night, i fed him half 80g wet food at around 10:00. I then went to bed an hour later,, without him and there was no hauling all night until 4:00 AM. I obviously didn't open the door. I continued to ignore him until i was ready to wake up.

my new diet routin is half 80g canne in the morning followed by 80g for lunch when I am back from work and then another 40g at night for dinner. based on my research he should be on 110 calories (ideal weight 5.5 kg x 20 calory for each kg/lb). he is now at around 16lb (7.7kg) and needs to go down to 5.5  kg.

he's not much of a player.. he just wants to chill and sit on his lazy bum all day :p. he has this huge 2m tree house which he now stopped using. i tried spraying it, i tried putting treats on the higher areas but he is not that interested.
 
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