How can I stop my kitties keeping me awake all night??

[WendyWoo]

Hi everyone,

Iam new to this site but am in desparate need of some advice - Can anyone help????

I have a male cat called Trigger and a female called Poppy. They are both around 1year old and are the most beautiful little kitties I've ever had! The only problem being is they keep me awake all night long!!!!
The male likes to go out but as soon as you close the door he starts screeching to get in. When he is in, he insists on jumping about in bed with me to keep me awake!! If I lock him out the room he scratched and meows at the door and keeps me awake!!! Either way I cant seem to win!!! Has anyone any idea of how I can calm him down??

I work all day and have tried to put him out to play in the garden but I know he doesnt like being outside alone, he gets very scared!!!! Poppy is most definitely a house cat as she has no notion of going outside. She will sit on the back door step but if you move away from her she follows you inside the house!

Can anyone give me any advice as I am really beginning to turn into a zombie!!

Cheers
Wendy xxx:(

[dinahsmum]

OK. Just some suggestions, don't know if any will work. My kittens (now 4 months and a bit) were a bit of a pain early on but now sleep all night, so I can't answer from personal experience.

Special bedtime toys?
A big meal to make them sleep?
A crate, so they have to stay in one place?
Earplugs and 2 glasses of wine for you, so you learn to ignore them and they learn you will not respond?

Good luck - someone else will be here to help (or sympathise) soon.


http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/36/36_22_15.gif

[Sweet]

I smiled at the ear plugs and glasses of wine :lol: - seems a good way to sleep to me ;) x

[Donna]

If you install a cat flap then your cat can go outside when he feels like it and stay in at other times. That sorts that problem!

My cats used to keep me awake at night but I just ignored them and paid them no attention, even when they were jumping on top of my bed!!! They now settle down for the night when I go to my bed; either in their own comfy spot or at the bottom of my bed.

Not saying that works every night as Chloe was miaowing for about an hour last night for no reason and she woke me up!! But I just left her to it and went back to sleep!

[WendyWoo]

Excellent - thanks for that!! I will give all the suggestions a shot especially trying the couple of glasses of wine each night!!!

Will let you know how I get on - fingers crossed!!!!

Wendy xx

[dandysmom]

I've found that a good romp before bedtime (kitty teases, ball throwing, etc.) plus a snack before bedtime burns off some of that surplus energy, and then they have to wash up after eating...if that doesn't work, then ignoring them for a few nights might do the trick. Or leaving the bedroom door ajar...?

[MrsH]

I've not got much to add to the above.

When our kitties scratched the bedroom door we used to open it quickly and tell them off! It made them jump a bit and I did feel a bit mean and cruel.

Obviously it didn't work immediately but now they are very content sleeping in their beds on the landing.