Daylight Savings Time

[2coolcats]

Apparently my cats do not understand the concept of DST. I usually wake up at 8am and the cats follow me around til I feed them. I don't want them associating me waking up with them being fed so I usually don't feed them until I'm leaving (closer to 9am). But they know it's coming and run to their food bowl everytime I pass it starting at 8.

Now that DST has kicked in they are waking me up at 7am.

If I don't get up one will start chewing on a box right near my bed. He ONLY does this when I won't wake up (not during any other part of the day) and IMO he does this because he knows I will get up and tell him no. After that it's more crying. I've tried closing my door but then they sit at my door and cry. I'm a light sleeper so it drives me crazy.

I also have tried giving them a little extra before bedtime so they won't be as hungry, but so far no luck.

Have any morning feeders noticed their cats being impatient with DST? Any ideas on how to stop them from freaking out? It's like they think they are starving. I'd give a whole lot to enjoy that last hour of sleep before the day starts.

 

[bastetservant]

Please don't hate me, but my cats never wake me up to feed them. Even on weekends if I stay in bed a couple hours later than during the week.

It's funny because I do feed them first thing when I get up (whatever time that is). And their bowls are almost always empty. I feed them before going to bed, usually, say 9:00-10:00 p.m. as well as at about 5-6 p.m.

However, I was just thinking tonight that they are more anxious for the "dinner" meal earlier than before DST ended. They want it at about the same darkness time as it was before. Actually, I'm thinking that this has been going on all along. That I've been feeding them earlier and earlier since the days started getting shorter in June. So now they nag me about 5 p.m. or so for dinner, rather than waiting patiently until about 6 p.m.

But, they don't watch the clock, so I'm not surprised.

Don't know what to do to make they stop waking you up. Move the box the one chews on? Shut them out of the bedroom when they start? No reinforcing the behavior by giving in to it is surely the best way to change it.

Good luck!

Robin

 

[rad65]

I think it can best be summed up by saying, "cats don't farm."

Though, I also am never woken up by my cats, no matter what time it is. I feed them after my shower, so they always wait by laying against the bathroom door though

 

[strange_wings]

I don't feed my cats right after getting up if I can help it. That's a conditioned habit I don't want to teach them.

Though, they're all lazy and now that it's getting cold they'll lay in bed even longer.

My problem in the evening isn't DST so much but the shortening days. In the summer they would get supper shortly after dark... you see the problem?

 

[Winchester]

We learned that the hard way. We always feed the cats their breakfast as soon as we get up in the morning. And as soon as the first person gets home from work, that person gives them their supper.

It's not pretty. It's gotten to the point where there's no such thing as languishing in bed in the morning. There's no such thing as waking up slowly. DH gets up at 5:00 in the morning for work. Starting at around 3:30 or 4:00, as soon as somebody even rolls over in bed, Boostser starts yelling. She sets Whisper off. If we don't get up right away, Ms. Pepe joins the chorus, followed by BooBoo. Mollipop jumps into bed and starts biting my nose, purring the whole time.....well, OK, purring isn't bad. BUt the whole thing is very annoying.

Even on weekends, when we would dearly love to sleep in until 7 or so, we can't. The cats simply will not allow it. They start screaming at us. Whisper literally jumps on the bed, walks up to my ear and hollers. While Molli is biting my nose.

When we first went back to standard time? That first morning? They started screaming at 3:00! And I do mean screaming. It's terrible. And god help us if we have to go to the bathroom first when we get out of bed.....all six of them mingle outside the bathroom and just scream and scream for breakfast. You'd swear they were hurt, they holler that loudly.

When we come home from work, it's the same thing. We drive up the driveway and six cats are in the window. And they're screaming at us. We open the door and it doesn't stop until they're fed. If I'm the first one home, I don't do a thing until those cats are fed. Sometimes I don't even take my coat off. It's nasty.

I think part of the problem is that we cannot free-feed. We have two pukers and they would eat and puke, eat and puke, and then eat and puke more. So they get fed three times a day during the week and 4-5 times a day on weekends, their two meals, plus their snacks.

But it's downright ugly and I hate it.

ETA: I should add that once they're fed? They're the friendliest most loving cats around. They're quiet, they bathe and then they go to bed. But when they're hungry, they're hungry and they're conditioned to eat at those times.

 

[yosemite]

Originally Posted by bastetservant

Please don't hate me, but my cats never wake me up to feed them. Even on weekends if I stay in bed a couple hours later than during the week.

It's funny because I do feed them first thing when I get up (whatever time that is). And their bowls are almost always empty. I feed them before going to bed, usually, say 9:00-10:00 p.m. as well as at about 5-6 p.m.

However, I was just thinking tonight that they are more anxious for the "dinner" meal earlier than before DST ended. They want it at about the same darkness time as it was before. Actually, I'm thinking that this has been going on all along. That I've been feeding them earlier and earlier since the days started getting shorter in June. So now they nag me about 5 p.m. or so for dinner, rather than waiting patiently until about 6 p.m.

But, they don't watch the clock, so I'm not surprised.

Don't know what to do to make they stop waking you up. Move the box the one chews on? Shut them out of the bedroom when they start? No reinforcing the behavior by giving in to it is surely the best way to change it.

Good luck!

Robin

I've been blessed with cats like yours. They'll wait for me to get up and never wake me.

 

[ritz]

Ritz definitely notices the time change; she wants her breakfast at 3 a.m. instead of 4 a.m. The difference isn't so pronounced in the evening.

 

[goldenkitty45]

Know what you mean - we don't need alarm clocks - the cats get us up. Fine for shows and no wake up call from the desk - but not fine on weekends.

Hubby remarked about Jack not knowing what DST was and that the clocks were back an hour - he still wanted us to be up to feed him!

 

[2coolcats]

Thanks guys! At least I'm not the only one

I took out the box so that's one less thing to worry about but it hasn't curbed their craving. *sigh* If only i could build some type of wet food dispenser on a timer

 

[bastetservant]

However, on reflection, I'd say that the 3 of my 5 who regularly sleep with me on my bed, at least part of the night, at least some nights, all 3 will be on the bed and awake and looking at me when I finally rouse on those late sleeping weekend mornings. It can be kind of disconcerting to have 6 big almond eyes staring at you when you open yours.

Maybe their stares wake me.

Robin