Cat Alarm

Lamb86

We rehomed a cat last year from a friend of a friend. He is a lovely lovely boy, so affectionate and with such a great personality.
He came to us from a house that used to let him in all the bedrooms, on all the beds, eating off the kitchen side etc etc, and personally we haven't wanted that.
With my previous cats I haven't allowed them on the sofa or even upstairs, but as we live in a house that doesn't have any doors downstairs it made it difficult to stop him as in true cat style he is not bothered in the slightest! He has learnt that he isn't allowed on the sides in the kitchen at all or in the bedrooms but unfortunately he is in the habit of scratching at our bedroom door in the morning when he decides he is hungry, or needs to go out.
Whenever I hear him (it was 5am this morning) he goes straight outside and isn't allowed back in until about 8:30am for breakfast but this does not deter him at all. The difficulty is that I am happy for him to wake me up for him to go outside (this morning he clearly wasn't feeling well as he was sick outside!), but it's getting a bit frustrating for food.
I know the obvious answer is too leave him outside all night and in the summer that is exactly what happens, but I don't like leaving him outside in the freezing cold in winter (or this week for example when it is supposed to be -1 on Saturday). Anyone know of any tips? He always has biscuits left out, it's just he wants his 'proper' breakfast of meat!!

martinthebandit

Cat flap, seems the obvious answer to me

Lamb86

Cat flap isn't an option. We live in a rented house.

his_missus

Have you considered buying an automatic pet feeder with a timer?

Fen1

We live in rented.

After asking the landlord's permission for the cats and a cat flap we replaced a panel in the kitchen door with one of our own with a cat flap put into it.
When we move out we swap back the original panel.

It was easy for us as the back door was a top panel and bottom panel of upvc double glazing. A local double glazing firm took out the bottom panel and installed a upvc panel with cat flap ( upvc much cheaper than a glass panel .) All of this was done at our own cost.

Could you do something similar with a door or a window?

Lamb86

Unfortunately we are not able to install a cat flap. Even if we paid for it (and to be swapped back again as you said) our landlord doesn't want one installed which is a shame (for us anyway!).

Haven't thought about buying an automatic feeder - I assumed these were for biscuits and there wasn't an option for meat (which is what he is after when he starts meowing as the biscuits just aren't good enough clearly!!)

Mupette

A litter tray and a auto cat feeder seems to be the options available.

Cats just really hate closed doors, Georgie is always scratching at the bathroom door when i need the loo, and she has a thing about wardrobe doors too.

All my cats come and go as they please, but little Dave the kitten has been poorly so has been given the litter tray just in case for a few days.

As for gizmo at 9 he thinks he's retired and sleeps most of the time and then pops out for a quick fight with the nasty ferrals

Lamb86

Can anyone point me in the direction of a automatic feeder that dispenses meat? Clearly having a moment and can't find one.

He has a litter tray but doesn't use it - he prefers to go outside.

He is the only cat I have had so far who is bothered by a closed door - all of the others I have had are not bothered in the slightest. I think it bothers him because he used to have a whole house to do what he pleased and now he doesn't. (We have had him over a year now though).

pinkteapot

He won't get used to it because when he scratches at the door, you appear and give him what he wants. Have you tried ignoring him? It'll be a nightmare at first but may be worth persevering?

We close our bedroom door at night and ours doesn't start meowing until he hears us move or talk in the morning. But we're lucky in that his first owner didn't allow him in bedrooms either, so from kittenhood he's used to it.

Lamb86

We have tried ignoring him (and for months, not just for a few days), and it made absolutely no difference, aside from the door does not look as nice as it first did!

Sometimes he doesn't wake until 7am (which is fine), but I don't think it helps that our next door neighbour very very loudly calls to her cat at 5:30am every morning which wakes me up, and I suspect it also stirs him, so I guess this could be part of the problem. Not much I can do about that though (we have asked her if she wouldn't mind not shouting her cat that early but it hasn't made a difference!).

bellaboo86

As i'm sure your aware, us cat lovers are not owners, we are servants. My cat will appear out of nowhere as soon as you attempt to shut a door. She also wakes me up when she wants to go outside. She has a litter tray but prefers to be outside.
I also tried shutting my bedroom door but then she would do a lovely combination of ram raiding the door with her body, scratching and making the most pathetic meow. Just as well I don't really mind her being in the bedroom.