What's your bedtime routine?

Many of you have several cats, and if I had more than one cat, and they were all like Napolean, I would never get ANY sleep! I was reading other behavior topics and what not, and last night as I went to bed it got me thinking. Napolean and I really do have our "routine" down when it comes to going to bed.

I set my alarm, turn off the light, and hop into bed. Napolean will jump onto the bed, rub me once, hop down and have some snacks [[he gets about a cup of dry food a day, some wet in the evening]] then he'll jump on the bed, walk over my legs, and come up behind my head and make biscuits in my hair and on my neck. I think he likes the way my hair feels. He'll make biscuits for a while, and then press his paws into my neck [[feels quite nice actually]]. He doesn't use his claws, sometimes he gets a bit over zealous and he uses his claws a bit on my head, but for the most part he doesn't. And he purrs, and purrs, and purrs. He does this every night for anywhere between 5-15minutes. Then he lays there until I fall asleep. Usually if I wake up he's down at my feet, or like last night I dozed off and woke just as he got up to go sleep at my feet. But we do this every night.

What is your bedtime routine?

Although Ollie's been acting a little differently lately because of the weather change, we have a pretty usual routine... I dont have a set bed time, being in college and all, but he knows when I grab the crosswords and get under the sheets, its time - I sit up with my knees up doing the crosswords and he jumps up, plops leaning up against my legs and starts preening... he preens until I situate the pillows, shut off the light, and turn the tv volume down.. then he curls up, usually partially on my pillow, and starts purring - he HAS to be touching mommy and must know i need his purrs to sleep, especially when Jim's not here... we rarely resituatie at night, but he gets up around 5am, hops down, eats breakfast, has a poo and watches out the window some... he's always back curled up next to my tummy by the time i wake up - making me never wanna get out of bed! The only reason I know his morning routine is cuz I hear him digging to the other side of the world to cover his morning poo, tee hee

I just got two new kittens and the routine is interesting. Bonnie jumps up on the bed and rubs against me and usually curls up in my arm pit. (I know she's weird...) Cali usually come a bit later, shes not as lovey as Bonnie and just sleeps on one side of the bed. Then Tyson jumps up on the bed annoys the kittens a little then falls asleep at my feet after some kneeding and purring and sometimes head butts.... The kittens usually wake me up @ 4am with their WWF action on the bed. They are rolling around and kicking each others butt. I just pick them up and put them outside my room and Tyson and I usually go back to bed!

I love it and wouldn't want it any other way

My bedroom is upstairs, so I walk to the bottom of the stairs and call everyone's name to tell them it is bedtime. I hear the *rumble* *rumble* of feet scampering from all over the house and they either run up the stairs ahead of me or follow me up the stairs. They grab a light snack in the hallway outside the bedroom while waiting for me to get up the stairs.

I stop in to say goodnight to Emily, who chooses to live upstairs apart from the dogs, then crawl into bed. Scarlett hops up to the right of my pillow and flings herself on her back for her bedtime belly rubs. If anyone interrupts her, she just gives them a thwack to shoe them away. Eightball leaps into bed and paces up and down the length of my body before choosing a spot (on my right). Until we lost him, Tigger did the same but landed by my feet. Next is usually Pinky, Dakota, Sage, Spanky and Oscar - they climb on top of me and wait for me to scritch them. Spanky and/or Pinky usually settle on top of my legs. Dakota and Sage settle in at the foot of the bed.

Once the commotion settles, Muddy will jump up and meowl at me until he gets his share of loving. Stumpy, the alpha, waits till everyone is done, jumps in bed and settles on my left side, usually behind my legs (I sleep on my side).

Any wrestling at this point gets the cat ejected from the bed. They learn that lesson quickly.

By now I'm in a tight mummy sleeping bag of cats and we all fall asleep.

