How do I stop my cat from whining at night?

Question

I have a darling cat I adopted 2 weeks ago from a shelter that I adore. He's almost perfect. He is fat (on a diet now), affectionate, always purring, follows me around like a puppy and he loves the attention I lavish on him (I'm single and live in a 1 BR apartment).

Here's the issue: Fluffy is banned from my bedroom so that I have at least one hair-free room in my house and so I don't have him sleeping on my head or that I kick him at night.

So Fluffy sits outside my door and meows with a distinctly sad and whiny tone. I am a teacher and have to get up at 5 each morning. Sleep is so precious to me, but Fluffly isn't letting me get any.

What can I do to get him to shut up at night? I can't sleep in ear plugs (they have caused me to miss my alarm), my apt. complex only allows one pet, and I don't want to let the cat in, nor do I want to take my sleepless frustration out on him. How can I get my needy, clingy cat to shut the hell up at night? Thanks!!

Answer 1

Ah yes...we had this problem with our cat too.

This may seem counterintuitive to you, but he needs to be confined in a "comfort space" that's not as large as your apartment, some small territory that he can feel safe in. Get him a kitty bed especially for him, and put it in some out-of-the-way corner. You may have to encourage him to use it, and put his favorite toys or a few kitty treats in it so he associates the corner as a good thing. You can try putting a piece of your clothing in the bed too, so that he has something to cuddle up to.

In our place, we have an extra bathroom and put our cat in there at night, with a pillow, a litterbox, and a bowl of water. She doesn't wander or meow and she's on her pillow every morning when we open the door again.

The other possibility, him being a male cat, is that you may want to consider making him an indoor/outdoor cat and let him out at night. If while he's in your house, you rub butter on his paws and let him lick it off, he'll get the scent of your place as his territory. Then, after making sure he's microchipped, you can let him out if he wants to wander, and he'll know where to come back to.

Answer 2

My cat meows at random times during the wee morning hours to let me know he's hungry. I've had him for a year. There is no real remedy to stop them from whining unless you let Fluffy in the room OR you can get him a playmate (i.e. another kitty). Cats generally take care of themselves and each other - if they have a buddy you won't even notice they are there (well noise-wise) now they may still climb on everything. See with my cat I trained it so that when he is in the room he does NOT jump on the bed. He is not allowed on the bed and he knows this. It took a while to train him - everytime he'd jump on the bed, I'd take him off. Eventually he learned - now if he even thinks about jumping on the bed I say "no" and he runs out of the room. So you could just try and train the cat to not jump on the bed so you can at least keep the door open and eliminate the whining. Cats are so much harder it seems than dogs. I have a cat and a dog and the cat whines more than the puppy does! LOL

Answer 3

I was just wondering since this is my 1st cat and he was adopted from a private seller how to train my cat Buddy who is so loving but yet keeps me up all night long because I think he has a schedule of nighttime versa day time and I'm trying to get him to stop whining but kind of feel like maybe he just needs more time idk since I have only had him for a week and he also likes to scratch up my carpet in my apartment and get scratch me and my daughter up when trying to play with him as we have to calmly tell him no , no biting or clawing me and he wont stop . I'm so new to this whole cat thing that I really just need advice on how or what methods to use to train him to be a little better cat before he thinks its ok to continue doing what he is doing. also he is pooping right outside the litter box but will pee in the litter box so I'm wondering what is up with that as well or could all this just be because he needs more then a few weeks of getting used to his new home??????

Answer 4

RE:
How do I stop my cat from whining at night?
I have a darling cat I adopted 2 weeks ago from a shelter that I adore. He's almost perfect. He is fat (on a diet now), affectionate, always purring, follows me around like a puppy and he loves the attention I lavish on him (I'm single and live in a 1 BR apartment).

Here's the...

Answer 5

Whiny Cat

Answer 6

You have only had him 2 weeks, he's in a new place and he's frightened. You are who he is looking to for a feeling of security. Try making him a bed outside your bedroom, wear a tee shirt for a while and put it in the bed. He can smell you on the shirt and this may calm him some. It really just going to take time for him to feel secure in his new home, then he will settle down. Cats are not the aloof, independent creatures they have been portrayed to be. They are loving animals that crave attention. If you were that concerned about hair maybe you shouldn't have gotten him.

