Cat/sleep issues please help me, I'm desperate!

LilDevil

My 4 year old girl is being a right pain during the night, she regularly wakes me up 4-5 times a night (I'm a light sleeper) by traipsing up and down the edge of my side of the bed, clambering on the pillows, climping on the beside table often knocking everything off. On Saturday night (or should I say, Sunday morning) she even fell into the bin by the bed and I had to fish her back out because she was stuck (:rotfl:- although I wasn't at the time). She just will not settle at all.

If I shut her out of the room she sits and yowls the place down and throws herself bodily at the door until one of us gets up to let her in.

I've even swapped sides with DH and she just does the same (although there is no bin on that side!)

I'm getting desperate now, I really need more than 4 1/2-5 hours sleep a night and it's just not happening.

I even got up last night to sleep on the sofa and the little %£#! followed me in :rolleyes:

Please somebody help me.

Yours

Desperate for sleep of Oxfordshire

Fire_Fox

Hiya, Mellymeep asked a similar question not so long ago here:
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=2012067

LilDevil

Fire_Fox wrote: »

Hiya, Mellymeep asked a similar question not so long ago here:
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=2012067

Thanks for this, I'll have a look at the other links within it in a min. Just to say, she has a brother as well (he's as good as gold unless he's hungry), he tends to go out more, so maybe she's lonely.

She never used to do this, it's only in the last 6-12 months that I've really noticed it.

Fire_Fox

LilDevil wrote: »

Thanks for this, I'll have a look at the other links within it in a min. Just to say, she has a brother as well (he's as good as gold unless he's hungry), he tends to go out more, so maybe she's lonely.

She never used to do this, it's only in the last 6-12 months that I've really noticed it.

You may have inadvertently 'trained' her into it. If she is throwing stuff onto your head, yowling and flinging herself against the door it's natural to speak to or touch her, even if only to move her. She has learned that eventually you will let her into the room or give her attention. Think Supernanny!

Instead of shutting her out of the bedroom can you shut her in to the downstairs of your house where there is food, water, a litter tray, comfy place to sleep and some solo play toys?

golden_eagle

When we got our previous cat (he was a 4yr old rescue) I first let him roam free around the house at night, except for our bedroom, but he would just sit outside the bedroom door at any time between 4-5am and meow so loud until I got up. This arrangment lasted a week.... After that we shut him in one room with food, water, bed and his litter tray. Whether he meowed or not I cannot tell you - we have never heard him and slept peacefully ever since.

We now have 2 new kittens :j (got them almost a month ago) and I have started them straightaway on my previous routine - ie. shutting them in one room with food, water, bed and their litter tray.

I believe you have to be firm and try to do the same. Ideally shut her in a room which is not adjacent to your bedroom as you would probably hear her "creating". Leave her downstairs if you live in a house or the opposite end of the house if, like us, you live in a bungalow. Eventually she'll get used to this new arrangement and you will get back a good nights sleep.

h007

my cats do this if i havent played with them that evening. i think it is down to wearing them out

rachiee

Had this issue with 1 of my rescues, only way I could stop it was to lock her in a cage in the kitchen with a litter tray etc, some toys and something that smelt of me. She stays in the kitchen now no issues at all Good Luck xx

LilDevil

Thanks everyone for your suggestions.

We live in a tiny one-bedroomed flat, sitting room is adjascent to the bedroom, bathroom is also next to bedroom (plus we would probably need to use it at some point in the night!), kitchen is where their food is (and the boy would probably batter the door down to get to the girl's!) and is less than 100 yards from the bedroom, our hallway runs from front door to bedroom (with kitchen and sitting room off it). In a nutshell, I would be able to hear her what ever room she was shut in!! I would also feel bad for our boy as I said, he's good as gold, so not fair to keep him out of one room.

I think I may try feliway at first to see if that helps - I've also asked a colleague to speak to his OH as she is veterinary nurse!

This just really reinforces our need to get a bigger place to live!

Fire_Fox

LilDevil wrote: »

Thanks everyone for your suggestions.

We live in a tiny one-bedroomed flat, sitting room is adjascent to the bedroom, bathroom is also next to bedroom (plus we would probably need to use it at some point in the night!), kitchen is where their food is (and the boy would probably batter the door down to get to the girl's!) and is less than 100 yards from the bedroom, our hallway runs from front door to bedroom (with kitchen and sitting room off it). In a nutshell, I would be able to hear her what ever room she was shut in!! I would also feel bad for our boy as I said, he's good as gold, so not fair to keep him out of one room.

I think I may try feliway at first to see if that helps - I've also asked a colleague to speak to his OH as she is veterinary nurse!

This just really reinforces our need to get a bigger place to live!

I'd be inclined to shut them both out of the bedroom (and stick with it!), and then make the rest of the flat a more attractive place to be with a massive cat tree, Cat Sitter DVD, some intelligence toys, a feeding ball. It honestly won't do them any harm to be confined a bit overnight - my Noah lived in a box room for eight months before I adopted him from CP. Even now he spends most of his time in my living room as that is where all the fun stuff happens!

However even if you can stop her throwing herself again the door, you are still going to hear her playing in a small flat. Have you tried wax ear plugs (not foam they are useless and uncomfortable)? I have insomnia and they really help me. :cool:

lowis

you migth appreciate this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0ffwDYo00Q

x

Carrera74

When I started reading this thread it reminded me of that clip. Very funny

My cats are now barred from upstairs, thanks to a flea problem we had in the Summer! They weren't happy with it at all but they have got used to it. It's nice to not be woken up with a furball staring at you haha