My boy is driving me mad

[Lellamir]

Are anyone else's cats 'playing up', because it's summer?

My boy is shouting to go out, as soon as it's light.
He isn't allowed out until 11am, for two reasons.

1. Wildlife.
2. He and next doors cat will shout at each other, so they are on a rota system.

Yesterday, he shouted at the treat drawer, for an hour, non stop.
Last night, he shouted from 3am - 4am, to go out.
He can open interior doors, then hits and headbutts the cat flap.

When I say 'shout', I mean it. He is very, very loud (Arabian Mau). There's no way to sleep through it.

I try bringing him to bed, for cuddles, but it only works until I doze off.

I got around 3 hours of broken sleep, last night.

My girl is not as bad. She just walks all over me when I'm sleeping. And she squeaks, rather than shouting.

My son says not to give treats if they're actively shouting for them, which I agree with.
I enjoy seeing them enjoy their treats, but he says to only give them, on my terms.

I'm not sure what I want from this post.
I'm just so b**y tired!

I think you have to stop treats altogether. Many cats won't be trained to accept treats only at appropriate times.

I also think you need to look at getting a catio so he has some safe outside access - or adjust the rota so he can go out before 11am.

Thing is, if he's headbutting the catflap then he's not happy.

I think you have to stop the treats. My girl got addicted, she was squeaking and poking me for them all day long. I stopped, it was bad for a week or so but then she seemed to accept it,

Thanks for answering.

He's fine with the 'rules' in Autumn/winter.
He's also very loving and cuddly - when he's not shouting.

I had the angled fence installed. He swung from it, until he had enough momentum to get on top of it, then 'legged it'.

I used treats to train them to come in when I called them - they're never more than 10 sq metres away.
But, he goes out of the front door and in through the back, then expects a treat!

The garden isn't big enough for a catio, but the row is very private. The nearest road is very quiet, but I still don't want them out at night or at dawn/dusk, because of little critters. Also, there's no street lighting, so it's pitch black, and any traffic is likely to be a tractor.
Going out, outside of 11 - 6 is non negotiable.

It's like like having toddlers, again!

Oh, he's definitely not happy about not being allowed out when it's light.

The cat flap is fairly recent, as I got fed up letting them in and out (they only go out if I'm at home).

I was putting the flap on 'in only' if one was in, but the other was still out. He worked out that hitting it until it bounced slightly open, then sticking his paw, then his head in, would get him back out.

He also headbutts me when I'm on the toilet.
He headbutts my sewing machine, when I'm using it, and he headbutts the air fryer (obviously, I put him on the ground). He 'headbutts' Amazon parcels, my phone if I'm looking at it, rather than him, and my laptop lid.

I'm not sure the headbutting is distress, as much as a means to an end.

He gets very jealous if I'm having cuddles with his sister, and pushes his way in between us. I do make sure she gets her share if affection, but she isn't as cuddly as him.

They were rescued from undergrowth, next to a main road, far too young to be away from their mother, so weren't really taught manners.

I get that this isn't the response you'll be hoping for, op, but...

I love your cat

We need a photo of your bad ass cat.

Sympathies, OP. Our boy is on house arrest after a dental on Tuesday and quite literally climbing the walls. He had two big canines out with stitches, so we’re back for a checkup tomorrow and I am really hoping the vet says he’s healing well and can have some supervised outside time even.

To make matters worse we have MIL’s cat here on a temp to permanent basis - he arrived on Thursday and is confined to the spare room, but Louie is desperate to get in there. The timing is terrible (we weren’t expecting the dental, MIL has sold her house and is moving into temporary accommodation until she buys a new house so we’d agreed to take him) and having to remember to shut doors is a lot!

I love that you have a rota with your neighbour!
I have Maine Coons and the male is very vocal. He announces himself every time he enters the room. The female just appears. But it’s nothing like what you have!
They have a cat flap and they can use it whenever so I don’t have that issue, plus I’ve never given them treats! There is that wand toy they enjoy and if that cupboard door is left open he goes to it but doesn’t cry for it.
I did learn that for my sanity that I had to confine them to the downstairs overnight. Fortunately the layout of my house is that there is one door from the hall to the livingroom and kitchen diner, and I can’t hear them. He does occasionally wait outside the bathroom window and meow at me when I go for a early morning wee, but I ignore him. They always have dry kibble down so I know they aren’t starving. Anywhere they can be that you don’t hear them at night?

This is him, when he stole my neighbour's watches.
Clearly, if he opened his mouth, he'd have dropped the one he had, so he obviously went back for the second one.

Does he want to go to the toilet? My cat is let out at 7/8am but she’s out sometimes half an hour and sometimes 2-3 hours. Then back for breakfast. Early morning light does have attraction for them, probably creatures they can hunt are still active then.

He uses the litter tray - huge, metal one, which I scoop whenever I realise they've used it.
They shout to come in to use their litter tray.