Early risers

[clouddweller]

Hello! I'm interested to hear from any others out there with cats who are early risers - ours slept through the night when she first arrived, back in January, but recently has been 'getting up' between 0400 and 0430, ready for the day! I'm wondering if it has to do with the clocks changing and the lighter mornings, but wanted to hear from anyone who has similar, particularly if you have managed to find anything that works to push things back a bit! In actual fact, it's less the fact she wakes up then, than it is her determination that we wake up too!

I've tried feeding her something just before we go to bed, so that she a) isn't hungry and b) has food available when she wakes up; I've tried feeding her part of her morning feed when she/we wake up; she has access to the outside, if she needs it, and these combined make me think she doesn't 'need' us to get up when she does, she just wants us to. Flattering, maybe, but I am getting tired! Have also tried shutting her out of the bedroom, obviously, but then she scratches. She's seven, so not a kitten or anything, and doesn't have any health issues.

Anyway. As I say, just interested to hear others' experiences. I know she might just be wired this way, in which case we'll get on with getting on!

[SingingLily]

Our two are the same and I think it's definitely to do with the mornings getting lighter, as well as hearing the birds sing. We ignore them as long as possible because they are, as you know, training us but then Cat1 jumps onto DH's chest and wails at him. They have access to food at that time, same as yours, so they just want cuddles and attention.

You might have to let yours scratch at the door (I know, I know, it does the door no good) for a couple of weeks till she gives up.

[clouddweller]

Hi @Lily I know, that's what we've said as well. We've tried a couple of times but are both big softies and give in then as soon as she starts up! Well trained.....

[SingingLily]

Don't know how to break this to you, Cloud, but our two are 19. You could have years of this yet...😁

[agnurse]

Gatsby has learned that if he tries to get attention before Mum is up, he gets nothing. But if he waits nicely he gets lots of pets

[Judystilldreamsofhorses]

Our cat is a pain with this just now - it is definitely the lighter mornings. She will actually settle down between us and sleep until I get up at 6.30 if we ignore her, and at weekends we tend to give her “supper” about midnight so we get a lie-in. She’s five.

In winter she tends to creep into our bed once the heating is off and the house cools down, but is quite happy to sleep, providing she can find the most uncomfortable spot for me/DP, and steal as much of the duvet as she can.

I was off sick most of last week with tonsillitis - she was my constant sick-bed companion, so sweet.

[violapansy]

We recently rescued a cat and he had exactly the same problem as soon as he settled in. The only way we've "trained" him to stop waking us at 4am is that we have purchased an electronic food dispenser that gives him all of his meals at exactly the same time each day - 05:45 breakfast, 18:45 dinner, 22:30 bedtime snack. The routine has really helped, and this way he has learnt we're not actually going to forget to feed him if he doesn't wake us up in the wee hours..... Cats!

[ilovecatsabittoomuch]

It's definitely the light that gets them up, mine does exactly the same! The electric food dispenser is a really good idea. Gets them into more of a routine and they wait around downstairs until they hear the sound of the food dispenser so if you set it for say 6am, they know to expect that so will hang around downstairs and not bother you till then.

[Fluffycloudland77]

Mines locked in the kitchen overnight because 4.30 is his getting up time.

[peridito]

But aren't cats nocturnal ?

[Fluffycloudland77]

Crepuscular.

[peridito]

Oh that's interesting Fluffy .

I just assumed my two only briefly flirted with acitivity twice a day because they liked to sleep the rest of the time .

[clouddweller]

Hi everyone - so lovely to read lots of responses! For the last couple of mornings I have focused on ignoring the early morning scratching, rather than getting up to try and cut it off, and actually this has worked pretty well! She'll scratch, look over at the bed, scratch again, sit on the floor for a bit and then hop back up for another couple of hour's rest. So I think part of the issue was me getting up (well trained!). Thanks for all additional advice - I'll think about an electronic feeder as well.

[clouddweller]

Gah! Where did that apostrophe come from?! *hours rest