Hello, I have recently adopted a 9-month old kitten--supersweet and well-behaved in just about every way. However, she likes to get up about 6 AM and meow and paw at my bedroom door to wake me up (which it does, and which is exhausting me as I usually go to sleep late because of work). I don't let her in my bedroom at night because I know I won't be able to sleep if she jumps on my bed...I've tried giving her food just before we go to bed, and also play with her for a while, and that has earned me an extra 15-20 minutes of sleep. Any additional advice out there? Would be much appreciated. Thanks, Sleepless in Seattle--Trang
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Unwanted Alarm Clock
- Thread starter trangdtu
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Ummmm....dumb question from me, but why would her maybe sleeping with you be a problem? It sounds like that's what she WANTS. My cats have always slept with me, and they're actually very good about trying not to disturb you once you're sleeping.
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Ignore her. Pretend you're sleeping and eventually she'll give up. Once she gives up enough, she will learn to wait until you come out of your room.
Anything else that you do-- yelling at her, opening the door, grumbling, loud noises, spraying her with water, petting her, soothing her, anything-- will reinforce her behavior. What she wants is for you to wake up and pay attention to her, and any attention at all encourages her because she wins.
I also couldn't imagine trying to keep the cat out at night, but Zissou used to try to wake me up.
Anything else that you do-- yelling at her, opening the door, grumbling, loud noises, spraying her with water, petting her, soothing her, anything-- will reinforce her behavior. What she wants is for you to wake up and pay attention to her, and any attention at all encourages her because she wins.
I also couldn't imagine trying to keep the cat out at night, but Zissou used to try to wake me up.
It's perfectly normal for cats to get active at that time in the morning - they're naturally active at dawn and dusk as that's when prey is most abundant. Just be grateful it's not earlier than 6am! Mine tend to wake up at 5am but thankfully they don't always wake me. I agree that you should ignore her and not reward the behaviour by giving her attention. She'll eventually get the message but be prepared for it to take a while - cats can be very persistent.
other then extra play before bed, the only solution is either to give in and get up and let her in, ignore her as mentionned before or wait. As she gets older she'll probably be less active in the morning...at least that's what happened to my lazy lugs. If you can start her on a routinue of say getting wet food/treat at a more decent morning hour, i find that my cats know down to within 5 or 10 minutes when that time is...you could try that and maybe she'll wait more patiently for that time.
welcome to being owned by a cat!
welcome to being owned by a cat!
I have two of those alarm clocks myself!! Only mine wake me up BEFORE 5 a.m. -- but only on the weekends.
Some may think me cruel, but I'm such a lite sleeper that I keep my babies in the basement at night, except for the weekends. They have "free nights" for weekends, holidays, and any other time when stress isn't a factor. =o) Before we got our second 'baby', our old guy, Dexter, had the same routine, and he was quite content with it.
They have a nice, warm living area, lots of play-things, food, water, and potty provisions, so they are quite content.
You didn't say what kind of place you live in, but I'm assuming it's one without a basement, yes? Other than an alternate night location, I've never managed to successfully find any other method to halt the "tick-tock" behavior.
Some may think me cruel, but I'm such a lite sleeper that I keep my babies in the basement at night, except for the weekends. They have "free nights" for weekends, holidays, and any other time when stress isn't a factor. =o) Before we got our second 'baby', our old guy, Dexter, had the same routine, and he was quite content with it.
They have a nice, warm living area, lots of play-things, food, water, and potty provisions, so they are quite content.
You didn't say what kind of place you live in, but I'm assuming it's one without a basement, yes? Other than an alternate night location, I've never managed to successfully find any other method to halt the "tick-tock" behavior.
i have a 11 month old that is a great alarm clock if you want to be up every about 3-4 times a night.
we play with her for hours before bed, we give her lots of food, dry and wet (trying to get her more on dry food, but whatever) she has a 3 litter water bottel thing and a bed (she doesn't sleep in) but yet every night she has been trying to get us to come out and play at 3 in the morning.
it is hard but we just "forget" she is there and try to get back to sleep. when we do get up for work she is right at the door waiting for us to come out and play. she will corner me in the bath room and not let me leave until i play with her.
what can i say ... CATS
it is hard but we just "forget" she is there and try to get back to sleep. when we do get up for work she is right at the door waiting for us to come out and play. she will corner me in the bath room and not let me leave until i play with her.
what can i say ... CATS
I have three fuzzy alarm clocks -- usually whenever the sun comes up. If they get really obnoxious, I will sleep-walk to the kitchen and give them some wet food and go back to bed for another hour. They eat and will settle back down. I know it's not the best way but it works for me.
