Advice Needed1

I have a problem! I'm looking for a new apartment and would love to save money by living in a studio (I live in NY where the rents are sky-high). I have 2 cats, ages 10 and 2. The problem is with my ten-year-old cat, Jeremy. He's got this habit of waking me up every couple of hours during the night, either because he wants a snack or just wants to be affectionate. Because of that I've always lived in a one-bedroom apartment, so I could close the door, but one-bedroom apartments are so expensive nowadays. My other cat, Chloe, never wakes me up.

Has anyone ever found a way to live in one room with a cat who wakes you up? I thought of putting a wooden screen around my bed but he might bang on it. I can't put him in the bathroom at night. That would be cruel, and anyway he'd be banging on the door all night & I'd never get any sleep. Any suggestions?

have you tried playing with him befor bed time. and giving him a special treat. that way he'll be tired and sleep all night or at least most of it?

I would do as 7cc said and try to get a really good play session in before bedtime. You can also try leaving some sort of nightlight on for him. Another thing you can do is give him some Dr Bachs Rescue rememdy in the evening before you go to bed. It's just an all natural stress reducer. It tends to take the edge off and they relax a little more.

Well, as luck would have it, I found an affordable one-bedroom place last Thursday. Thanks for all your advice, though!

I feel badly for pets who are confined to a studio apartment, especially dogs. I hope there's at least a window they can sit on or in front of, to see some action outside.

As for your problem, what everyone else said about playing is the best advice. Not so sure about giving a treat, though.

Yes, I would have felt awful about that, too. A studio would have been fine if I were by myself, but we do have to think about our pets' mental health. After all, they don't ask to come live with us. We take them in, and that means we owe them something! By the way, my new apartment has a small screened-in patio that looks out on a small back yard that's all grass! I think my cats will be in 7th heaven sunning themselves and enjoying the breeze!

Cool.