Will I ever sleep again?

[Marcia]

Originally Posted by MowMow

Put the vacuum cleaner outside right outside your closed door. RUn the cord under the door to a plug nearest your bed. Turn the vacuum ON but leave the cord unplugged. When she rattles the door or meows, plug the vacuum in to fire it up (remember, it's been left on). Then unplug it and go back to sleep.

HA!! The cure all machine. Yes, I've used the growling beast to find a cat that is hiding. We had to go to the vets and as soon as Maggie saw the carrier she high-tailed (or drag-tailed it, is more appropriate) into hiding. I got out the vacuum cleaner and after a pass under the bed she went running.

[Manue]

Originally Posted by MowMow

Put the vacuum cleaner outside right outside your closed door. RUn the cord under the door to a plug nearest your bed. Turn the vacuum ON but leave the cord unplugged. When she rattles the door or meows, plug the vacuum in to fire it up (remember, it's been left on). Then unplug it and go back to sleep.

Lol! How I wish I could do this, but it would wake up my downstairs neighbours. I too have problems sleeping through the night since we adopted our cat Gaia. While she is adorable, she is also incredibly smart and annoying at times. She has learned that bitting is really effective to wake us up and get attention. First she starts really gently, and then if we ignore her she bites harder until you start reprimanding her and she won, you're up. She will often try this at 2h00 am, 5h00 am, 6h00 am, etc. So she lost her 'bedroom privileges', but now she keeps scratching at the door. We're trying real hard to not feed her before it's time to get up, because that would just reinforce the behaviour. Earplugs help. I may also try to let her back in the room and use the water spray to get her to stop bitting. She already gets a good 20 minutes of play time before bed and a bit of dry food.

[grrawritsjordi]

Originally Posted by Manue

Lol! How I wish I could do this, but it would wake up my downstairs neighbours. I too have problems sleeping through the night since we adopted our cat Gaia. While she is adorable, she is also incredibly smart and annoying at times. She has learned that bitting is really effective to wake us up and get attention. First she starts really gently, and then if we ignore her she bites harder until you start reprimanding her and she won, you're up. She will often try this at 2h00 am, 5h00 am, 6h00 am, etc. So she lost her 'bedroom privileges', but now she keeps scratching at the door. We're trying real hard to not feed her before it's time to get up, because that would just reinforce the behaviour. Earplugs help. I may also try to let her back in the room and use the water spray to get her to stop bitting. She already gets a good 20 minutes of play time before bed and a bit of dry food.

For biting, I have noticed that Moosey really responds to a firm "no". Usually she will just look at me like I broke her little heart. If she starts to bite I say "NO, we don't bite" and she usually stops. Same for Zigs.

For the vacuum cleaner thing, that wouldn't work for us. The door she scratches is right next to the door to the bathroom, so if I put it behind our door, it would block the bathroom and if my roommate wanted to go to the bathroom the vacuum would block the door and he wouldn't be able to open it.

For the wedging door thing, that wouldn't work either because of my roommate and it doesn't stop her from meowing, which is does very loudly.

We had problems again last night. I am absolutely exhausted today.

[maggie23]

i sympathize completely with you. my own experience is not encouraging, though. i'm afraid over the course of several months (we've had angel for 1 year now), i have just learned to operate on less sleep. i'm sure i used to get a good 7 hours/night, but now it's anywhere from 4-6 off and on because angel likes to jump up into bed anywhere from 2-4 am, change positions several times during the night, then get up @5:30 or so. that is, unless she has to cough up a hairball at 3 or 4 am. i know the lack of sleep causes a lot of headaches and i'm sure i've reduced my lifespan by at least a few years with this lack of sleep. i'm probably even more susceptible to a heart attack or stroke, etc... i hope you are able to find a way to get more sleep yourself.

i was bad and never actually tried to stop angel from waking me up in bed in the middle of the night when we first got her. i can't bring myself to do it because i just love her so much and cherish every minute i get to snuggle with her. i am HOPELESS! but perhaps you can be strong and discipline yours before it's too late! no one can save me, but you can still try and save yourself!

