How to get your cat to settle at night:Reposted

[Nixi]

Hi Sleepless family
it may be an idea to post this on the main cat behaviour forum as more people will be able to pick up and reply to your post
welcome to the forum x

[Baybee_Pamby]

i can get ur cat to sleep in no time... Put your cat in ur bed with you and make her conftable and put a movie on and ur cat willl fall asleep in no time!

By amber
  [i][/i]

[shonyrky]

i wish i could be of more help.. wen mine were too active at night i started the pre bedtime play time and i do warm cat milk .. i later trained them to come wen i called them so at bed as part of their routine i call them into my room where they each have their own spots picked out.. then wen its early and theyre ready to get up and im not i move their litter out into the hall and they play together in the rest of the house...

[Baybee_Pamby]

hello im amber, i am 12 years old but that doesnt effect anything, my cat never used to go to sleep but now she will go to sleep when ever i want her to because if u let your cat go in YOUR bed and sleep under the covers the same way we sleep , the cat will find it comfy and will make themself comfy, then u get in the bed and put the tele on or some music on your radio.... then just pretend u have fallen asleep and make ur cat as comfy as posible, when u hear the lightest snore get up slowly and leave the room and just let ur cat sleep in peace, shut the door and carry on with your life, go back up in 30 minutes and see your cat sleeping, make sure there is nothing fun to play with in there and if your cat is asleep then just leave them in there for another hour then let them in the garden or where ever they do their buisness then let them eat and when ur ready to go to bed take them with you...this should work but if your cat is a kitten it might take 20 mins more...have fun    


amber
xxxxxx

[ScarfaceJ87]

Hi there. We have 2 cats (siblings) ages around a year and a half.
One sleeps all the time and is quite normal, the other one will wake up sometime between 5.30 and 6.30 and sit by the back door meiowing and scratching.
I dont want to let her out because she'll find out thats the way to get things done so have tried the water squirting technique but she just ignores this!
Will the 4 stages technique work on her?

Thanks

[BrownEyedGirl1987]

I know this is a late reply but here is what happened with meg:
when she first came to us she was crying at night, scratching the door and miowing trying to get in. We just continued to tell her "No, Go away Meg!" and it didn't take long (maybe a couple of nights?) before she knew, once we were in bed there was no playing! She leaves us to sleep in peace and doesn't bother us at all. Cruel as it is, you have to be consistent in saying no, as soon as you give in they realise that they can find some way to get your attention. Just keep on ignoring them and hopefully they will learn. They're just like babies really!

[soph91]

my cat never usually has a problem with sleeping seeing as shes an indoor cat but strangely she wakes up and wants some tlc wen everyone else in the house is about to go to bed, funny cat!

[Blu3yy]

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

I bath my cat - once every 2 months, but I've been known to bathe her once a month. Problem is - everyday I come home she rolls in the dirt to "welcome me home" - so she always looks so filthy and unkept - luckily for me she loves the water and just stands in the bath till I'm finished.  bathing & using treatment from the vet keeps fleas away

[Sals]

Hiya.  4 month old Bobby Dog seems to want to wake me up 2 sometimes 3 times a night by putting really loudly, biting my nose and batting my eyelashes. No amount of playing or feeding before bedtime helps, No amount of pushing him back down the bed or telling him no helps either! I end up getting up and shtting him out for the rest of the night. Will he grow out of this behaviour and is there anything else I can do to discourage it? He's quite happy to sleep all evening on the sofa and is more often than not asleep when I come in from work I might add!!! Just seems to think night time is play time! 

[Burmatruex]

Night time IS playtime when you're a kitten.     My advice would be to shut him out of the bedroom all night and spare yourself the aggravation that works up to you doing that anyway.  Make sure he has things to play with in the other areas of the house and get some sleep!

[Sals]

Yeah I guess you're right. Just feels mean but am sure he'll survive! 

[tommy1]

Very handy advice - especially about the play then reward - I think just for the stimulation of the cat that this is a great thing to do.

[Henry]

What a great thread! Henry sleeps like a baby until around 5-5.30am when he suddenly remembers that he has to kill my feet then scratch every piece of bedroom furniture until I chase him out (where he hides in the spare room waggling his bottom and waiting to pounce  )
I can't look at him as I close the door as his expression of desolation is so sad and comical! 

LOTS of play time tonight before bed! Happily he loves to play fetch, and in fact I was nearly late for work this morning as he was so excited about playing it that he kept on returning the hairband for me to throw  over and over and over and over...... lol

[bones57]

Excellent tips. As a new cat owner I was exhausted this morning, after Merlin seemed to spend most of the night (after the lights went out) roaming around. I shall instigate 'prey time' tonight 

[bones57]

Excellent tips. As a new cat owner I was exhausted this morning, after Merlin seemed to spend most of the night (after the lights went out) roaming around. I shall instigate 'prey time' tonight 

I moved into a larger flat last week and started the evening play 'hunting' time and feeding routine and, lo and behold, after just a few days, Merlin is usually curled up on my bed by the time I go to bed and he stays there all night, waking when I do.  Both the gerbils and I are now getting a full nights sleep