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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

cat waking us at night

28 replies

kiki22 · 04/04/2016 09:46

He's just over 1 year old and a lovely friendly guy the only problem I have with my cat is he wakes us at 5ish every morning, he wants food and attention at this time. It wasn't so bad until the light mornings came in before then he was about half 6/7 when dp got up for work, the main issue is not just waking us up if we don't respond he goes to wake ds (4) up by scratching and meowing at his door. Also we are having a new baby in Aug I can't have him waking the baby during the night.

We live in a top floor flat, have tried to let him out to burn off energy but he hates the close its an old stone one so cold and echoy plus we have 3 other cats in the block so that might put him off. If we carry him to the garden he wont go more than a few feet from the door and wants back in straight away.

Can anyone suggest anything except ignoring him it's not an option since it wakes ds up. (he never damages anything scratching and has toys &scratch posts)

OP posts:
Catzpyjamas · 04/04/2016 09:50

Can you shut him in a room with food and his litter tray? Pyjamacat used to jump on my head at first light so now gets shut in our living room at night. For the first few nights when we started shutting him in, he scratched the door a lot but doesn't do it at all now.

Original poster
kiki22 · 04/04/2016 10:47

The only room I can shut him in in the kitchen which is small and not keen on having the litter tray in there as he tends to poop at night and I'm a clean freak or the bathroom which is tiny. The living room he will pull up the carpet if he's locked in he never damages anything unless he's locked in.

I'm at a total loss ive always had cats but not any that wakes us to this extent the other that woke us usually went out so only woke us if we didn't put her out at night.

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ClaraLane · 04/04/2016 10:50

Our cats did this so we bought an automatic feeder after a friend told us it had worked for her: www.amazon.co.uk/Mate-Automatic-Meal-Feeder-Pack/dp/B0002YHUPC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1459763332&sr=8-1&keywords=Petmate+feeder We've had it for about a year now and it's fantastic, we set it before we go to bed and it opens at about 6am so stops them nagging us for food. We also use it if we're going to be out all day so they don't have to wait hours for their tea (unless we want to use them as an excuse to leave somewhere early!).

OrangeSquashTallGlass · 04/04/2016 10:51

Timed feeder? I use one occasionally to allow for Saturday morning lie ins. She'll still come in demanding love and attention but it's much later than normal as she's already 'been fed' by the timer.

OrangeSquashTallGlass · 04/04/2016 10:52

Cross post Smile

problembottom · 04/04/2016 15:52

I'm afraid ignoring our cat was the only thing that worked for us when he used to attack our bedroom blind from when the sun came up. He thought us removing him from the room, DP shouting at him, DP setting up obstacle courses so he couldn't get on the sill and him scratching our bedroom door when we threw him out was great fun. Then DP decided to open the blind at 5am every morning to appease him!! and I said no, we are going to completely ignore him.

To be fair it only took about a week of absolutely no reaction for him to get bored. He's not done it since.

Original poster
kiki22 · 04/04/2016 18:41

Thanks I'm going to order a timed feeder though I'm not sure it will work I think he's more after the attention than food. I wish we could ignore him but he wakes ds up then ds crys and is a grump all day because hes been up far to early.

OP posts:
MrsSparkles · 04/04/2016 18:45

Our 2 did this for a while. We just threw them off the bed until they learned to either wait on the landing or lie quietly at the bottom of the bed until our alarm goes off.

MiffleTheIntrovert · 04/04/2016 19:05

I read this thread with interest as my cat is driving me bonkers at present.

DH has been working early shifts so leaving at 4.30am for some weeks, which the cat loved. Attention and food at 4am - what's not to like? However DH is now on nights so out until 10/11am. I have worked on the cat so now she backs off until 6am but then cries and scratches my ££££ bed until she gets food and/or cuddles.

Unfortunately I am disabled and can't always get down the stairs unaided in the morning (waiting for a stair lift). I have been asking DD to get up to her but feel guilty as it's now their holidays and they want a lie in too. Due to SN, my other DC can't do it so I feel mean asking DD.

I can't sleep downstairs as the bathroom is upstairs. I can't put food out at night as (she was abandoned in her previous life and has issues) she will eat it all immediately.

