We cant' sleep

Not the cat, he sleeps like a baby, but every morning at 5 am or 5.30 when we're lucky Bilbo begins to meaw for food and never stops until someone rises and gives him his breakfast. He has dry food all the time, but he wakes us to give him his can. First he used to wake us up at 7 am, that's ok, because we have to go at work anyway, then he began to meaw at 6.30 - that wasn't ok, but was still kinda normal, but 5 am is too early I think.
We tried almost everything - water pistol, trying to ignore him, locking him outside our bedroom (this caused histerical meawing in front of the door - even worse than if he was inside)...
I tried to find a similar thread in the forum, but I couldn't, so please can enyone help me sometimes we need sleep too

The majority of us have all been there so your not alone

I used to play with my two an hour before bedtime, such as throwing a small ball up the stairs for them to chase, or better still if you have a toy on a fishing rod for him to jump after. Then about 15 minutes before you go to bed give him a small amount of wet food, some people even warm it slightly, and you know yourself what you could do when you have a full tummy?!

Giving in to his meowing at 7 am, then 6:30 and so forth taught him that he can get his way. If he meows enough you will feed him when he wants. Now you have to teach him that that's not the case. You're going to have to endure some noise, but with consistency he should learn that he will be fed when you want not when he wants. Set a feeding time for him each morning and stick to it no matter what he does. He'll stop once he learns he's not in charge.

thanks, actually we tried some time ago to play with him in the evening and to give him some food before bed, but this didin't work a lot. Now I'll try again, but usually he's asleep long before we are
this morning when he woke us at 4 am my boyfriend took him in bed and he fell asleep again, so he had breakfast at 7.30. I hope that slowly he'll give it up.

Originally Posted by Gamina

thanks, actually we tried some time ago to play with him in the evening and to give him some food before bed, but this didin't work a lot. Now I'll try again, but usually he's asleep long before we are

this morning when he woke us at 4 am my boyfriend took him in bed and he fell asleep again, so he had breakfast at 7.30. I hope that slowly he'll give it up.

Click to expand...

You can try to keep him awake until you go to bed. I used to do that with Polly when she was littler.

Originally Posted by PurrPaws

You can try to keep him awake until you go to bed. I used to do that with Polly when she was littler.

Click to expand...

I wish i could he always finds a place somewhere in the apartment to take a nap, when I turn off the lights and the TV he comes to me and ... falls asleep again I think the problem is not that he's hungry, but when anyone of us moves in his sleep the cat wakes up and decides he wants some food unfortunatelly we can't control our movements while we sleep

If you go to the main website under cat behavior, look of the article called Cats and Midnight Crazies. This will give you an idea of some tips to try out to help your cat adjust. But if you give in to this cat every morning, you are training him to make you jump every time he cries. My suggestion, buy earplugs, or lock him out of the bedroom.