Cat waking me up in night (several times!) Help!

[MysteryCat]

Hello - I'm hoping someone can offer advice but think this might be an unsolvable problem. We have a 7-year old male cat who wakes me up two or three times every night by scratching the furniture/carpet or jumping on me. The reason is that he wants me to go downstairs to feed him (even though there is food in his bowl and he could just help himself!). And then after he's eaten he wants to go outside. He has a cat flap but will only use it to come in - not to go out (unless I hold the little door open for him).

I therefore end up going downstairs - wait while he eats and then hold the cat flap open so that he can go out. This is happening about two or three times a night.

Shutting him downstairs isn't really an option at the moment as he won't let himself outside and if he needs to pee but can't get out he'll do it in the hall instead. I suspect he'd also bang/scratch continuously on the kitchen door until we let him back upstairs.

What I'd really love is for him to realise he doesn't need me to show him to his food bowl and then for him to be able to let himself out through his cat flap. I'm not sure how to achieve this though - has anyone any ideas? Thanks!

[cozietoesie]

Methinks you are thoroughly under the paw, Mystery. He's after attention from you and you're rewarding all his nighttime complaints by giving in to them.

On the practicalities, I'd get a litter tray in. They're only cheap and it's always useful to have a tray in a cupboard somewhere if you find out you don't need it in a week or two. It's also not such a good idea to have a cat allowed out at night - it's the danger time for them so keeping it in any case might be a consideration for you.

Also - stop with the constant food sitting. Better to give him his food on schedule and then leave him to it - or he can go hungry.

Then, I'm afraid its down to you. How is your willpower? You need to stick it out so probably best started when you have a day or two off work - the weekend maybe. Maybe play with him more during the day and then grit your teeth at night for a day or two.

[cozietoesie]

PS - and if he jumps on you during the night, don't reward that either (eg by soft words and strokes etc.) Pick him up firmly and brusquely (although not in a mean way) and deposit him off the bed or outside the room boundary. Basically, give him his good attention and love reward during the day/with day games and not when he's misbehaving during the night.

(I exclude him coming to bed and softly curling up beside you to go to sleep - that can get a love reward of course. Just the odd word and stroke though - no getting out of bed.)

[gobbin]

Shut him in the kitchen (or wherever food/tray/flap etc are). Job done.

In my experience, a cat will nearly always have a different body clock and will wake you up in some way. One of our previous cats was very good and would lie fairly quietly on the bed til we got up but even she moved around the room, climbing on the chest of drawers etc which was enough to wake us. She was the last to be allowed in the bedroom, our five since then have enjoyed beds in the kitchen under the breakfast bar!

[thezoobmeister]

Have you tried controlled meowing?

[MysteryCat]

Cozie - you're absolutely right - I am under the paw! Thanks for the advice. I forgot to mention that we do actually have a litter tray (a really nice covered one which he's used happily for years but stopped using when we moved house a year ago!).

I'm more than happy to ignore him at night. The problem is that he'll wake up the whole house (including 9 month old dd) with his antics if I don't give in to him.

I know, I know - a house move and a baby! Not great for a cat but other than being demanding at night he's very happy and loves his new big garden.

[tweetytwat]

controlled miaowing

They are massive pisstakers, aren't they? Mine would do the same. I shut it in downstairs when I go to bed. I would get a tray if it needed butler service to go outside. We have a flap and it took a while to get it to use it though - can you throw some scraps of chicken out of the flap so it has to go out of the flap? Once you get him used to using the flap properly you should be fine.

[soaccidentprone]

Put some lovely smelly fish outside the cat flap with your cat in the kitchen, then see if he still refuses to use it!

[cozietoesie]

Hah! The 9 month old is indeed a complication and he's learned to take advantage of it - ie he's clocked that you'll dive out of bed at night if he squawks.

I'm afraid that I think you'll have to stop it now or you could have another - say - 10 years of this and it may not improve. I'd sacrifice a few partly sleepless night for you and DD now and go for it - he should start learning the new schedule within a couple of days if you're lucky. (Or is DD due to go for a visit with your parents or something?)

[MysteryCat]

Thanks all for your suggestions. I will try the fish/chicken trick with the cat flap and if all else fails will try introducing the routine of shutting him in the kitchen. Fingers crossed!

[Fluffycloudland77]

You've got to remember who's in charge. He is not the boss of you.

Lock him up, they get used to it and its safer overnight anyway. Try using sophisticat gold ultra clumping litter, it's softer on paws which some cats seem to prefer.

[DrHolmes]

My cat does exactly the same! So annoying! I am up with him about 3 times a night and he is meowing for food when he already has food then meows to get out then waits at our bedroom window and meows to get back in. Sleeps all day of course.