I was thinking of an automatic feeder but (don't laugh) cat is really really dim, absolutely lovely but thick as mince. Sometimes I put food out for her and she doesn't seem to see it until I guide her to it. I had her checked at the vet, her eyes are fine, the vet said "she's just not very clever" Blush

Do people with an automatic feeder have any problems with the cats now knowing the food is there? I worry she won't notice it and/or might get distressed if food appears without a human BlushBlush

Sorry op I feel like I hijacked your thread with a very long post!

MiffleTheIntrovert · 04/04/2016 19:06

God that was long, sorry OP. I hope you get a solution and the timer works for you!

Original poster
kiki22 · 04/04/2016 19:58

Not a problem. I would think if you show them how the feeder will open they would know to go to it, I'm just thinking though if my cat knows there is food in there he will go mad trying to get it he spends a large portion of his time trying to work out how to open the cupboard door to get to the food. Hes still at the crazy kitten stage 70% of the time

OP posts:
ClaraLane · 04/04/2016 20:51

Ours sometimes scratch at the timer to get the food out of it but we normally put a bit of food down at the same time we set it up for the night so that tends to distract them.

Palomb · 04/04/2016 20:53

Close the door and wear earplugs. Ignore the cat. It'll soon learn.

Original poster
kiki22 · 04/04/2016 21:00

Palomb I can't do that because if we don't wake he goes to wake DS knowing that DS will come to walk us. DS is not a roll over and go back to sleeping type of person if the cat gets him after half 5 he's up for the day and a tired narky mess at nursery.

OP posts:
RedOnHerHedd · 04/04/2016 21:03

Ours was like that but DH used to throw a cushion in his general direction (never at him). And he soon learned. Now he sleeps all night on the bottom of our bed and doesn't move until DHs alarm goes off. Then he does the whole scratchy scratchy wake up meowy thing until one of us feeds him. He'll be 3 in August, and he's calmed down a lot since just before he was 2.

RedOnHerHedd · 04/04/2016 21:04

Ours was like that but DH used to throw a cushion in his general direction (never at him). And he soon learned. Now he sleeps all night on the bottom of our bed and doesn't move until DHs alarm goes off. Then he does the whole scratchy scratchy wake up meowy thing until one of us feeds him. He'll be 3 in August, and he's calmed down a lot since just before he was 2.

Palomb · 04/04/2016 21:05

shut your ds's door. You'd only need to do it for a few weeks. I'm the same as your ds, if something wakes me I cannot get back to sleep for love nor money so I will not have my wake up call set by a cat. You just need to be strong Grin

Original poster
kiki22 · 04/04/2016 21:19

We do shut his door but we only have a small flat so he can be heard scratching and meowing anyway Sad I'm not a softy in general I wouldn't mind waiting plugs and ignoring if he would leave DS alone. Poor DS has started saying how doesnt like his cat anymore because he always annoys him poor kid. Ive taken him out in the garden for a while tonight so hopefully tired him out a bit.

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eyebrowse · 04/04/2016 21:19

Its the time of year -once it gets into the Summer its not so bad and in the Autumn they are asleep before you

Lotsofcamping · 07/04/2016 20:49

We've got the same problem kiki and I've been excitedly reading this thread, giggling at the not so clever cat Grin and waiting for the answer. But there isn't one! We've tried ignoring and it's not working. More help please!

Mumtodogs · 07/04/2016 20:58

I top up the cats food before I go to bed so she can have a midnight scoff or breakfast whenever she wakes up which helps, but the light mornings dont help at all!

Fluffycloudland77 · 07/04/2016 21:37

I lock ours in the utility overnight and put earplugs in.

I love the cat but he pokes his paw in my mouth to wake me at 4:30am if he sleeps with us.

LanaorAna1 · 07/04/2016 21:42

I get up.

ThenLaterWhenItGotDark · 07/04/2016 21:49

Placemarking as I am the daft soft bint who sleeps in the bloody kitchen with the bloody cat half of the week when he starts his wah wah thing.

Original poster
kiki22 · 07/04/2016 23:49

Well automatic food thing didn't work, he usually has biscuits out any way so not surprising. I've been chucking him out in the garden for a while in the evening its calmed him a bit think he needs more outside time to tire him out

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