This spring, I lost my female cat companion after 18 years together (she was almost 20). She was a stray who had adopted me, so after a few months of desolation, I adopted a stray from a local shelter. My new cat is male, about five years old, and extremely affectionate. He's been with me only three weeks, but we have a serious problem. He wakes me up--all the time! About two hours after I fall asleep for the night, I am awakened by Grigio's paw lightly brushing my face, and, soon after, his "kisses." He's not at all aggressive, but he doesn't stop until I get up. If I put him on the floor, he'll return shortly and begin the process again.
He's not hungry because I've tried feeding him when he wakes me, but he's not interested in food until the morning. He isn't even interested in playing because if I get up and read or watch TV, he'll go to sleep himself! Unfortunately, once I'm up, I can't easily get back to sleep. But, if I do, he's usually there to wake me again shortly afterwards.
Grigio is not at all feral, so he was obviously raised by people (who didn't neuter him; the shelter did that), but he was rounded up by the shelter as a stray about a month before I adopted him, so I know nothing of his history.
He has always had the run of the house, but one night I was so tired that I closed him out of the bedroom (this was in the middle of the night after he'd awakened me twice). But he cried piteously and clawed nervously at the door. I was worried that he'd stratch the door to shreds, so I let him back in.
I would like to let him continue to sleep with me, but does anyone know how I can convince him to let me sleep? I'm getting desperate.
He's not hungry because I've tried feeding him when he wakes me, but he's not interested in food until the morning. He isn't even interested in playing because if I get up and read or watch TV, he'll go to sleep himself! Unfortunately, once I'm up, I can't easily get back to sleep. But, if I do, he's usually there to wake me again shortly afterwards.
Grigio is not at all feral, so he was obviously raised by people (who didn't neuter him; the shelter did that), but he was rounded up by the shelter as a stray about a month before I adopted him, so I know nothing of his history.
He has always had the run of the house, but one night I was so tired that I closed him out of the bedroom (this was in the middle of the night after he'd awakened me twice). But he cried piteously and clawed nervously at the door. I was worried that he'd stratch the door to shreds, so I let him back in.
I would like to let him continue to sleep with me, but does anyone know how I can convince him to let me sleep? I'm getting desperate.