Im Starting To Understand Why People Rehome Pets (cats Waking Me Up)

[terestrife]

ive tried all the articles and suggestions. i completely ignore her hour long meowing and scratching as i try desperately to sleep.

i paid 140$ to buy automatic feeders that will give them treats in the middle of the night. This worked for two weeks.

im a pretty patient person, i can handle her occasionally pooping outside of the box. Which she has done since she was a baby. i get that having a pet is a responsibility and i take it very seriously.

but im the kind of person that when something loud wakes me up, it gives me a massive headache. makes me feel like crap the rest of the day. i already have to wake up at 5 am drive 1.5 hours to work, be there 9 hours, and then drive 1.5 hours home. i have fallen asleep for a moment while driving.

i need my sleep.

i had this moment of insanity as i sat in my bed from 5 am - 6am (with my cat shrieking at the door) this morning where i wondered if there is any surgery that can remove a cats voice box (like the adam sandler movie with the dog that couldnt bark lol).


ignoring her (i tried this for so long never made a difference), throwing water at her (todays desperate solution), giving her treats at night. not sure what else i can do at this point.

P.S. I would never actually rehome them. lol They may be bratty and drive me to insanity, but they're my babies.

 

[Maria Bayote]

I feel you. When I had 5 cats (3 younger ones and 2 adults with me (aside from the others that I already re-homed), I used to have severe headaches in the day from being awake most of the nights due to cats swatting me in the face, jumping on my stomach like a trampolene, loud meowing and even hissing, cats chasing one another all over the room and knocking off stuff, etc etc. When I get home from work, I had to vacuum, clean the litter boxes, bowls, feed the cats, do the laundry etc etc, so by the time I get to lay my back in bed it would be very late at night, only to be disturbed again by my precious felines. Now that I have finally successfully re-homed the three younger ones, some things have quieted down. But the face swatting and jumping like a trampolene still occur. Yet, I would never have it any other way. The two older cats are here to stay, though, as they are my foster failures.
Mind you, when the younger cats left the house, instead of me being finally relieved, I felt a sense of deep sadness and regret. Until now I check on them once in a while, and make sure they are fine. But I have been so attached to the previous cats I had that each time I think of any of them brings a tear to my eyes.

 

[Hikoh]

Play with her and leave her food before you go to sleep. See if being tired will help her not want to wake you up.

 

[Wile]

Why is she waking you up in the first place? Is it because she wants breakfast? Or because she wants attention?

 

[JaneB]

Sounds like she is extremely bored and under stimulated. Cats are tough in this area

 

[Timmer]

Leave the door open. She wants YOU!
I had a bengal that used to cry out at all hours. I feel your pain.

 

[kittyluv387]

If she's hungry you can leave about a half can of food out. It's safe since they have shorter and more acidic digestive systems. Another thing you can do is spray your cat with water when she whines at the door. People might think it's cruel but it works for me and my cat isn't that sensitive to be heart broken over it. Some nights i shake the spray bottle to remind her to let us sleep.

 

[terestrife]

Why is she waking you up in the first place? Is it because she wants breakfast? Or because she wants attention?

Its definitely food. I sometimes wake up beeper her and feed her. She then let's me sleeps for hours.

Sounds like she is extremely bored and under stimulated. Cats are tough in this area

I'm not sure if it's boredom. She only cries when she hungry. She had elsa to play with. She only comes to me when she's hungry.

Leave the door open. She wants YOU!
I had a bengal that used to cry out at all hours. I feel your pain.

I tried that. I then get woken up by them walking all over me. Lol

If she's hungry you can leave about a half can of food out. It's safe since they have shorter and more acidic digestive systems. Another thing you can do is spray your cat with water when she whines at the door. People might think it's cruel but it works for me and my cat isn't that sensitive to be heart broken over it. Some nights i shake the spray bottle to remind her to let us sleep.

LOL I am going to try that if she starts up again. The treat machine had only failed me once. I used to leave her canned food
But then she would eat dinner and breakfast through the night and be hungry in the morning.

 

[6kittymama]

I have one of those as well. I feel your pain.

 

[sargon]

You are very reasonable for needing sleep, and finding your cat waking you frustrating,and sleep deprivation can be a terrible thing.

I don't think that it is only food, but clearly the food aspect isn't helping, so I have a couple of ideas for addressing that part, which I'll start with.

You feed wet food as the main food, but are trying to use dry as a night time food. That mismatch is why I suspect that it isn't working well.

you can either fix that by using an automatic feeder that works with wet food, or just transition to a high quality dry food full time (don't switch to all dry if your cats are bad drinkers or have kidney or urinary tract issues, obviously.)

Either way your automatic midnight (as well as 2 and 4am) feedings should work a lot better if they match the main food.

