My 6 month old kitten is really naughty a night, and likes to jump on my head and knock things off my dresser, so I usually shut him out my bedroom at night. However from about 7am (it's getting earlier all the time), he wails loudly outside my door and scratches on the door, literally for HOURS non-stop, until I let him or get up. This has been going on since I got him 4 months ago, and my only solution so far has been ear plugs. Any ideas? It's driving me mad. (And please don't say just get up, because I work late til late in the evening). Thanks.
2007-03-04 04:53:13 · 15 answers · asked by pinkyminx 2 in Pets ➔ Cats
I'm getting him snipped next week, so hopefully that will help. I live in a studio flat so I've put his bed and cushions etc in the hall, he has access to his food in the kitchen. No room for another cat!
2007-03-04 05:10:23 · update #1
To Robi u- like I said, I'm not planning on getting a 2nd cat, and I haven't trained him that scratching and wailing gets attention, I put my earplugs in and try to ignore him, but I can't stay in my room forever, I have to open the door at some point when I get up! And thanks for the crate idea, but I live in a studio flat, i.e. I barely have room for my bed, let alone a crate.
2007-03-04 05:55:25 · update #2
Usually gettin a cat neutered does the trick but obviously you need a solution for now. It's hard with you lving in a studio and also working late. the only thing i could come up with is to put him in a seperate room with lots of toys,his bed and food and water and leave him there till morning. I have a 7 month old kitten and we have only had her a week but we had a cat before that unfortuatley got killed in a road accident but we used to put her and my new cat in a room that leads off the kitchen it is narrow but very long. It has toys, bed,food, tray and water and even has strings with toys attached coming off the door so she can play. We have to put her in there of a night as we have a Burgualar alarm that is supposed to be ok for animals but still goes off so we cant leave her to wander aound as we live in an area that has a high crime rate so this is the thing we do. hope this helped He will hopefuly settle once he has been neutered. Good Luck xxxx
2007-03-04 09:27:42 · answer #1 · answered by fairylandk 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Is he neutered? If not, get that done, it will calm him down some. Consider getting him a playmate so he won't be lonely at night.
Also, set up the vacuum cleaner near the door (if possible, even outside, but then the cable needs to go under the door). connect it with one of the extension cords that have an on-off switch so that you can turn it on an off without getting out of bed. Whenever your cat starts wailing, turn on the vacuum cleaner. When he shuts up, turn it off.
Since he can't see you turning it on/off, to him, it seems like the horrible loud sucky monster starts growling every time he howls. Do this for a few nights, and he'll stop.
I know it sounds silly, but it works - unless you have one of the very few cats who like the vacuum cleaner, that is.
Never give in to his demands - that only teaches him that howling works if you keep it up long enough.
2007-03-04 05:03:20 · answer #2 · answered by Ms. S 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Never get another animal because you think it will solve a behavior issue in your pet. YOU have taught your cat that the effective way to get your attention is to wail and scratch at the door because you respond to it.
Try purchasing a crate and using it for bedtime ONLY. Don't use it to punish the cat for doing something wrong. Use a term like " bed time or its time to go to bed" CONSISTENTLY indicate to the cat it quiet time/bet-time. Ding this consitently will train the cat that at night he goes to sleep in the crate and comes out when you decide sleep time is over. You train him. He doesn't train you.
To ease some anxiety he may be feeling you can purchase
Feliway spray and spray it on the bedding This is a spray used for behavior modification and axiety issues in cats. Make sure the crate is big enough for a water bowel and a small litter pan and a sleeping space.
2007-03-04 05:42:30 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
My cat frisky use to do this. What I did...
I got a lot of toys, including one of the cat trees. I neutered him. And put everything in the bathroom. Food, water, cat box and all. And I locked him in the bathroom at night. He worked. He grew out of it. Now he sleeps at the end of the bed.
2007-03-04 05:12:02 · answer #4 · answered by Brandi 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
have your cat neutered if its not done already. Leave some dry food outside your bedroom door. if he/she is hungry this will help. Have you tried leaving the kitten in another room downstairs ?
my kitten who is about the same age also does this and I leave him in the kitchen with food, water and some toys.
2007-03-04 05:02:54 · answer #5 · answered by carole b 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You should not get mad! maybe he just need a friend to play with so if you want you can buy or adobe another kitten and put them outside your room.
2007-03-04 05:10:45 · answer #6 · answered by Mayz 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you have someplace like a basement, put him there. My cat loved to do that, and yes maybe it's because hes young. He'll grow out of it.
2007-03-04 05:02:51 · answer #7 · answered by B-Rad 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Get another cat to keep him company and amused. If it doesn't work at least the noise will be in stereo.
2007-03-04 05:03:25 · answer #8 · answered by JonBovi 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My cat weighs one and a half stone and when he wants to get me up he jumps on the bed and lays on me. Killer or what!!!
2007-03-04 06:20:08 · answer #9 · answered by Suzie B 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Why don't you get the cat neutered, this may calm him down.
2007-03-04 04:56:44 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