Early Wake Up Call For Cat

[margobo]

A couple on months ago I rescued a lovely cat and he has settled well. The only problem is he insists on waking at 4.30 scratching my bed, walking across the bed head and then jumping on me - just to make sure I am wake! If I take no notice he has literally pushed photo frames and books of shelves. He is not hungry but wants to go out to play. I have no where to fit a cat flap so am stuck with getting up to let him out and then trying to get back to sleep.I tried leaving him in the lounge but he cried all night.
Any ideas for training him to my sleep pattern?

[wolf63]

I hate to break it to you but this is normal spoiled rotten cat behaviour.

You are supposed to ignore them when they do this but its hard to ignore someone singing in your ear and nibbling your arm.

Welcome to the crazy cat club

[pastafreak]

I just close the bedroom door.
Oh the guilt! Especially when Caspar has sneaked into the bedroom with the dog...and I have to gently get him out. Luckily he no longer howls outside the door. It's the look though...

[murraymints]

lol..welcome to the club !

[237SJ]

The trouble with cats is that they will keep on and on until they get what they want. My cat used to do the same (when she lived here temporarily before I got a cat flap) Not only did I have to go downstairs to let her out at 4am but I had to sit bleary eyed at the bottom of the stairs while she ate her biscuits before going out.

[Toorak]

I can totally identify - right down to the knocking of objects off chests of drawers, shelves etc.

Maybe once the days get shorter he will sleep a bit longer...(but don’t hold your breath)

[murraymints]

snap 237 ! must have a biccie before venturing out !

[Buenchico]

Trying to persuade a cat to fit in with your lifestyle is pointless. I've got four of the little monst . . . erm, I mean darlings . . . and I can honestly say that I've not managed to get more than two hours continuous sleep in the past four years because of being constantly woken up by demanding moggies.

All I can suggest is trying to switch your body clock to that of Waterboatman's (because he usually gets up at around 4.30am) or trying to match my own body clock (because I usually go to bed around 4.30am). Either option will be a lot easier than trying to alter a cat ;-)

[kvalidir]

My boyfriend'a cat does this and I ignored him at my peril and he pawed a glass of water I had on the nightstand over and soaked me. Little git.

[ladybirder]

A cat is more likely to be killed when out at night than in the day time. When it's out at night it is often killing our wildlife and early on spring mornings it will be killing little fledgling birds that are not yet "street-wise".
So to solve this problem and your problem, leave your cat out in the day time and to make sure it does come in at your bedtime make that it's feeding time. It should then sleep all night and be ready to go out again next day.
I did this with my two cats, both of them, for all their lives, once I found out very early on they were killing baby birds. They were very happy and one lived to be nearly 21 years old. The other sadly got ran over at 10 years old. Try it and see how you get on.

[jackthehat]

Our little girl walks straight passed the bowl of crunchies outside our bedroom door at about 3.20am so that she can jump on my head, and if that fails to rouse me sufficiently, commence pushing 'things' off surfaces until I get out of bed. My sole function at this point is to escort her back to the bowl of crunchies, stir them with my finger and pet her whilst she starts to eat them. I may then go back to bed.
Occasionally we have a repeat performance at 5.40am, too....

If you ever find out how to stop it, please let me know. :o)

[murraymints]

ha ha... I have to do that with Mia Jack....always needs to hear a new biccie being poured too...there may be a full bowl, but just has to be a new one or two !

[Patsy33]

Shut your bedroom door and where ear plugs! I couldnt cope with that, as much as I love my cat..

[Prudie]

Mine don't knock things over, they prefer an extended single claw straight into a bare arm. Top choice is to sneak to the bottom of the bed, extend said claw and then sweep paw under the duvet at top speed with the aim of catching a human foot.

[murraymints]

..^^^ and wait for your carpet to be clawed up outside your door ! ^^^

[Patsy33]

Minty...I know! Lol!..

[Toorak]

Our bedroom carpet is ruined. he tears at it wherever there is an object on it - laundry basket, bed leg, bedside table

[pastafreak]

MM @ 18:18...TOO true! Caspar is the same. They are easily fooled sometimes...:-)

[murraymints]

but don't we just love our furry masters all the same ?

[pastafreak]

Ermmm...most of the time.

;-0

[Patsy33]

Maybe we should all just have bare floorboards!