Insomnia!

i need some sleep!

for those of you have read previous posts of mine, you will remember that I have taken in a stray cat called Jasper (about 6 months ago). Obviously being a stray he was used to the outdoors and we used to let him out. Used to let him out until we saw him nearly under the wheels of several vehicles. So now he is an indoor cat.

This was all going fine until recently - a few weeks ago, when for no apparent reason he seems to wake us up VERY early int he mornings and cry and cry and cry until he gets fed. He will be OK for another half an hour and then cry some more. Cry, chirp, meow, chirp a bit more and whine.

He really is doing my head in.


Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can make him sleep (like my other very quiet cat) other than getting otu of bed at the crack of dawn to feed him? I have considered a little milk and whisky but I thinkt his would be classed as animal cruelty!

I thought of getting him a 'timer' feeder so that he can sit in anticipation of it feeding him.....but he is such a little rotter that he woudl probably destroy it within a few days (when he wants his food, he wants it NOW!)

He wasn't wormed that long ago, so I can't believe that it is worms.

Help!

Well......I free feed mine at night so that the night time is quieter around here. I don't know if this would help you, but it might be worth a try to put down a bowl of kibble before you go to bed?

I agree, I would keep a bowl of dry food out at night and then just pick it up in the morning when you get up. If he is a little porker, you can use the light food for night time feeding.

if I put down a 20kg tub of food before bed....he would try his damnedest to eat it all!!!! maybe it's because of his stray/scrounging past?

That could be. My older cat was neglected and abused, and for a long time she used to scarf food like crazy, and then throw up because it was too much. I went through all these methods of trying to get her to eat slowly all day. Giving her food on a time schedule made it worse, so then I tried just putting a few kibbles in the bowl at a time. Worse still. Eventually, I put down 6-7 bowls of food and let her pig out and throw up and just kept so much food around she eventually realised there will always be food.

Anyways, back to your problem. You cannot let your cat bully you like this! I love my kitties and they are so spoiled, but the one things I don't budge on is sleep time. I feed mine feely with the dry food, then wet food with warm water and supplements at night and in the morning, but not always at the same time. If my kitten is bugging me while I'm trying to fall asleep, he gets shut out of the bedroom. If he still is annoying, like meowing outside the door, he gets shut downstairs. That sounds mean but it's a big space with another bedroom and living area with litter boxes, food and water and plenty of toys. It didn't take long, and now he sleeps with us at night. And morning!

I think cats understand more than they let on. We have a joke command for kitty at bedtime: "Sit down and Shut Up!". He does it too. It's funny.

the trouble with locking him in / out of any rooms is that Jasmine(the other cat) is so interested in why he has been locked in / out that she chastises him and makes it worse! He then starts scratching at doors and making even more noise.

I had a tip yesterday tho which may / may not work.

I feed my cats ona mixture of fresh tuna and Science Plan and I was told that soaking the dry science plan in a little water overnight, lets it swell and makes it more difficult to eat quickly - that might make him slow down.

But it still leaves the 'morning' problem - which I have no ideas to stop!

Perhaps I will try ear plugs!!!!

When do you usually mix the dry and tuna and feed them???

i've only tried it once - today and they usually have a bit of tuna in the morning with dry science plan and then science plan for tea.

i used to leave a bowl down all day when I only had Jasmine and she would nibble as and when she was peckish. Now, bless her, she wolfs it all down as well because she's scared of Jasper pinching it!!!!

Just an idea, but if you are feeding the "good stuff" in the morning, that is probably the culprit right there. Cats in their wonderful way of thinking, think it's manditory to be on a routine. If that routine is broken, there is hell to pay. I would try and pick another time such as early afternoon or evening when you are having dinner to do the main feeding. This way mornings aren't so special anymore. It will take a good week or two to get them into the new routine, but I bet it will help with your morning rooster!!