I free feed dry food, so the food is not an issue for being an alarm clock
. What I always have to watch is when they start to PING. Of course, because there is more than one, they tend to not try and wake me up, since they're too busy with each other.
I have two alarm clocks as well, they get me up whenever the sun first starts to come up. I like it though because I never have to wake up to a beeping alarm clock. they wake me up every morning. Id rather be woken up by a fuzzy paw then that god awful beeping.
I have only one furry alarm clock.
She's not very reliable though
Ivory likes to start her little barking meuffs at between 3am and 4am.
She'll walk on my body up to my head, stick her whiskers up my nose or in my ears, knead (actually stomp) all over my upper body and finally settle into my armpit with her icy nose.
Purring the entire time.
After about 5 minutes, she goes away.
She doesn't do this every night, it's pretty random.
She's not very reliable though
Ivory likes to start her little barking meuffs at between 3am and 4am.
She'll walk on my body up to my head, stick her whiskers up my nose or in my ears, knead (actually stomp) all over my upper body and finally settle into my armpit with her icy nose.
Purring the entire time.
After about 5 minutes, she goes away.
She doesn't do this every night, it's pretty random.
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You know, I tend to agree with this viewpoint. It's a lot easier to get used to the movement of a cay laying down with you, or even snuggling up than it is to the crying and banging on the door. The same way you get used to another person sleeping next to you.
And if they're happy and can come and go, you may find you're not woken up as much. It might be worth a trial of a couple of weeks to see what happens. You can always go back to the way it is now, and you're no worse off.
I use a fan to create "white noise" so my furry alarm clock, April Joy, can't keep me awake.
I must be so lucky. Bijou sleeps with me, covered to his neck with his head on my pillow and as long as I sleep he'll stay there. I slept in the other morning until 9 am and when I finally woke he was all relaxed and sleeping beside me. I did wake up one morning to find a half a tin of cat food on the bed though - not a drop was spilled either.
Gee...I thought I was special! I didn't realize everyone elses alarm clocks woke them up the same way! It started the 1st night we took her home...we were BEAT from a 16hr drive home from an excrutiating vacation, and finally were in our own comfy bed ready to sleep in till noon.
.....
At the crack of dawn,
out of nowhere she pounces on my heard "MMMRRRAAAAAA"
(cause it's not really a meow....) then she hops down and starts licking my hand that's hanging over the bed.
"MMMRRRRAAAA" again. On the bed, off the bed, on the bed, off the bed, like 90 times. No exaggerations. Till we were finally up. We weren't even that upset, she was still so new, and we took her in from the wild, so we didn't mind her needing a little reassurance that we were still there.
But now.... oy vey! I try "git"
"go away"
"not now"
nothing works she keeps "mrrraaaaing"
until I get up to feed her... and why is it she tries to trip me 10 times till I get to the kitchen? I swear she runs directly between my legs as I'm walking!!!
But now.... oy vey! I try "git"
The other day Duke who is normally the quiet one in the morning climbed his 25 pound little body up onto my chest while I was sleeping it felt like I was drowning.
Sibohan just starts meowing if she sees me move anytime durring the night, she likes to think it's playtime if I roll over
Sibohan just starts meowing if she sees me move anytime durring the night, she likes to think it's playtime if I roll over
For the most part Patches, Beauty and Luna all keep to themselves. Whitey will start to sing around 5 or so.
I've had Luna since she was 9 weeks. She use to keep me up all night (pouncing on me, attacking my feet, hands and even my nose *no its not that big*). Each time though I would ignore her. Eventually she realised that I like sleep as much as she does.
Plus I think its the first 4-6 weeks of an adjustment to a new environment. Yours changed so you're not use to cat making noises at 6 am. She's not use to a human sleeping at that time! Eventually you'll get you to her as she will with you (especially if you leave the door open).
I've had Luna since she was 9 weeks. She use to keep me up all night (pouncing on me, attacking my feet, hands and even my nose *no its not that big*). Each time though I would ignore her. Eventually she realised that I like sleep as much as she does.
Plus I think its the first 4-6 weeks of an adjustment to a new environment. Yours changed so you're not use to cat making noises at 6 am. She's not use to a human sleeping at that time! Eventually you'll get you to her as she will with you (especially if you leave the door open).
My oldest cat has started sleeping with me again - actually sleeping right up against me or on me (she used to sleep at the foot of the bed-when she was a kitten, she slept like a scarf around my neck! I think she gets colder, easier now
and now, if she is somewhere else, I have a hard time going to sleep!
My 4 cats all seem to have mellowed with age about the insisting we get up, unless the food bowl is empty!
My 4 cats all seem to have mellowed with age about the insisting we get up, unless the food bowl is empty!
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