I'm more tired than with a newborn baby FFS!

[VintagePerfumista]

VintageCat is almost 3, male neutered.

We live in a ground floor flat (Italy) so during the day he can come and go (more go than come) as he pleases.

He is kept in at night- no catflap and can't really leave the shutters and windows open for him to do what he wants.

He's always got me up to let him out by about 5.30- fine. It's daylight etc etc. This last few weeks he first starts mithering anything from midnight to 2am. Sometimes I actually let him go out and leave the window (dp would have a fit if he knew ) but I'd really like to "train" him not to want to go out at that time.

Like you do with babies, I've kept him awake, but that doesn't work (I think when he does go out, he sleeps in the garden- it's already getting on for 30 degrees here, he's moulting- so am wondering if that's it) My BIL (a vet!) says he has behavioural problems (!!!) without offering any advice how to cure them,

I'm looking at him now, asleep on my ironing board, and I love him deeply but he's doing my head in at 2am! If I don't let him out, he kind of wallops the (open) bedroom door to get attention.

Is there anything I can do? Or will I just have to do what you do with babies and sleep when he does?

Can you put him out when you go to bed? Cats are nocturnal after and would want to go prowling.

I might resort to that (it's what we always did in the UK) I'd be a bit worried he'd come and wallop on the shutters and we wouldn't hear him and he'd wake the neighbours but might try it tonight. I'm bloody desperate!

He wants to behave like a cat!! That's not a behaviour problem!! Chuck him out before you go to bed and see if he is happy with that!!
Babies are usually bf back to sleep but not applicable for dcat!!
Though have seen oddballs in newspapers bf puppies!!

Not quite desperate enough to resort to breastfeeding him. There's an image. He's already the fussiest mog on the planet with his food.

Children were so much easier! Humph

I'm going to try it tonight- thing is, he is usually out, and pitches up about 10 so I keep him in. I guess that's where my mistake has been, and I should just let him check we're all still alive and then lob him out again.

Nightmare! When I lived in a hot climate, one of my cats was & still is, a vocal night botherer. I've never let my cats out at night time. What I did, was put a couple of fans in the liviing room where I resorted to leaving him in at night and pray for the end of the hot weather.

This is the darling sod I'm talking about.

I get Snorgmaiden jumping on my bed several times a night. Fine, except, now she's learned how to speak she has to announce her presence. I think it must be the weather. When it's colder they both settle down and stay put.

Yes, must admit VC doesn't bother this much in winter...just takes over 3/4 of my bed and snores happily most of the night.

He just brought me a lizard to apologise. Hurrah.

Those are magnificent whiskers wantto!

Vintage he used to weigh 10kg, so his whiskers grew to his size. Now he's 20 years of age and weighs less than 5kg, but his whiskers stayed the same size.

Did the lizard still have its tail? I used to find lots of them detached and wagging, poor things.

I keep ours in overnight so he doesn't get predated on or hit by a car. I lock him in the utility room overnight so I can sleep.

Ohhh, I have a utility, there's an idea.

Battle plan for tonight then is, let him out as soon as he mithers. If all else fails shut him in with the washer.

Both of today's lizard offerings intact, and escorted back outside in my trusty dustpan.

What I did with mine was ignore them until I was ready to get up. They had fits for a few days, but it went down after a few days when they got the point. It might take a bit longuer for yours because he is used to having an positive response.