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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

5am yeowling

60 replies

ocelot41 · 07/09/2017 20:26

New Precious Puss Girl is a vocal cat - that's ok, I don't mind a bit of a chat. What I do mind is endless mrrraooowwwing outside my bedroom door at 5am. We aren't late risers - we will be up and moving about 6.30 but 5 is just too damn early. It's been a month now and she will still shout for an hour to an hour and a half until the door opens - she is seriously persistent! We left her in our room for two nights and it was a disaster. She just walked all over us all night. Suggestions please? I would have thought she would have given up by now!

OP posts:
BIWI · 07/09/2017 20:28

Leave your door open? She wants to be with you! Let her settle down with you. She'll soon calm down when she knows she can be with you if she wants.

Original poster
ocelot41 · 07/09/2017 20:50

The problem is she doesn't BIWI. She just walks all over us when we are asleep!

OP posts:
BIWI · 07/09/2017 20:52

How old is she?

Original poster
ocelot41 · 07/09/2017 20:54

4

OP posts:
Original poster
ocelot41 · 07/09/2017 20:55

Plus the only window in the room is a patio door into a high balcony. We often sleep with it open as otherwise the room gets very stuffy, which wouldn't be safe for her. The door is wide open to DS' room but nope, she isn't interested.

OP posts:
BIWI · 07/09/2017 20:56

Does she have a cat flap to come and go as she pleases?

And is she hungry do you think?

SantasLittleMonkeyButler · 07/09/2017 20:57

She will settle down. Ours used to do the same when we first had them in February - now they don't.

They do take up position on the landing at first light however - and once the door opens they're in petitioning for breakfast 😂. They don't mew at the door any more though.

pigletpie29 · 07/09/2017 20:59

My cat's been doing this for years. Years! He bites our ears if we let him in. Feeding doesn't stop it.

Original poster
ocelot41 · 07/09/2017 21:00

Ah, I live in hope Santas! We were told when we adopted her that she has to be an indoor cat - but she is so yowly in the mornings I have been thinking about catproofing the garden

OP posts:
SweetChickadee · 07/09/2017 21:01

oddly ours does respond to a loud, sharp SHHH!

Original poster
ocelot41 · 07/09/2017 21:01

Maybe she is a bit hungry, but she got fed the night before so it can't be that bad. Plus she seems happy to wait until we feed her after breakfast. If she is up, she just wants us up!

OP posts:
SkyUnicorn · 07/09/2017 21:03

5am!?! Not bloody likely. Can't you shut her in a downstairs room? With her bed, litter tray, food & water...you can let her out when YOU are up!

Original poster
ocelot41 · 07/09/2017 21:04

I shall try it Sweet. So far I have just been going for no reaction. It's a big house, there are plenty of cat toys left out for her, she gets lots of playtime with us during the day, and I work from home a lot, do she isn't starved of attention either

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Original poster
ocelot41 · 07/09/2017 21:06

If she goes on like this Sky we may need to as she has started waking DS' up too - he is only 7 and needs his sleep. It would be bad - we could shut her in the big kitchen diner which leads down to a garden room where she could watch the birdies. Would just prefer not to have to!

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Original poster
ocelot41 · 07/09/2017 21:08

Sorry it would not be bad

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Ski37 · 07/09/2017 21:26

I had this problem- my male neutered tom yowled and scratched outside the bedroom door every night. I tried everything- tin foil, sticky paper, building a physical barricade but he would still scratch to the point he was damaging the house and also getting very distressed . The only thing that helped was leaving the bedroom door open..... after that he's been fine- He now sleeps comfortably on the floor outside the room. I think he just wants to know he can get to me when he wants with the door being open and so he can relax.

Original poster
ocelot41 · 07/09/2017 21:34

Unfortunately I can't do that because of the balcony door being open for ventilation Ski. Our bedroom is 4 floors up and it just wouldn't be safe for her. Plus I can't sleep with light and DS needs the hall light on. It just doesn't work for us, but I am happy to hear you and your cat are happier!..

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Allergictoironing · 07/09/2017 22:39

You can buy cat netting that you can stretch across the doorway & fix firmly in place - I did this with the french doors in my living room this summer. You can also buy Flatcats which can be tailor made to fit your windows, but that would be quite expensive. You can also buy kits for securing the balcony itself with netting.

The netting I have is made of clear fibres like fishing line, almost completely invisible Smile

Original poster
ocelot41 · 08/09/2017 06:53

Thanks for your suggestion Allergic but because she walks up and down on us in the night too and I can't sleep with the hall light on, I think we are going to keep her out. Is it likely to get better with the darker mornings or are we really looking at confining her to downstairs overnight?

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Toddlerteaplease · 08/09/2017 08:45

Would that be Georgia causing trouble?!! I suspect she probably used to sleep with her previous owner. She'll probably settle down if you leave the door open. Mine used to wake me up all the time by walking on me. But now they o my come for fuss if they sense me stirring.

MojoMoon · 08/09/2017 09:06

Mine is also a noisy pain early in the morning.

He sleeps with me and is no problem for most of the night but firmly believes I should get up at 6-6.30am and will yowl, poke me in the face or jump on my head to get my attention.

He has food, he just wants me to come and hang out with him.

He didn't do this when I adopted him last December, it came on at the start of the summer so I am hoping it will stop with the change of seasons. He is not allowed out at night so I think the early light encourages him to get me up so I might release the cat flap for him.

If it is very early, I get up and shut him in the living room downstairs where be may yowl but I can't hear him.

inchyrablue · 08/09/2017 09:13

One of ours only does this when DH is away. Hmm.

He actually knocks on the bedroom door, really rapidly with both front paws. Even if it is open. If I try to shut him downstairs he knocks so loudly that we can hear it upstairs. Feeding him does seem to help, but I am so shattered after his racket in the night last night that I feel like I drank a whole bottle of wine.

Original poster
ocelot41 · 08/09/2017 20:33

It is indeed Toddler! She is a lovely but a rowdy puss and no mistake! Afraid leaving the door open not an option as DS needs the hall light on and I can't sleep unless it's pitch black. Plus we are likely to have the balcony door open which isn't safe for her. Plus she likes lying on top of my legs (when she is sleeping) or walks up and down on us in the night (when she is not). She's really a PITA in the bedroom!

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Original poster
ocelot41 · 08/09/2017 20:34

Inchrya that would be really cute if you weren't so knackered!

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Toddlerteaplease · 08/09/2017 21:12

I think you are going to have to be firm and ignore it. I think her every whim was pandered to. Her owner literally lived for her cat's. Sad