Also, I believe that you may find that you really are what your cat wants. When you told me about your commute, that actually made me even more sure. Your at home awake time is like 4 hours a day, and most cats, rumors to the contrary want more. Luckily time spent sleeping in the same room counts as quality time in the mind of most cats. So, unless you have medical reasons, I suspect that your best bet is to allow your cat into the room with you.

A cat flap or leaving the door open is the easiest way to allow a cat into your room, and you'll probably get used to your cat walking around/moving on the bed in a few nights, but if not (or if you just aren't comfortable allowing your cat on the bed with you, there is an alternative.

You could create a place for your cat to sleep near you in the room. In my case, my cat has a window pod is in my bedroom, and my cat sleeps in it most nights, generally leaving me be (i also let her sleep on the bed and she often curls up very sedately against my legs, but even if that wasn't something she did or was allowed, she'd still be quite content with the pod.) A cat tree, a reachable shelf with a soft cat bed on it, or, even just a folding chair with a cardboard box all work as well.

Once you have made a spot for your cat, you can encourage them to use it, and, discourage them being on the bed its self. it may take a couple of weeks to train them, but gently removing your cat from the bed when they wake you and putting them on their spot should suffice, and if not, you can always use removal from your room as a training aid (it works really well, even for my stubborn cat).

Also, if you want the cat off the bed, you'll need to make that a rule 24/7 not just when you're sleeping. also, since you have multiple cats, each one will need their own spot in your bedroom (the plus side is that they'll probably learn faster since they'll learn by observing you reward and punish the other cat.)

If you absolutely can't allow your cats in your room for medical reasons (allergies, asthma,imuno issues, etc. ) , there is a product that will probably work. It is a device called the Ssscat. you place it in a place your cat isn't allowed, and if they go there, it will spray them with a jet of air, scaring the heck out of them. it usually will work with most cats, and guarding a door with it will usually keep them out, but, I really think that both you and your cats will be better off with controlled access to your bedroom in the long run.
-

 

[Etarre]

Have you considered earplugs? I know it's hard to sleep with the foam ones in your ears, but there are flat silicon ones as well, and fancier ones that come in various sizes on Amazon. I've also seen headphones designed specifically for sleeping that play calming music.

Sometimes it's easier to creatively adapt your own routine that to try to get a cat to change theirs....

 

[sargon]

Have you considered earplugs?

Another option (not mutually exclusive from earplugs) is a solid core door on your bedroom and or a white noise generator (a large air filter or a box fan usually will work well, but a specialty unit can help, too.)

i still favor training your cats to be in the room but not waking you as a long term option, but you'll have a few weeks of screaming outside your door while you teach hem the new rules, so reducing the impact of that is good no matter what you decide.

 

[maggie101]

My cat Maggie meows after bed. She just needs to hear me talk. Then she quiets down

 

[alisad1981]

ive tried all the articles and suggestions. i completely ignore her hour long meowing and scratching as i try desperately to sleep.

i paid 140$ to buy automatic feeders that will give them treats in the middle of the night. This worked for two weeks.

im a pretty patient person, i can handle her occasionally pooping outside of the box. Which she has done since she was a baby. i get that having a pet is a responsibility and i take it very seriously.

but im the kind of person that when something loud wakes me up, it gives me a massive headache. makes me feel like crap the rest of the day. i already have to wake up at 5 am drive 1.5 hours to work, be there 9 hours, and then drive 1.5 hours home. i have fallen asleep for a moment while driving.

i need my sleep.

i had this moment of insanity as i sat in my bed from 5 am - 6am (with my cat shrieking at the door) this morning where i wondered if there is any surgery that can remove a cats voice box (like the adam sandler movie with the dog that couldnt bark lol).


ignoring her (i tried this for so long never made a difference), throwing water at her (todays desperate solution), giving her treats at night. not sure what else i can do at this point.

P.S. I would never actually rehome them. lol They may be bratty and drive me to insanity, but they're my babies.

I sleep better on work nights when my bedroom is cat-free. So I taped a towel to the outside of my bedroom door and put up a baby gate so the cats can't scratch the door, or at least I won't hear them if they do. I also use earplugs and a white noise machine so I can't hear them meowing. It works.

 

[danteshuman]

I sleep with a fan at night because of thin walls and roommates. I would try a few things for your baby.

I would just give her a whole 5 oz can of food right before you crawl into bed. Yes it will probably be wasteful ..... but you get sleep!!!! She will not die from eating food left out during your precious 7? Hours of sleep. That or free feed dry food all the time, plus wet food dinners. It is what I do with my boys.

My boys want to be with me most of the day. They sleep in bed with me or on the reading chair next to my bed. Half of my bud Dante' s behavioral problems disappeared when I started letting him sleep with me. He calmed down instantly and I felt so guilty for locking my hyper punk out for his first two years of life, I still kinda do. If your cat is like my bud/punk and she follows you everywhere, let her sleep with you.

