Cat jumping on door in the middle of the night

[mandapanda4a]

image.jpeg

• mandapanda4a
• Sep 13, 2016

My cat likes jumping from my dresser to the top of the bedroom door. This makes me nervous to see him balancing up there, so I always try to get him down. He also likes to stick his paws and face in the part where the door hinges and I don't want him to get pinched! The main problem is he has been wanting to do this at night. I leave the door open a crack so he can go out to use the box or eat, but he opens the door so he can jump up and scare me in the middle of the night. Then it's a process of me getting out of bed, turning on the lights, and getting him down in some way, making me nervous and awake. I know when cats are riled up at night it's best to ignore them, but I can't ignore him when I worry about his safety. I like having him in the bedroom with me at night, but I end up closing the door completely and leaving him out eventually. I usually tap on the dresser for a few minutes to get him to jump down or I shake a treat bag or put a treat on the dresser, but I don't want to reward him for jumping up there. Should I just ignore him? Does he do this for attention? Maybe I need to get a tall cat tree for the bedroom? He does this when I'm settling in and just getting into bed and he does this in the middle of the night. Otherwise he sleeps in the bed or on my pillow. I would hate to lock him out every night. Any tips?

 

[tabbytom]

mandapanda4a,

Try playing with him before you sleep and feed him a late meal like an hour before bed.
If you put a cat tree in the room and close the door, chances is he'll climb to the wardrobe from the cat tree. Proably he's used to the going out to eat and use the litter box.

I play with my boy every night and he knows his sleeping place is on his pillow on the bed. My room door is closed in the night but he'll get up at 4am if he eats an early meal, if not he'll wake up at 5am and I'll let him out and leave the door ajar. And he'll come in at 5:15 and wake me up to feed him. And he does want to climb on top of the wardrobe.

So I think play and tire him out after his last meal and he is more likely to sleep through. But don't forget that they are most active at dawn and dusk so he'll be up early.

Unless he don't mind being locked out without asking you to open the door for him to get in and if he does that, then it's no point. He have to get use to certain routines and once he gets the idea, it'll be easier.

If not just ignore him, but that will be a big part for you to do. Eventually he'll either stop climbing up when the novelty wears off.

 

[basschick]

get some kind of door stop on either side of the door that will keep it from opening or closing further.  once the door can't pinch him or hurt him, or let him move to door so he can pester you, that's what you can do unless you move the dresser.