I have two cats and their bedtime routine is as follows: First they'll scream for a final nighty snack, then big boy Carter will settle on the kitchen carpet or the couch while little Laura comes running as soon as I say "Let's go to BED, shall we?"
She usually inspects the bedroom for any "unwanted intruders" and by the time I'm under the covers she jumps up, rubs herself against my face and climbs over my bf's and my legs.
Most of the time she ends up on his which he hates but sometimes she prefers to keep mommy's feet warm and to make me get up in the morning she will prod me in my face with her nose until I'm awake and it's cuddle time

My bedtime routine with Josie has changed a little over time, but this is the latest schedule. I usually lay down to read a book for a while. She won't come in to me until I've put the book down. Or she'll sit on the bed and stare at me until I put it down. She'll sit on my chest with her back side facing me. "Mama cat" is not going to clean and inspect it though. She's usually satisfied with a couple minutes if scratching. then she goes the foot of the bed and insists on sleeping inbetween my legs. I usually fall asleep while she's having a grooming session. Then a few times during the night, usually early morning, she kneads my shoulder and/or arm, purring, wanting some lovin'. Then she curls up in my armpit and goes back to sleep.

Last night's routine was murderous. I awakened at 2:30 AM with Thisbe sitting on my chest, eyes boring holes into me until I woke up. LOL Soon all three of them were in my room -- Mommy's awake! It must be playtime! -- and I didn't get back to sleep for some while. LOL

If I didn't love them ... grrrrrrr.

Really, though, bedtime routine? Thisbe jumps up on my hip (I generally lie on one side), Cushie goes under the bed, and Marnie either sits in the window or under my dressing table.

Once I'm asleep, they don't necessarily stay there; they wander the apartment and find their own sleep spots, but we all start out in my room. LOL

30 minutes or so before my usual bedtime...Smidge cries and cries for her nightly snack...in case I forget

I feed her a few bites of dry which she wolfs.
I've made it into bed by the time she's finished. She breaks down my bedroom door, walks in with purpose, stares at me for thirty seconds, then leaves the room. She has a funny expression on her face when she does this - and one she doesnt use at any other time.

That is all I notice till morning.

Bijou has his little suckle on meowmy's neck, then he puts his head on my pillow facing me and I cover him up to the neck with the blankets and he goes to sleep. Sometimes he'll move his head over and lay his cheek against mine until I can't breathe so I have to move away from him. Then he'll turn around and curl up against my chest with his back to me and I cover him up again to the neck. That's the way we wake up in the morning too so I'm not sure if he stays there all night or if he goes out and comes back. I'm such a deep sleeper I wouldn't know if he went and came back anyway.

There are some variations in the routinue...usually from Lucky (she's the little princess and gets peeved sometimes and won't come to bed).

Most nights it involves me heading off the bed with a book...which lucky promptly headbutts repeatedly or lies down on. we then have some quality scritching time and then she'll get up off the book and allow me to read while she goes and inspects the rest of the bed and windows. Rambo will meanwhile sneak in and steal Lucky's spot next to my head and start to knead and suckle an old shirt that's there. Lucky will realize what's happened and come and bud in and eventual they will work it out (either they will both sleep right next to my head, rambo usually under my arm or they will go into full WWF mode on the bed....under the bed...down the hall....into the basement). I usually fall asleep at this point and i'll wake up with them back stationed by my head.

When I go to bed, nacho and orion tend to follow my in, Orion at my feet, and Nacho right beside me sucking on my blankets. He usually leaves after about half an hour, but sometimes he will lay down right beside me. Orion usually stays at the foot of the bed all night, and follows me out in the morning when I get up. The other two boys sleep elsewhere and don't bother me ocne I get into bed. Apollo, my dog usually also sleeps with me, down by Orion =)

Flame the persians prefers sleeping on the recliner! Jade and Yowdy sleep on my bed, Since the new kitten Jade is miffed and sleeps with my son now ( I'm hoping she will come back with me). Yowdy still sleeps with me and so does Lilly new kitten . Yowdy goes to bed early with hubby. Im a nite owl so I go to bed late. I take new kitten in when I go. She has to go heckle poor yowdy by trying to get him to play. he gets mad hops down goes gets a bite to eat. then back on the bed. Lilly has settled down. Then Yowdy comes up for some kneeding abd purring in my hair.Then off to sleep.

All these stories are just too cute!

hahahahaha couldn't agree more

Martin and I go to the bedroom and both kitties follow us. Spike will jump up on the bed and lie next to my feet... or on them. and sparky will alternate between snuggling martin and snuggling me. he will go back and forth about six or seven times before deciding that neither of us is worthy of his attention and he'll go down to the end of the bed and snuggle up with spike. they usually stay there for most of the night but are rarely there when i wake up in the morning.