early morning cat miaowing

[upsydaisy33]

Our cat has worked out that if she pipes up with miaowing at some point from 5.30am, then she will often wake up DC, which leads to us coming downstairs and eventually giving her breakfast.

So, we thought we'd cure this by using the timer tray, and setting it to 5.30am so just as she went to maiow, she'd get her breakfast anyway.

Only it doesn't seem to have worked very well, she now both miaows earlier (5am) and also sometimes after having breakfast anyway, just for the hell of it! Even if it doesn't wake up DC it wakes us up. And if it wakes DC up we end up getting up and starting the day before we want to.

Has anyone got any ideas on what we can do? Our cat is oldish (12), lazy, not a hunter (never has been), doesn't go out much. It could be a summer thing, but I'd rather not have this every year...

Mine sometimes does this. You have to ignore and give NO reward for her! Even if that is a bit of attention. If there is nothing in it for her, she will stop.

She doesn't want food - she wants you!

Responding is fatal.

My 'kitten' (already larger than my cats) thinks its hilarious to throw himself at our bedroom door several times in the night and pinging the door handle open.

I wouldn't even attempt to not allow one of my boys to sleep in my room. (In my bed of course.) Seniorboy would actually take it as punishment and would go into a terminal decline. (I'm not joking on that one - I think he wouldn't be able to cope with the lack of closeness to his person.)

The cat is welcome in our room and on our bed anytime...so although I do agree it may be that she wants us, she can come to us...I'd much rather she came on the bed than did the waking-DC miaowing!

I guess it may just be that we've taught her that this is a good way to get the whole household in action for the morning, though. Problem is, ignoring is hard given that in the end it wakes DC and then we are into morning mode...

I let them in my room all day just not at night. I have tried it . It was terrible.

It is hard to ignore. But they are a lot like toddlers in learning what behaviour gets a response.

Have you got a lockable room? I lock ours in the conservatory overnight.

I've given in. If I feed him as soon as he starts (anywhere between 4.30 - 5) he's happy and I can get another few hours sleep.

I created this problem by starting feeding wet food, he always has dry down but it's the wet he wants :(

Ours started doing this, especially as DH is often up early. We changed it so she never gets food till DC are eating their breakfast (so 7.30-8.00 am) and it seems to have mostly stopped the 5.30 miaow wake ups

Take a lidded Tupperware container(or similar) to bed with you each night filled with dry food , when you hear your cat just open the container, in your semi-waking state.
This is what we do, our cat can get the lid off himself if I don't wake up quick enough for him.

I think new kitten has finally stopped throwing himself at the bedroom door during the night. He's been pinging the door handle 4/5 times a night and been saying hello to the water gun. Last 2 nights I didn't hear a peep! Or maybe im just more tired...