Cat pawing me awake at 4am

[KittyKat2824]

How do I stop this? Sometimes he has a little claw out (not intentionally and never drawn blood) but he wants me to wake up and go downstairs to get him food. But, most of the time, he still has plenty of food in his bowl.

We tried shutting him out of the bedroom but he just cries and I give in. The pawing and head bumps stop once I go down to "feed" him and then he will usually snuggle quietly at the foot of our bed. But how can I stop the 4am "attacks "?!

He's around 1 year, has been neutered, is healthy and very loved. Goes out in the garden as long as it's not too cold or raining, but I don't allow him outside the garden due to traffic and foxes.

How long has he been doing this for? I find they go through phases of behaviour and sometimes the best thing is just to wait for the phase to pass.

The only thing I can think of otherwise is to try changing the times you feed him to see if that alters his bodyclock.

Cats wake up early, especially now it's getting lighter, where does he sleep. He's not hungry, he just wants your reassurance that everything is OK, can he sleep in a comfy box in the bedroom, he'd still wake you up wherever he is but you wouldn't need to go downstairs. The alternative is you confine him to one room downstairs at night with his bed, tray and food.

I’d confine him to one room well away from you where you can’t hear him.

When mine do this the penalty is a night's confinement in the kitchen with their litter tray. They soon desist.

You HAVE to keep him away from your bedroom. Our cat is locked out of the bedrooms. She has access to the lounge, the dining room, the kitchen, and the front hall. (Her catflap is in the front hall/in the front door, so she can go out for a wee or a poo.) There is no need for cats to be roaming the house overnight. They sleep half or more of the night...

They don't need to be able to access the bedrooms overnight.. I would lose my shit if I kept getting pawed and scratched by my cat at 4am! Keep him locked out @KittyKat2824 He can sleep on the sofa or an armchair like ours does. Just make sure he has a bowl of food in the kitchen, (maybe put dry food out overnight,) and put a bowl of fresh water out too - when you go to bed.

Mine does it I don’t have a problem takes five minutes to give him abit of food then go for a wee myself

Thanks all. He's been doing it pretty much since we adopted him at 6 months (and once he built up the confidence to explore upstairs).

I'm going to try feeding him later at night, before bed and then being more disciplined about shutting him out if he starts pawing. I don't mind him disturbing me for cuddles, even at 4am, it's just the little scratches that upset me.

I don't have the heart to keep him confined in one room, I wouldn't be able to sleep knowing he's upset and wants to be near us! My DC is an young adult now, and I have been very strict with him over the years. But my little cat has softened me!

Does yours scratch too? You're right about using the opportunity to go for a wee!

Its been 10 years OP. I just get up pat her, feed her or shake the biscuits in her bowl and go back to sleep. Even though some days I get up at 5am. Its a small price to pay for all the joy she brings me in life. Sometimes im exhausted but botox masks that 😅🤣

You don't have to keep him confined to one room! Just away from the bedrooms/the upstairs.

Why do you not do this? Being woken at 4am - regularly - by your cat pawing and scratching you - is going to be untenable long term. Stop being a sap and take control! Your cat is ruling your life, and wrecking your sleep!

Time to toughen up!

Speaking as one softie cat lover to another: how about keeping a bowl of biscuits in the corner of your room? Mine love meals in special places and it could be enough of a treat to stop the scratching.
Having said that, we had an older ditzy cat who drove us mad waking us up over and over yowling at the top of her lungs. Eventually we gave her own room with cat tree, little tray, food and water, and made a big ceremony of 'putting her to bed' each night. She loved the special attention and was fine in the mornings. But that might not work with a younger cat.

Ours is also confined to the kitchen overnight. He has a cat tree, numerous sleeping spots, litter tray and food/water, plus a wicker basket of his toys. (We don’t allow him out overnight though so he is in at bedtime.) Sometimes in the morning he’s clearly been playing with toys but in the main you hear him hop down from the top of the cat tree when you open the door and he’s just been sleeping.

Our previous cat had free roam overnight (but also not outdoors) and was a 5am nightmare. We put up with it for years until Covid lockdown when we were getting up later, then tried her in the kitchen - within weeks she got the new routine and would head through there herself at audio cues like teeth brushing. When we adopted this boy after she was pts he was in the kitchen after his initial settling in period.

If he's not really allowed out and is young, make sure he's getting enough mental stimulation and exercise. You could try an electronic feeder so he doesn't bother you.

I would shut him downstairs if at all possible. I had enough of being woken up in the night when my children were very little, not a chance I'd put up with that from a cat.

It's up to you whether you want it to continue or not.

I shut my bedroom door. He doesn’t come in at night. Ever. Or I won’t get any sleep. He doesn’t claw at the door but he gives up after a while. Not getting enough sleep is damaging to ur body. Keep them out

Early morning walking on my head and pouncing/biting on my arms if they are outside the duvet is the reason TempCat is now banned from sleeping with me. A shame as I love having a cat curled up next to me at night but I don't function well on broken sleep. And the biting hurts.

I have hardened my heart to the pathetic meows. He sleeps in the lounge and comes running for pats & cuddles when I get up in the morning.

Wooden floors help as he can't scratch the carpet outside the bedroom. My sister had to put a big rug outside her bedroom door as her cat was trashing the carpet.

I think you just need to shut him downstairs and stop giving in. Our cat is shut in the kitchen at night but has access to the garden through rhe cat flap, his bed and a lovely squishy sofa in the conservatory so it's not a hardship for him.

Yes this is a good idea too, will try a little bowl of biscuits.

And the PP is also right that he probably needs more stimulation so will make more of an effort on that front too. DH is good at playing with him in the evening but we've both been knackered these past few nights (not due to cat) so probably have overlooked him a bit.

So, action plan is later night feeds, more mental stimulation, little bowl of biscuits in the bedroom and shut him out if all else fails.

He's currently curled up next to me while I'm doing my hair after yelling at me for daring to lock him out of the bathroom while I was having a shower....

yelling at me for daring to lock him out of the bathroom while I was having a shower....
Oh God! Can't he take up a hobby of some kind?

Mine wakes me at 5 and I have to feed him. Sometimes he then plays for a bit but usually then comes back to bed and sleeps in.
He’s very destructive and if I don’t get up he would then go wake the teenager. I’ve just given in to it.

Set a timed feeder? Put some treats or a bit of wet food in, something different

I was just going to suggest this as well.

Haha, I often ask my cat passive-aggressively whether she has considered taking up a hobby. I think crochet would work with her claws.

I have reduced (but not eliminated) the 5 a.m. wake-up demands by splitting her supper into two and giving her the second half just before I go to bed; putting my head under the duvet and pretending I'm not there; and occasionally, when really provoked, shutting her in the kitchen until it is proper morning.