Play with her until she is tired out, every night before food then go to bed. Play, food, sleep. I would also suggest play in the morning if you can. Lastly if you can I would buy her a window cat e o. That way while you are gone. She can mentally tire herself out. She can hunt birdies. If you can, set up a bird feeder by your window, to attract more birds.

I think a fan or sound machine might help you sleep. I take morphine for pain that makes me sleep deeper. If a sleep aid is what you need or if you need to see a Dr. To help you with insomnia/sleep disorder, I strongly suggest you do it.

 

[terestrife]

It's now October and still getting woken up. I don't know anymore if it's hunger or attention she wants. She's keeping everyone in the house up. Including my niece who had a new born baby. I leave my house 2 hours early in the morning to avoid getting late to work. I get home at 6 to 6:30pm. I'm the kind of person that if I don't get 8 hours if sleep I don't function well. I start falling asleep on the drive to and from work.

I get home and have less than 3 hours to relax and get things done.

Lately just hearing her meow puts me in a bad mood. I love my cats so much. But the lack of sleep is getting to me. I sometimes have to smack myself as I'm driving cause I feel my eyes closing.

I bought them machines to give them treats hoping that would hold her. But it makes no difference.

 

[Maria Bayote]

It's now October and still getting woken up. I don't know anymore if it's hunger or attention she wants. She's keeping everyone in the house up. Including my niece who had a new born baby. I leave my house 2 hours early in the morning to avoid getting late to work. I get home at 6 to 6:30pm. I'm the kind of person that if I don't get 8 hours if sleep I don't function well. I start falling asleep on the drive to and from work.

I get home and have less than 3 hours to relax and get things done.

Lately just hearing her meow puts me in a bad mood. I love my cats so much. But the lack of sleep is getting to me. I sometimes have to smack myself as I'm driving cause I feel my eyes closing.

I bought them machines to give them treats hoping that would hold her. But it makes no difference.

Is your cat already spayed/neutered? Could it be that she is yowling as she is in heat?

I had younger cats that used to keep me awake at nights, so what I did was I played with them before going to sleep. Keeping them tired will mostly also keep them from being awake at nights.

Now I still have an adult cat that swats me in the face each time she needs food, no matter what time at night or in the early mornings. This also used to affect my behavior at work. But now I try as much as I can to mentally relax, calm my nerves, and not let my lack of sleep and rest get the best of me.

 

[Saber_Wing]

Cats only meow to communicate with humans, so if she's meowing, there is more than likely a reason. You just have to find it. Sorry, I know that's not very helpful, but cats have a reason for doing everything they do. Coming to understand whatever she's trying to communicate to you is the key.

You said there's a new baby in the house? That might even be it. Has she always done this, and if not, when did it start? Maybe that will help you pinpoint the issue.

Maybe even a behavioral expert could help you, if you can find one in your area.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi! I didn't see than anyone posted this, maybe there's something here;
Also, try some music - it's known to help relax cats. There's the app Relax My Cat, Musicforcats.com or classical harp music.
How To Stop My Cat From Waking Me Up At Night (step-by-step Plan)

 

[terestrife]

Is your cat already spayed/neutered? Could it be that she is yowling as she is in heat?

I had younger cats that used to keep me awake at nights, so what I did was I played with them before going to sleep. Keeping them tired will mostly also keep them from being awake at nights.

Now I still have an adult cat that swats me in the face each time she needs food, no matter what time at night or in the early mornings. This also used to affect my behavior at work. But now I try as much as I can to mentally relax, calm my nerves, and not let my lack of sleep and rest get the best of me.

Yes she is. I will try to play with her. But I don't have much time at night. I get home at 6:15pm I have less than three hours to force myself to fall asleep. I need to feed the cats, brush their teeth, check them for fleas (my nieces dog keeps bringing them in). Check their toilet. Then I eat dinner, shower, brush my teeth and finally relax for a bit and look for work.

I'm tired by the time I go to bed and am rushing to get things done.

Cats only meow to communicate with humans, so if she's meowing, there is more than likely a reason. You just have to find it. Sorry, I know that's not very helpful, but cats have a reason for doing everything they do. Coming to understand whatever she's trying to communicate to you is the key.

You said there's a new baby in the house? That might even be it. Has she always done this, and if not, when did it start? Maybe that will help you pinpoint the issue.

Maybe even a behavioral expert could help you, if you can find one in your area.

She's always done this. I used to stay home and could sleep during the day. She used to keep my mom up at night. She's very needy at night.

Hi! I didn't see than anyone posted this, maybe there's something here;
Also, try some music - it's known to help relax cats. There's the app Relax My Cat, Musicforcats.com or classical harp music.
How To Stop My Cat From Waking Me Up At Night (step-by-step Plan)

I'll try that. But the baby in the house wakes with every tiny noise. I'm not sure if music will bother him. I'll ask My niece.