Answer 7

Hmmmm, I'm cat person & this is hard one. I have a crowd of cats & I fully understand the need for a fur free room & sleep. I wish you could have two pets, since a buddy would keep him company instead of you. (I'm picturing a buddy cat wearing earmuffs to tune out Fluffy's whining) Here's a couple suggestions - kitty is new, so maybe when he's fully acclimated to you & his new home he will settle down - the shelter is as traumatizing as it gets & he may be missing his former owner, his mama, littermates, his old home or whatever. Also, when he whines, if you try to pet him, talk w/him, soothe him, etc., you may actually be training him that if he whines you give him attention! Also, as he's fat & on diet food which isn't so tasty or filling, he may behungry, so leave his food out, or put it in one of those timed pet food dispensers, or give him a light snack an hour or so beforebedtime so his tummy doesn't get empty in the night. (This is off the subject, but some people will only feed their overweight cats once or twice a day - my thought is that these rescued guys sometimes overeat because they didn't have a regular food supply, so instead of continuing to give them a limited supply & them scarfing up every bite, I make sure they have lots of food available always - a never ending supply of it - at first some really pigged out, but before long, they seem to realize its there when they want it & they self-regulate themselves. I only have one compulsive eater in the bunch now, so that's pretty good. Now, finally, if you really think its not hunger, just neediness, try this. My cats like to sleep a foot or more off the ground, & preferably in a bed with sides that surrround them fairly closely - kitty's bed may be a climbing tree perch, a window perch, a round or oval cat bed w/6" or so high sides, even a cardboard box, basket, or laundry basket lined w/soft bedding. They feel safer up high & more secure when their bodies touch against the sides of their bed. Beds needs to be big enough to move around, but not too large. Keep kitty's bed in the same place, don't be moving it around. Keep it in a quiet place, preferably where he can see others, like when you have visitors, but where he's not readily noticed. Cats like that - they like to watch & snooze unobserved.Rais his bed raised on a table or chair or something, but put the table or chair partially behind a sofa or chair or plant so he's not seen. Also, he might like a window perch where he can observe things even while you sleep - remember he's probably not tired as he's probably slept all day while you were at work. See if he'll sleep in such a bed without whining. Give it a few weeks to see if it worksl. You might give him a radio w/low volume for company. If that doesn't work, try a keeping kitty in your room in side a carrier or cage type kennel, w/just room for kitty, bedding, a litter box, a little quiet (no bells or rattles) cuddle toy & a bedtime snack. (I know -- he's dieting, its a fur free room, etc. but its better than whining & being kept up all night, & the carrier or kennel will hold the fur pretty much. Make a little "going to bed" ritual - love him up but slack off on excitement 30 minutes or more before bedtime, let him calm down from petting, playing, exercise, etc., Then give him his snuggle toy & his bedtime snack, lock him in his carrier, say "Time for beddy boo baby" or whatever (just be consistent & say it nightly) - then turn off the lights (place the carrier so he can see you). Then try to sleep & ignore him - if he whines, don't give in to it, let him whine - remember, pet him or talk w/him, you are only reinforcing that whines get attention. If whining is too much, take him in the carrier & set him as far from you in the apartment as possible so you can sleep. Don't feel guilty. He'll learn he can quietly be with you, or he can noisily be alone. I'm thinking he'll soon learn quiet companionship is better. Also, just note, don't ever shove him into the carrier in anger, or put him there for punishment - it needs to be his , secure haven, always. Good luck & sweet dreams! Also, if you have to use the carrier or kennel for sleeping, get another for vet trips - one trip to the vet in it & he might not sleep in it again! Good luck & sweet dreams.

Answer 8

Fluffy wants to be with you. There are worse things than the fear of accidentally kicking a cat in your sleep. When you do, he'll be upset for a bit and then get over it. If he tries to sleep on your head, gently move him to another part of the bed. Or get him a cat bed and place it near your bed. But let him into your bedroom.

I will also add that you can try to keep your bedroom as hair-free as possible, but the hairs do float on air currents, and you will carry them on your clothes and your body. My boyfriend once found a cat hair on his contact lens case, and the only time my cat is in the bathroom is when I give her her medicine!

Answer 9

The kitty sounds to be pretty young. Besides, like people it has been my experience that cats also needs a sense of security, and have routines. Perhaps the previous owners trained Fluffy to be in with his owner. Sacrifice the room for the relationship, or leave enterainment along with catnip in the other room at night..... or return the cat to the shelter.

Answer 10

let the cat in your room?

a regular brushing routine will help to lessen shedding somewhat..

he spends all day alone, and you expect him to spend all night alone too? i'm sure you can vacuum.

i don't know about you, but i love cats and they are a source of love and affection -- quite lovely animals.

take care.