sleeping on the bed

sylorna · Aug 7, 2005

Ok, this may be the dumbest question ever but I have to ask it on behalf of my mom. We recently adopted a new cat (1 1/5 years old) named Luna. She's settling in well, but mom has a problem. Luna wasn't allowed on the bed, or even in the bedroom of her prior house. Mom loves having a cat sleep with her. This is causing a problem because mom will bring Luna into the bedroom numerous times during the night, Luna leaves and then gets lonely and howls.
Does anyone have any idea how to get her to sleep with mom at night? I think it's going to take persistance, but she very loudly says "she's wont sleep with me" every morning and I feel so badly for her.
Any thoughts or ideas?
Jess

leesali · Aug 7, 2005

Maybe entice her into the bed with a toy or some string to play with. I find if I drag a string, my entire fuzzy crew of 4 will follow me anywhere. Sit & play with her in the bed for awhile...possibly she just needs the "ok" that it is now "ok" to be in a bed

salem cat · Aug 7, 2005

This is just an idea, but maybe if Mom was to set up a make-shift temp bed somewhere like the livingroom and have Luna sleep with her there, slowly moving it a little more towards her bedroom every night. It might take quite a few nights, but on that last night, when one more move is the real bed, Luna wont even realize it's the real thing and will sleep with her as usual in what she thinks is the make-shift bed

Good luck if you try this, and let me know if it works or not!

purr · Aug 7, 2005

When I moved into a different room, my cat wouldn't stay on the bed with me either. What I did was get him when he's sleeping so he's already really sleepy, and take him in there and lay down with him, then keep petting and petting and petting until he laid down and fell asleep. Two nights doing that did it!

He was just really curious/anxious being in a new room.

hissy · Aug 7, 2005

Luna has probably been programmed to stay out of the bedroom. Most people that don't want cats to sleep with them, will shut the bedroom door at night, spray the cat with water or discourage the cat to even be in there. Make the bedroom the room where Luna is fed, where she is played with, and put her litter pan in there as well. Let her find her comfort zone there in the room, and then jumping on the bed won't be so strange for her.

jennyr · Aug 8, 2005

Where does she actually sleep? Does she have a blanket or cushion or catbed that she uses? You could gradually move her bed until it is in the bedroom and then eventually onto the bed

sylorna · Aug 8, 2005

Thanks guys,
I'll print off this thread and give it to mom. I think you're on the right track making sure mom's room= luna's room. She wants to play with mom on the bed often, but mom doesn't want to play with her. She's worried that Luna will get it in her mind that you don't sleep on the bed, you come in in the middle of the night to play on the bed. I'll let you know how it all turns out.
Jess

KitEKats4Eva! · Aug 8, 2005

Is she generally affectionate anyway? That might be a place to start if she's not really a very cuddly cat. Get her used to being petted and loved and falling asleep on your Mum's lap. And if your Mum moves Luna's stuff into her room, and then spends a lot of time in there with her - particularly before your Mum falls asleep - that may help.

Don't forget cats are nocturnal animals and generally prefer to be active at night unless trained otherwise from kittenhood. If she has never been allowed on the bed she may have found many other ways to entertain herself while her family was asleep - and now that she is getting the love and affection that she didn't have before, sleeping on the bed still feels weird but being alone from the people who treat her so lovingly is confusing, too.

LIke anything, I think it will take patience and encouragement - but your Mum will reap the rewards in the end!

sylorna · Aug 8, 2005

Originally Posted by KitEKats4Eva!

Is she generally affectionate anyway? That might be a place to start if she's not really a very cuddly cat. Get her used to being petted and loved and falling asleep on your Mum's lap. And if your Mum moves Luna's stuff into her room, and then spends a lot of time in there with her - particularly before your Mum falls asleep - that may help.

Don't forget cats are nocturnal animals and generally prefer to be active at night unless trained otherwise from kittenhood. If she has never been allowed on the bed she may have found many other ways to entertain herself while her family was asleep - and now that she is getting the love and affection that she didn't have before, sleeping on the bed still feels weird but being alone from the people who treat her so lovingly is confusing, too.

LIke anything, I think it will take patience and encouragement - but your Mum will reap the rewards in the end!

She's cautious about loving. The lady who lived with her before wasn't able to take care of her well, and they apparently had a "personality mismatch". Luna loves MOM and will watch her go around the room, only purr for her, etc, but wont sit on her lap (another taught thing) and can be a little skittery sometimes. She gets better every day, but mom has been impatient from the start. We'll work on it. Slowly but surely.

sleeping on the bed

sylorna

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leesali

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salem cat

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purr

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hissy

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jennyr

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sylorna

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KitEKats4Eva!

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sylorna

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