Cat's Keeping Me Awake All Night...help!

[Eleyna]

My question: Can I shut my cat out of my room without access to her litter box all night?

I just moved out of my parents house and across the country a few weeks ago and my cat has taken to being a ginormous pain, doing donuts on my bed, high speed laps across my floor (which keeps my roommate below me awake), and attacking my feet, hindering my ability to get a good night's sleep. Needless to say this is affecting my alertness during the day and I find myself close to dozing off while driving and while at my desk at work.

The problem is that her food, water, and litter box are all in my bathroom (which is inside of my bedroom). There's not really anywhere else I can put her litter box, so it has to stay in my room.

I can't get another cat because of the fees and burden to my roommate, I already bought earplugs and while helpful, don't keep me from being woken up by her jumping across my bed, and I've tried playing with her at night before bed but this seems to just help her keep calm right when I'm going to sleep-- not at 2 or 3 in the morning. If you think it's wrong to lock the cat out of the room away from the litter box, ANY other suggestions would be helpful. I'm about ready to close myself in the bathroom and sleep in the tub.

 

[tabbytom]

Hello @@Eleyna, on behalf of The Catsite community, I warmly welcome you to TCS

I'm tabbytom and I'm a Mentor here in Catsite. Feel free to ask questions if you have any in regards to getting around the site. I'm here to help

Something here for you to read:-
How To Stop My Cat From Waking Me Up At Night?
Cats And Night Crazies!

Here are some other articles to help you get started with the site.

New Here? I Have A Few Suggestions For You!
Forum Rules
Community Guidelines & Practices - Frequently Asked Questions
How To Add A Picture To Your Forum Post

Do check out the informative forum threads and also the many good reads in the Articles section too.

And lastly, do introduce yourself and your kitty to the community in New Cats on the Block and do post photos of your kitty for us to see

 

[maggiedemi]

Can you lock her in the bathroom for the night? Or set the litterbox just outside your door for the night?

 

[tabbytom]

Or leave the bathroom door open and leave a night light in it so that she can go in as and when.

But do not place the food and water next to the litter box. If there's no space, leave the food and water outside the bathroom. It's not hygienic for edibles to be side by side with the litter box.

 

[Eleyna]

I may try setting the litterbox outside my door! I'm only worried about the litter getting in the carpet and the fact that sometimes she pees over the edge (even with the high walled ones. She's weird). Putting her in the bathroom isn't really an option because I have a dressing room with out a door (where her litter box and food are) and then a separate room with a door that has the toilet and tub in it, but that room is very small and not big enough for me to even sit a normal litter box in.

 

[maggiedemi]

Yeah, I've done this before. I set it right outside the door on a washable rug or mat. What size is her litterbox?

 

[tabbytom]

Can you get some litter mats and place it around the litter box? If not, move her food and water outside and leave the litter box inside so that it's easier to clean off any spillage.

 

[bluebirdy]

How old is your cat? My kittens did this when they were very young for about a month or two and then settled down and now sleep with me very quietly. When they do get up for a snack they don't even wake me up. I did get up and gently remove them from the room and close the door when they were too rambunctious. They seemed to get the clue, and if they get frisky at night they are not doing so in my bedroom.

I purchased a very tall cat tree and that helped as they scoot up and down that thing regularly and that helps tire them out.

Do you play with them a few different times during the day? Depending on his/her age, one play session might just not be enough to tire them out.

Can you speak to your roommate about his/her comfort about another small litter box for nighttime. They may have a preference and suggestion for where they'd like it.

 

[Eleyna]

Her litter box is maybe two feet long by 18" wide with high sides. If I leave the litter box in the bathroom she won't have access to it, because the only entrance is through my bedroom. I thought about getting a small nighttime litter box, but squashed that idea when I remembered the reason I bought a high sided one was because she pees about a foot in the air...

She's like a year and a half old, but she's always had another cat to torment and a dog in the house chasing her around. When we moved I took her and the other animals stayed with my parents So I think she's having problems adjusting to less companionship.

I guess I may just have to go the route of lugging her litter box out of my room every night!

 

[maggiedemi]

I hope she doesn't cry and scratch on your door when you lock her out though!

 

[Eleyna]

She probably will! Fortunately I got her nail caps a while ago, so hopefully that will minimize damage!! Gotta keep that pet security deposit! Lol