How to get your cat to settle at night:Reposted

[Ohsojoolia]

Can you get an automatic feeder that you set on a timer that opens up with a bit of food for him at that time? Even if you have to show him it a couple of days, if there's food concerned I'm sure he'll get the idea!

[gabrielleinlondon]

I've had the same problem with Bella, Lorna.   Between 5 and 6 a.m. it's playtime, as far as she's concerned.   So I started tempting her out of the bedroom then rushing in quickly and shutting the door.   She soon got wise to that and refused to leave, or would go out a bit then grin at me  and dash back into the bedroom.   So then I'd throw one of her toys down the stairs, she'd run after it and I'd retreat and shut the door.   Now she's wise to that too ...   so I give in and get up.

[tigers mom]

Hi, We love our nw kitty tiger, but sometimes (certain times of day and night) he acts like he is super high on something! He is a litte oveer 5 months and we just gt him neutered. They said he will probably not eat till the nxt day and tiger acted like it had nothing done at all. Ate played, etc.we also have a mini shnauzer who is 5 yrs old. She is very good with the cat, sometimes they play sometimes the cat will leap at the dog and biteher butt. I think the dog is more intimidated by the cat, The cat jumps up on things inthe middle of the night, and wakes us up. I have to hide the tub drain plug, my plastic razer, and my bathroom sink plug, because she loves to play with these too, and is fasinated by water, watching. Is it ever right to bath a cat? thanks

[gabrielleinlondon]

No no NO, don't bath a cat, except under the vet's orders!

[Scribbles Angel]

I joined your site today, i was browsing for assistance with my new cat's behavior and what a wonderful site... but back to the problem

I am not sure if it matches this topic perfectly but here goes.. I have had cats before from kittens but recently (10 days ago) agreed to rehome a cat from a friend who wasn't home much anymore and felt like the cat Fluffy was alone too much, turns out the cat was a rescue cat previously & about 4 years old and although I though he came from a good home within hours of him being with us I realised I was wrong; he came with fleas, mites, ear mites and a completely blocked ear.. all of which have been resolved with vet help, and i'm regularly checking for new fleas just incase I missed some soft furninshings.

but back to the problem, Fluff tends to growls or hiss as warnings (he can't meow, the mouth moves but no noise) and soon stops when he realises he's not in danger but bedtime is a nightmare, also trying to get up when he's on your knee causes growling and threatening behaviour my boyfreind hasn't had a cat before and is really tentative and ends up once he's sllid fluff on the chair not returning as the chair is now fluff's

any ideas on how to get Fluff off the chair at night without a fight or food ?

He nearly had an outright fight with me tonight and i don't want to upset him too much or get hurt myself, and i can't keep tricking him with food coz some day soon it won't work.  any advice will be welcomed.

[kimthecat]

Scribbles angel,
i have only just seen your post . would you like to repost this as a new topic in this section so more people will see it.
Just click on Start new topic. 
Alison

[Scribbles Angel]

Scribbles angel,
 i have only just seen your post . would you like to repost this as a new topic in this section so more people will see it.
 Just click on Start new topic. 
 Alison

Its ok  a few weeks on and fluff has settled quite a bit, I think he must have been scared that we would hurt him.. he still hisses more at my boyfriend than me.. but i think he understands when the tv goes off its time to leave the living room.

[kimthecat]

I'm glad he has settled.
I had the same problem with my cat Kim , she still gets a bit hissy even after 7 years 
I put a cover on her chair and on my bed so if she doesnt want to move I can gently lift the cover and it tips her forward , once she is up she is ok.
I have also taught her to come to me . You can use cat treats or pieces of chicken to train your cat rather than trick her.
What I did was stand by her and make a kissy noise and then immediatelty gave her a treat and repeated this so she associated the noise with the treat ,  Then I would try this further away and she would come to me. Í say her name and then make the noise and she comes more or less every time. Once this is an established behaviour you dont have to reward every time but enough to keep reinforce it and her interested.
Alison

[shonyrky]

after i realized my kitties could be heard running at night by our neighbour below us.. i started getting them into their own routine... mine sleep in my room with me if im napping and are allowed in there now that the bed peeing has stopped so it wasnt difficult.
i give them some cat milk warmed up (luna likes it like that) as a treat and it settles them like a babies bottle.. and i call them in.. after placing their litter in my room with them. they each find their own spot and sleep there until i let them out into the rest of the apartment early wen i get up to get ready for school.
oh.. its always best to have a good play session before bed to ot oget it out of their sysytem.. cause at dusk.. wen the sun goes down cats hunting instincts take over and thats the running and scratching and "annoying" us...

