Spoiled cat

My cats are indoor/outdoor cats. One of them wakes me up several times a night to go out and come back in. I can't ignore her because she comes in my room meowing very loudly. She also scratches at the door. Sometimes she'll go in the bathroom and rattle the shower doors. Anyway that she can make noise and get me up! My bedroom window is where the front porch is. When she wants to come in she meows at the window. I have a bench there which she stands on. I'm afraid if I don't let her in she'll tear up the screen. I also don't like leaving her out all night. I worry about her out there with the wild animals. Anyway, I'm not getting enough sleep with her behaving like this but don't know what to do. I know there are cat doors but I also don't want other cats or critters coming into my house. Does anyone have any other suggestions? --Sleepless in Bristol

That is a tough one! You might have to be the heavy and just not let her out at night. When you do get up in the respose to her demands, let her know that you're not pleased, tell her it's time to go to sleep ( I use the simple words "nite-nite" as I feel it's easier for their feline minds to grasp the concept). To show displeasure, I make a TSCH sound.
JC is my nighttime bully; after a few nights, of battling back & forth, he gives up. What really helps is offering new & exciting toys in the cat play area. This doesn't have to be expensive - cutting out large cardboard boxes and creating "cat caverns" to explore, with a few simple toys thrown in works wonders. Also, I "splurged" and bought 8 Cat-Play-Cubes at K-Mart (they are collapsible, nylon boxes with holes on 3 sides) that can be joined with the inclluded Velcro straps; I frequently combine the cubes to make tunnels, a big cube, etc. and my cats love it. And I try to give JC a good evening session of "horse whip", his favorite teaser toy is a lunging whip for horses . I hope that you find a solution soon - I know that I can't fully relax for a deep sleep knowing one of my babies is outside all night.

I've tried scolding her for getting me up at night and tell her it's "Beddy Bye Time" but she doesn't care. She only does this in the warm weather so it won't be much longer now. Sometimes I wonder if she's just looking for attention. She used to be my son's cat and used to sleep with him. He moved away a couple years ago and couldn't take her. My other cat sleeps with me and would have no problem sharing the bed but this one seems to want me all to herself. She is very clingy and high maintenance!