How to change the cats body clock?

[Howsaboutthat]

Cats have decided the day begins at 5am - it so doesn't!! - how can I alter the cats waking hours?

[bootsycollins]

Have you got blackout curtains? Talking to him? Controlled crying?

[pooka]

Bunny clock?

[Howsaboutthat]

He's my PFC, the children I could tune out their pitiful cries, his go right through me and tug my heart strings. I don't make eye contact nor talk to him and remove him off my head and place him on the floor in his bed.

I taught the bunny to tell the time, and told the cat he couldn't get up until the bunny told him so, he tried to eat said rabbit!

[GreenLeafTea]

Shut him in the living room at night. That's what I do with my cat else he gives me non-stop kisses all night. As long as he has food, water, clean kitty litter and his blanket he is fine.

[Howsaboutthat]

He's destroying the carpet by the door trying to open it when I tried that. When I opened the door, he gave me a withering look, and didn't even wander out of the lounge!

[cozietoesie]

Let him sleep with you? That should sort his clock out.

[Lonecatwithkitten]

If he was sleeping with you I would say shut him out. But as he is not I would say let him in. My cats love their early morning snuggles.

[cozietoesie]

My boys sleep with me (always have) so have adjusted their body clocks to mine because they love the closeness so much. The only problem you face then is that you can get sulks if you eg go to bed late. You get a curled up lump on top of your duvet looking at you hard if they stir.

[cozietoesie]

PS- that would be really late. They don't mind the odd half hour or hour.

[Howsaboutthat]

They've always had the full run of the house, (apart from the last couple of nights where I've shut them up), they have food, water, litter tray available to them.

Normally one sleeps on my kid's bed and one sleeps at the foot of our bed.

For the last week, they have decided that at 5am I have to get up. Stroking isn't enough, shutting them outside isn't enough, they are only happy if I'm up.

[cozietoesie]

Ah - testing you then. Unless you want a lifetime of being under the paw, you need to hold firm.

Allow one/them into your room and and at the first sign of attitude at 5.00, say NO in a firm voice, put outside and ignore. You mustn't give in, PFC or not.



PS - those 'pitiful cries' are purposeful. Toughen up the heart strings.

[Fluffycloudland77]

Lock him in the conservatory (if you have one).

[ThePskettiIncident]

I have one of these and trashed carpets to prove it. He's 13 and I don't seem to be able to change him. He wakes the baby too!

A top up on his biscuit bowl before bed helps a little.

[MissFoodie]

you cant- mine only slept 5 hours as a kitten, I thought this would change, it has not....he is now 4.....all this about "cats sleep up to 20 hrs a day" is rubbish!!!!