Cat waking me up

[pumpastrotter]

I was wondering whether I could get any suggestions to stop my bleeding cat waking me up (seemingly) earlier and earlier each day. It used to be around 7 which was fine, but the past few months he's started around 6-6.30am..today it was 5am. I get up to feed him which placates him for half an hour then he's back incessantly meowing at my door, jumping up/clawing or if he can, opening the handle then lying on my face.
Just to clarify, I suffer from ME and need to sleep, me waking up like is impacting my day and it's not like I can just get up then and on with it. He gets fed twice a day and I give him a small top up of biscuits before I go to bed hoping it will fill him till next morning, but it's no longer working. He's not a house cat but doesn't like being out for long, although I am considering starting to throw him out for the night. He's a great cat otherwise, if overly clingy (6 yrs old, but mother rejected him as a kitten so he's my shadow when I'm home). Would something like feliway help? I've never had any issues with him before and nothing at home has changed.

We lock ours in the kitchen overnight & turned the door handle 90 degrees so he can’t twang the door handle.

Please keep him in at night, it’s a bad time for car accidents.

you just answered your problem

I get up to feed him which placates him for half an hour then he's back incessantly meowing at my door

your rewarding bad behaviour unintentionally.We feed are cats at the same time every morning and encore any attempt to disturb us prior.They have learnt they will get fed at the right time takes time though

or you could get a automatic food timer fill with wet food and set for same time each day so instead of bothering you the cat will learn to watch the bowl

I've thought about shutting him in the kitchen but he's been known to get into the cupboards before and eats my plants/herbs in there.
I know I'm making a rod for my own back by feeding him unfortunately but he will not stop meowing at my door for the entire 30 mins before I give in and sometimes wakes the DC up with it. I'm really not sure why he's suddenly changed his routine, it's not like the mornings are lighter. I've thought about a timed feeder, might be the way to go, thank you

You can put child locks on the cupboards.

I have this with one of my cats and he howls really badly for sometimes upto two hours per night. Plus doing that door handle thing with all the doors with handles. It was that bad last night I was worried the neighbours would be round today.
The only thing that's worked here is putting the cat in the garage for a couple of hours when he wont stop. Theres a litter tray in there and its safe but obviously not heated.

My kitten wakes me through the night if she’s lonely! I keep food out all night and she sleeps on my pillow - claws me awake at 3am and 5am. I am covered in tiny painful cuts!!

I have tried everything - now I give her a time out by locking her in the ensuite - not sure if if will work. She just want attention. Dint have the heart to lock her in the kitchen all night - but I know I really should.

You can put child locks on the cupboards. I could, but that's a lot of faff we have them on the cleaning cupboards.

The only thing that's worked here is putting the cat in the garage our garage is in a block away from the house so I couldn't put him there

Shut him in the kitchen last night (plants are intact) and it was bliss, I have a stinking cold though so may have slept heavier BUT he did wake DS going berserk at some point. Not sure if it's an attention or a food thing, think I'm going to try the timed feeder and see how it goes

Cheddar wakes me up several times some nights. She likes to make biscuits. I haven't the heart to shut her or Snog out!

Well after several failed attempts at shutting Cheddar out, and trying different textures she might like to sleep on. It turns out she likes a towel draped over the end of the bed! Please note the blanket and snuggle sack she's never touched!
I find it really weird when she does things Fatty used to do. She adored towels.

I got fed up with being woken up so many nights. It was affecting me. So I bit the bullet and shut him in the back of the house. He now has the kitchen back room and can get to the garden.

I have been sleeping wonderfully. He doesn’t seem to be bothered. So works well.

Mine started waking us at 5.30 in the last few weeks which surprised me as he has never done it before and it's dark. We worked out it was the central heating coming on that's disturbing him as it has been off for months over summer.

We just ignored him for as long as we could and he's actually stopped most days now.