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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.

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Original poster

My gorgeous girls are doing my head in🙁

14 replies

EachandEveryone · 01/02/2023 08:54

Honestly it’s like having new babies. I don’t know what I’ve done wrong. I’m having treatment at the moment and I’m trying to be upbeat but they are waking me up constantly. It’s a flat so I can’t lock them in. They get on the bed for the electric blanket fair enough. An hour later they are scratching to get out. I feed them I give them butter I try to shut them out they scratch constantly. Daphne gets into my face u til I get up. I’m up four or five times a night. I’m not sleeping anyway. I’m at hospital twice a week. Do you think they know?

OP posts:

Defiantlynot41 · 01/02/2023 08:59

Hello Each, sorry to hear you're having a tough time at the moment.

No suggestions on the naughty ones behaviours, just solidarity! Mine are snoring sweetly but only now they've shouted for breakfast, one has been sick on the newly cleaned floor and they've both dug deep in the litter tray and there's about a Pound of litter all over the floor.

ifonly4 · 01/02/2023 16:59

Pretty sure some cats can sense things. My lovely old girl would snuggle up to me when I wasn't feeling right. My present two are a different matter!

You mention they're scratching to get out. Do you mean out of the bedroom or your home? If the bedroom, I'd leave the door open. Also, as lovely as they are ignore them if they're scratching (ie they won't get anything positive from you in terms of love or food).

Hope the treatment helps and you feel better soon.

Judystilldreamsofhorses · 01/02/2023 17:16

Sorry to hear you are having a rough time. Can you keep them in another room overnight? I resisted this for ages because I thought it was cruel, and we put up with a cat in our bed demanding breakfast from about 4am for years. We could usually settle her until around 6, but when Covid came and we were working from
home/getting up later my DP decided enough. And actually it is absolutely fine! She has a cosy bed, water, and litter tray in the kitchen, and after a few weeks of the new routine now she just trots through as soon as I start putting the TV off etc, and hops into either her bed or my work chair. If you go through during the night or it’s a very early start she is absolutely always in her bed, whereas I had visions of her roaming around, wailing and bereft!

IconicKitty · 01/02/2023 17:19

How old are they?

My cat was a terror until recently, but now he's close to a year old he seems to be calming down. Are they neutered?

Original poster

EachandEveryone · 01/02/2023 17:22

4 and 5. Yes everything has been done. Theyve been snoring all day long. Which is also annoying 😃

OP posts:

RedCatWhoGotTheCream · 01/02/2023 19:26

Theyve been snoring all day long. Which is also annoying

This may well be part of the problem - you need to tire them out during the day! When our two have spent all day sleeping, they're absolute terrors at night (to be fair, they're only 7 months, but the same applied for our previous adult cats). My cats love a laser pointer which is ideal when you're not feeling well because you don't have to move around with them. Play with them before you go to bed so they're tired, too.

Could they maybe have their own heated blanket elsewhere? You could try this during the day when you aren't using it yourself before buying an extra one. Also definitely best to leave your bedroom door open, we all know that cats hate nothing more than a closed door.

All the best for your treatment!

silentpool · 01/02/2023 19:35

Mine sleeps in the living room with the door shut. I sleep with brown noise playing so he has learned that howling and carrying on doesn't work.

Cats are not stupid. If you are consistent, they will learn. Mine doesn't do what he isn't allowed to do in front of me but I'm pretty sure he does as he pleases when I'm not looking!

Original poster

EachandEveryone · 01/02/2023 22:47

She’s sucking up to me now but that will all change in the next hour

OP posts:

whataboutsecondbreakfast · 02/02/2023 06:44

Shut them in a different room, make sure they have food and water and litter, put some earplugs in and ignore them.

I know it sounds harsh but it's the only thing that works if you have multiple cats and want a decent nights' sleep.

Original poster

EachandEveryone · 02/02/2023 07:09

Well how embarrassing. Hasn’t moved for seven hours.

OP posts:

TheWy · 02/02/2023 07:11

You give them butter?

DrHousecuredme · 02/02/2023 07:21

Your replies don't really make it clear what you have and haven't tried so...

Are they house cats? They need more stimulation and exercise during the day, either let them out if safe, play with them or get interesting toys.

They might be unsettled by your illness and absence so try a feliway plug in.

Don't give them butter it upsets their stomachs.

Get them their own electric blanket/heated bed then shut them out of your room or in a different one overnight. They might scratch and fuss at first but it will work if you stay strong.

Make sure they always have access to clean litter trays, food to nibble on,water and toys so they don't need to come and get you when they need something.

Good luck.

Original poster

EachandEveryone · 02/02/2023 07:49

its literally a scrape from my toast. She’s never been one for dreamies or treats. I work shifts so they are used to me going to work I suppose this has unsettled them. They aren’t very adventurous with the outdoors but I did notice them both going out yesterday as the weathers changed hopefully that will help. We have also had some building work going on so it’s probably afew things. I’m not sure I can be fussing them as much because of the chemo. I might have to get a pet sitter in to clean the trays from top to bottom weekly, I don’t know if that’s something a pet sitter would do?

OP posts:

RedCatWhoGotTheCream · 02/02/2023 10:48

I’m not sure I can be fussing them as much because of the chemo. I might have to get a pet sitter in to clean the trays from top to bottom weekly, I don’t know if that’s something a pet sitter would do?

When my DM was going through chemo one of her cats was sleeping in her bed every night and spent many days cuddled up to her on the sofa. The doctors had no objections to this as long as the cat was dewormed, had no fleas and mum's WBC didn't drop too low. Cleaning the trays should also be fine, just wear a mask and gloves.

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