[Moyna]

Thank you for some helpful info.  I have recently moved house and while both cats have settled fairly well, the one that would normally sleep the night away next to me is getting up all through thenight and 'calling' me from all over the house.  When it first happened I thought maybe she was hungry so got up to feed her, but no she wanted to play chase.  I have had to resort to ear plugs now...!

Does anyone know why this has happened and how I can get her to go back to the cat that snuggles...?

[Bandyscoot]

Hi, I'm new to the forum and have a question regarding one of my cats based on this topic.  My Bandit has an issue where during the night on weeknights only, (go figure), he sits by the armoir in my bedroom, scratches at it and meows loudly. There is nothing in there that he could want.   He wakes up my boyfriend who has a fit and in turn wakes me up.  It doesn't bother me, but my boyfriend can't get back to sleep and we have argued several times over this.  Please help!!     

[anniebow]

Hello. You advice is fab. Thanks.  But can you expand for my personal situation?   Just by way of background my cat is a ginger and white Tom who had the 'op' as a kitten.  He is spotlessly clean.  He looks like a younger cat.  I think he has lost some of his hearing and I know his eyesight isn't what it used to be.  He is eating for Britain.  He has never been an affectionate cat and he bites if you try and stoke him. I have had him since he was a ball of fluff.  My problem is that he has started screeching like a baby to get out at night and then again to come back in.  He can have me up and down four, five, six times or more every night and I am now at breaking point. Please help, I am exhausted but equally I would hate to think my cat has a problem that needs veterinary intervention.  Cheers.  Anniebow

[shonyrky]

if you ask anyone on this forum, and you can find plenty.. cat homes with more than one cat have less social "issues". the cats entertain eachother and will tire eachother too.. lots of times they cry needing or wanting company. im not saying to solve your problems you need to get another cat.. but they have needs that are best met by another cat. so in other words .. act like a cat! give them a chance to use their instincts that we know and love..play "cat style" and i even rub mine with my nose and push them and will grab them ( gently of course) as if they were with a cat. i still pick mine up by the scruff sometimes too ( never hurting them.. mine are still small enough). in fact.. luna prefers me to pick her up by her scruff and likes to be dangled sometimes as if her "mom" was carrying her like this.  night time in the wild is prowl time and we cant expect cats to conform to our routines .... we can alter them .. but my advice is to find a happy medium.. sometimes the scaratching is just to fix their nails.... lots of times its any attention, even bad, is attention! and it works.... hope this helps.. if not ask again .. we are all willing to help in anyway we can.. 

[jennyfra]

Hello All,
I'm new to this forum and have found the tips in the repost, (how to get your cat...) very interesting and will try the suggestions. I'm hoping that someone might have something further to add to my specific problem. 
7 months ago my 7 year old Maine Coon and I moved in with my boyfriend.  Due to allergies, Angus (the cat, not the boyfriend) is no longer allowed in the bedroom.  He has slept with me since he was a kitten.  Most of the time he is accepting this arrangement, though not happily, but about once a week, usually if I haven't been around a lot he just decides that he's not going to take it anymore and will howl at the bedroom door until I get up and sleep on the couch with him. At this point he will curl up and sleep until after I get up!
We have tried everything and I HATE to give in to him because I know that it is re-inforcing the negative behaviour, but once in a while I have to give in in order to get some sleep!.
We live in a one bedroom condo so separating him from the bedroom door is not an option.
Any suggestions would be welcome.
Jenny

[Sleepless Family]

I am so relieved it's not just me and my family that can't control our cat at night.  Louie is 7 and over the past 6 months she has been getting worse and worse at night, she starts crying at about half 11-12 so we let her in the room so she settles down on our bed, then if she falls asleep (she wakes up and starts headbutting me whenever i make a slight movement) we take her downstairs, Then the scratching of the door starts at about 2ish, we've tried a cat behaviour spray we got from the vets which really helped for about a month but she must have got used to it.  We have tried all the advise posted on here and was just wondering if there is ANYTHING else to try.  I hope someone can please help, We need some sleep