- Joined
- Apr 27, 2017
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I need help. I am at my wits end.
I have a cat who I'd like to keep indoor/outdoor. She's been duel like that for most of her life... She's recently come out of a fight with an antibiotic resistant UTI that lasted 6 months... and most of that she was kept inside and with an e-collar on. Now that she's better, she's allowed outside again... The problem is she's far too attached to being outside now!
We've had her on a strict schedule with an 11 PM curfew where she comes inside at 11 PM and is not let out the next day until I get up.
She is having a lot of trouble adjusting to that. She's incredibly unhappy whenever she's in the house and all she does is scream to go back out. It's currently 4 AM and I am exhausted.
I've tried ignoring her, that doesn't work. This has been a week and if I ignore her, she just comes and does it louder and at my ear. Which is worse. I've tried punishing her with a spray bottle (please - spare me the judgement) which also didn't work because she learned the bottle can't get her if she's under the bed! (Which, yes... She'll go under the bed and scream to be let out. She'll be laying down comfortably in my clean clothes in the closet screaming to be let out. It's wild)
She doesn't do cat toys... Like she just straight up doesn't do them. Never has. All I've ever been able to get her to play with is cords and she doesn't like them as much in her old age (she's nearly 9)... So I can't play to tire her out. I've even tried catnip, but she will straight up ignore it in her plight to go outside (this is unusual for her, she's always responded to it strongly). I've tried a meal before bed and she still screams.
I really don't want to let my cat outside all night because I do not feel safe about her outside with no one in the house awake. But I also desperately need sleep.
Anyone have help or suggestions? And please.... if you don't have anything helpful to say, do not say it at all. Which means if you're going to judge me for trying a spray bottle, just don't. If you're going to say "you need to figure out why she's meowing," just don't. If you're going to say "maybe you just haven't found the right toy to tire her out," just don't. I apologize for the frankness of this, I'm tired. I've barely slept in the past month. She just won't stop screaming.
I have a cat who I'd like to keep indoor/outdoor. She's been duel like that for most of her life... She's recently come out of a fight with an antibiotic resistant UTI that lasted 6 months... and most of that she was kept inside and with an e-collar on. Now that she's better, she's allowed outside again... The problem is she's far too attached to being outside now!
We've had her on a strict schedule with an 11 PM curfew where she comes inside at 11 PM and is not let out the next day until I get up.
She is having a lot of trouble adjusting to that. She's incredibly unhappy whenever she's in the house and all she does is scream to go back out. It's currently 4 AM and I am exhausted.
I've tried ignoring her, that doesn't work. This has been a week and if I ignore her, she just comes and does it louder and at my ear. Which is worse. I've tried punishing her with a spray bottle (please - spare me the judgement) which also didn't work because she learned the bottle can't get her if she's under the bed! (Which, yes... She'll go under the bed and scream to be let out. She'll be laying down comfortably in my clean clothes in the closet screaming to be let out. It's wild)
She doesn't do cat toys... Like she just straight up doesn't do them. Never has. All I've ever been able to get her to play with is cords and she doesn't like them as much in her old age (she's nearly 9)... So I can't play to tire her out. I've even tried catnip, but she will straight up ignore it in her plight to go outside (this is unusual for her, she's always responded to it strongly). I've tried a meal before bed and she still screams.
I really don't want to let my cat outside all night because I do not feel safe about her outside with no one in the house awake. But I also desperately need sleep.
Anyone have help or suggestions? And please.... if you don't have anything helpful to say, do not say it at all. Which means if you're going to judge me for trying a spray bottle, just don't. If you're going to say "you need to figure out why she's meowing," just don't. If you're going to say "maybe you just haven't found the right toy to tire her out," just don't. I apologize for the frankness of this, I'm tired. I've barely slept in the past month. She just won't stop screaming.