Cat Won't Stop Meowing In The Early Morning

[bluepeach]

Hi all! I'm having some issues with my 6 year old bombay mix. He's always been a very vocal cat and usually isn't an issue.

Background: he's allowed out during the day but is locked in at night because of an incident with a car a few years ago.

He used to meow to wake me up so he could go out at normal times like 5-6am when the sun is out and that was no problem for me but it started getting earlier and now he can start meowing as early as 1am and this IS an issue.

It's still dark here until about 5am so I don't like him being out too early (he's black and blends into the darkness, he knows this and does so on purpose) but because of his incessant yowling I just give up and let him out, usually at 3am, even though I don't like to.

It is IMPOSSIBLE to ignore him, he doesn't take a break and is constant woeful yowling often he does this while sitting next to my head whileI'm trying to sleep.

If I manage to ignore his meowing he has other methods to get me to let him out, scratching the screen of my bedroom window, scratching in his litter (I would rather let him out than clean that out at 3am) and also sitting on my chest which isn't fun because he is very large and very heavy.

It's gotten to the point where I will specifically stay up later sometimes until 6am because when I'm awake I can better ignore him and he doesn't complain as much.

I can't lock him out of my room because he would wake up the rest of the house and that would be bad for me as well (my door is always open so he can always roam the rest of the fairly large house)

Are there any tricks I can do to get him out of this habit? I need help it's getting ridiculous and I'm very tired

 

[catsknowme]

Welcome to TCS!! Your Bombay is absolutely a stunning, gorgeous cat
If he is food-driven, you could try treats in a puzzle-toy or maybe a fake aquarium and offer that at the same time in the wee hours of the morning. Also, I highly recommend very arousing play during the day - I attach wand toys to the end of old fishing poles so that the cats get to do long, fast sprints and fantastic aerial leaps. My disabled daughter has 5 Siamese mix inside cats and they really need intense play in order to avoid the Midnight Crazies.
I know how vocal the Orientals are & how they will keep the whole household awake with their demanding voice. I am sure that you will be getting lots of good advice here.

 

[kashmir64]

Is he neutered? If not, then get him done. This will help curb his need for roaming. It's spring in the Northern Hemisphere, so if you live there, he may be looking for girls.
You could also try giving him some dry food before you go to bed. That way, he has something to munch on.

 

[Nazneen123]

Try playing with him as much as you can in the morning

Tire him out so he feels tired during the night

Does he eat well before you go bed? Maybe a full stomach might calm him down

 

[LTS3]

Try the tips here: How To Stop My Cat From Waking Me Up At Night (step-by-step Plan)

Can you put in a cat door so your cat can go as he pleases? I believe there is a door that can be programmed to lock or open at whatever time you want. Or look into putting in a catio in your yard next to the house and give your cat access through a window or something, if that is an option.

 

[Lukasmom]

Bluepeach, I have the same problem with my cat especially during the summer months when the sun rises really early. Has anything helped? My cat is basically an indoor cat but goes out in the backyard with a leash and stake. I dont like to leave him unattended because one time he chased something and he ran the stake out of the ground! I dont know if he sees other animals from the window in the early am and he gets anxious to get out. I know the incessant whining and I am tired too!

 

[Kflowers]

Leaving your cat leashed to a stake is like putting a goat out to catch a tiger. Birds of prey, hawks and the like may not be able to carry your cat off but they will dive and land on it talons out. the damage is expensive and often fatal.

If your cat can climb his fence, so can strange cats. They will and they will attack your cat. You may get outside in time to stop the fight, but deep bites from other cats can be dangerous. Sometimes you won't even know he's been bitten due to the cat fang shape. So if you continue to leave him outside, be sure to have him tested every year for Felv and FIV.

If you are in the USA, coyotes can jump any fence under 10 feet and they hunt during the day.

 

[Lukasmom]

Oh my goodness, no! First of all, we live in Northern Quebec where there are no wild animals roaming our area. I have a small enclosed backyard and he likes to hide in hedges chasing insects and frogs. On top of that, he is never left out unattended!! If he was let out without a leash and stake he’d have a high chance of getting hit by a car though...and thats exactly how I lost my last kitty!

 

[Kflowers]

I think walking him on a leash is a wonderful idea. It's the having him on a stake where he can't flee or fight that I find disturbing. Still If you're with him all the time, no matter what, that's probablly okay. Aren't cell phones wonderful? It was bad when people would run in the house to answer the phone - that was the minute the cats and/or the kids got in trouble, every time.

I thought you guys had fishers, wolves, wolverines and the like up there. I'm pretty sure you've got hawks.

 

[Lukasmom]

No, he is very safe! I won’t even run for a quick shower while he is outside and no wolves etc here where I am. He loves it and cant wait for the first sign of Spring here to go outside since we are cooped inside with extremely cold temperatures all winter long! Problem is he is waking up at 5am to get out!! I cant let him out alone so thats my dilemma.

 

[maggiedemi]

we live in Northern Quebec where there are no wild animals roaming our area.

Are you sure there are no coyotes in Canada? I live 2 hours from Quebec and there are tons of coyotes here in NY.

 

[Lukasmom]

Sure there could very well be coyotes in Canada but never heard of in my little residential town. Thanks for your concern.