[grrawritsjordi]

Originally Posted by maggie23

i sympathize completely with you. my own experience is not encouraging, though. i'm afraid over the course of several months (we've had angel for 1 year now), i have just learned to operate on less sleep. i'm sure i used to get a good 7 hours/night, but now it's anywhere from 4-6 off and on because angel likes to jump up into bed anywhere from 2-4 am, change positions several times during the night, then get up @5:30 or so. that is, unless she has to cough up a hairball at 3 or 4 am. i know the lack of sleep causes a lot of headaches and i'm sure i've reduced my lifespan by at least a few years with this lack of sleep. i'm probably even more susceptible to a heart attack or stroke, etc... i hope you are able to find a way to get more sleep yourself.

i was bad and never actually tried to stop angel from waking me up in bed in the middle of the night when we first got her. i can't bring myself to do it because i just love her so much and cherish every minute i get to snuggle with her. i am HOPELESS! but perhaps you can be strong and discipline yours before it's too late! no one can save me, but you can still try and save yourself!

Thank you for having faith, but I think I my situation will be like yours. I can't kick her out of the room or she terrorizes Ziggy. I have to separate the two and it makes me really sad because my roommate is hardly ever home.

I guess I am going to have to try and make it work.

[Straysmommy]

I'm in the same boat. I yell at her like I would at a human that did the same and get up, leave the bedroom. When I come back she knows better than alienate me again.

Does your cat understand clearly that it's a no-no behavior?

[Ragdoll_Joy]

We no longer need to set an alarm in our house...
If I am sleeping in bed she has me up at 4:30a and if its only my fiance, she lets him sleep in until about 6:30a! Snack at night and plently of play before bed has done nothing to change this routine... I have come to terms with the fact that it is just a part of owning a cat!

[mumof7kitties]

My bullied kitty sleeps in our room with us along with one or two others plus our chihuahua. All of them piled onto our bed with my husband and I leaves not a lot of room to move. They're all constantly moving around, under the covers, out of the covers, and the bullied kitty walks over me, rubs her wet nose all over my face, makes little sneezes against my cheek, paws against my hands to get me to pet her, etc. etc. I've found nothing really has helped except taking something to help me sleep. When I do that then if she manages to wake me up I'm so out of it that I can't remember. Good luck!


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[grrawritsjordi]

Originally Posted by Straysmommy

I'm in the same boat. I yell at her like I would at a human that did the same and get up, leave the bedroom. When I come back she knows better than alienate me again.

Does your cat understand clearly that it's a no-no behavior?

If you are referring to the biting, I think she realizes it mid-way through now because she will put her teeth on me, then look up like, "Oh no" and just kind of sit there for a second then back off. But then there are other times where she is just in the moment and doesn't realize it. That is when she is scolded. Usually she just runs off.

I have told my boyfriend to do the same if she is acting that way.

We have also made sure to not touch her if she is in a very playful mood because she will bite and instead use a toy that is far away from our hands. We also throw the play mice at her, rather than hold them in our hands and play with them. Although I will make them act like they are walking, and if she goes for my hand I throw them.

Making sure they don't associate your hand with a toy is the first step.

[Straysmommy]

Sorry, I meant this part:

Originally Posted by grrawritsjordi

she will wake me up in the middle of the night with kitty kisses (putting her wet nose on me) and tickling me with her wiskers (basically I wake up with a cat face in mine). She climbs on top of me, no matter if I am on my back or side and annoys me until I pet her or kneeds on my pillow and my face.

Princess does exactly the same. I'm now trying to avoid giving her mixed messages because I've been confusing her, by not always yelling and distancing when she does that and instead, sometimes giving in. I'm sure when she comprehends without confusion, she'll stop.