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At wit's end with cat



 
 
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  #1  
Old July 15th 05, 03:03 PM
Preston Crawford
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Default At wit's end with cat

This has been like a 2 year oddessy. We have a very loving, adorable
black cat. Likes to be a lap cat. Takes very good care of his sister (we
adopted litter-mates) and is overall a great cat. There's one problem.
He's REALLY needy at night and he's made our nights hell for the last
two years.

From the start we've had a closed-door policy. Mostly because one of our
first cats would jump on us at 3am and given that my wife and I both
have insomnia that won't work. No problem with that cat. Door closed, he
goes and finds something else to do. Opus, however, begin incessantly
scratching on the door and waking us up. So we searched around places
like this and our first attempt at getting our nights back was to open
the door and let him in. The other cat had grown up enough that he was
happy to be at the foot of the bed or in the closet. So we thought we
had a solution. Opus, however, insisted on biting our fingers to play
and in my case (since I use a CPAP for apnea that blows out air) batting
at my head and scratching. So we sought help again. Someone said get a
squirt bottle. After like 3 weeks of squirting him and him not getting
the hint we closed the door again and tried the vacuum cleaner trick.

Well, that worked for all of 2 weeks until one day I found out from my
wife that she was waking up up to 5 times a night to plug the vacuum in.
Then someone at a pet store told us that baby gates were the way to go.
They can't be scratched and they're a barrier. So we bought two and
tried that. Now we're in an arms race with Opus. We put up a baby gate,
he jumps it. We put up two staggered, he jumps between them like an
acrobat. We STACK them going almost all the way to the ceiling and he
jumps on the bannister instead. We put a large laundry basket on the
bannister and he jumps into the laudry basket and slides onto the floor.
Last night my wife woke up twice because now, in spite of putting a towl
over the top of the baby gates, lest he scale them, he managed to jump
over the 6 feet worth of baby gates.

In other words the situation has gone from ridiculous to he's getting
locked in a closet soon. I don't want to lock him in a closet at night.
I don't want to give him away. But this is getting ridiculous. He's been
disturbing our already poor sleep for 2 years now. And he won't quit.
We've tried virtually everything you're supposed to try. We didn't even
list half of the things, like the "no scratch" spray on the door, stuff
like that. We don't know what to do. We're at a point now where we have
to barricade ourselves in our own bedroom with 6 feet of baby gates, a
towel draped over it and a giant hamper guarding the flank with the
bannister and he's still finding a way over. I have to give him credit
for tenacity, but it's getting really really really really really old.
We just want decent sleep. We already have sleep problems without Opus
making it worse. And at this point it's gone from a nuisance to "please
tell us, Opus, why we shouldn't find a new home for you?"

Please help give any advice possible. We don't want to give up on him,
but we need sleep.

Preston

  #2  
Old July 15th 05, 05:16 PM
BC
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Preston Crawford wrote:
This has been like a 2 year oddessy. We have a very loving, adorable
black cat. Likes to be a lap cat. Takes very good care of his sister (we
adopted litter-mates) and is overall a great cat. There's one problem.
He's REALLY needy at night and he's made our nights hell for the last
two years.

From the start we've had a closed-door policy. Mostly because one of our
first cats would jump on us at 3am and given that my wife and I both
have insomnia that won't work. No problem with that cat. Door closed, he
goes and finds something else to do. Opus, however, begin incessantly
scratching on the door and waking us up. So we searched around places
like this and our first attempt at getting our nights back was to open
the door and let him in. The other cat had grown up enough that he was
happy to be at the foot of the bed or in the closet. So we thought we
had a solution. Opus, however, insisted on biting our fingers to play
and in my case (since I use a CPAP for apnea that blows out air) batting
at my head and scratching. So we sought help again. Someone said get a
squirt bottle. After like 3 weeks of squirting him and him not getting
the hint we closed the door again and tried the vacuum cleaner trick.

Well, that worked for all of 2 weeks until one day I found out from my
wife that she was waking up up to 5 times a night to plug the vacuum in.
Then someone at a pet store told us that baby gates were the way to go.
They can't be scratched and they're a barrier. So we bought two and
tried that. Now we're in an arms race with Opus. We put up a baby gate,
he jumps it. We put up two staggered, he jumps between them like an
acrobat. We STACK them going almost all the way to the ceiling and he
jumps on the bannister instead. We put a large laundry basket on the
bannister and he jumps into the laudry basket and slides onto the floor.
Last night my wife woke up twice because now, in spite of putting a towl
over the top of the baby gates, lest he scale them, he managed to jump
over the 6 feet worth of baby gates.

In other words the situation has gone from ridiculous to he's getting
locked in a closet soon. I don't want to lock him in a closet at night.
I don't want to give him away. But this is getting ridiculous. He's been
disturbing our already poor sleep for 2 years now. And he won't quit.
We've tried virtually everything you're supposed to try. We didn't even
list half of the things, like the "no scratch" spray on the door, stuff
like that. We don't know what to do. We're at a point now where we have
to barricade ourselves in our own bedroom with 6 feet of baby gates, a
towel draped over it and a giant hamper guarding the flank with the
bannister and he's still finding a way over. I have to give him credit
for tenacity, but it's getting really really really really really old.
We just want decent sleep. We already have sleep problems without Opus
making it worse. And at this point it's gone from a nuisance to "please
tell us, Opus, why we shouldn't find a new home for you?"

Please help give any advice possible. We don't want to give up on him,
but we need sleep.

Preston

Do you have another room you can lock him in? One further from your
bedroom? A kitchen perhaps? Does he always have access to food? Maybe
a radio left on would soothe him or cover up the noises for you! Has he
always been like this or just more recently?

--
Badger Badger Badger
  #3  
Old July 16th 05, 03:26 AM
jils
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Posts: n/a
Default

exactly what i was going to say.
hi, i'm new here, but a cat lover from way back.

isn't there another bedroom, or a bathroom, far enough from your own
bedroom, that you can enclose this cat in?
supply a litter tray, some bedding, water, etc. and lock him in there.

i'd go mad without sleep.

from a different perspective, why is this cat so lively at night?
is he not stimulated enough during the day? is there a way to tire him more?
most cats seem happy to sleep about 18 hours a day!
if you see him sleeping during the day, wake him up to play!


BC wrote:


Do you have another room you can lock him in? One further from your
bedroom? A kitchen perhaps? Does he always have access to food? Maybe
a radio left on would soothe him or cover up the noises for you! Has he
always been like this or just more recently?

  #4  
Old July 16th 05, 03:23 PM
Preston Crawford
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

On 2005-07-15, BC wrote:
Please help give any advice possible. We don't want to give up on him,
but we need sleep.

Preston

Do you have another room you can lock him in? One further from your
bedroom? A kitchen perhaps? Does he always have access to food? Maybe
a radio left on would soothe him or cover up the noises for you! Has he
always been like this or just more recently?


He's always been like this. He's just a real people-cat. He follows us
around a lot. He lays on our chests or laps while we watch TV. His
sister (who isn't as bad) hangs out with me when I'm on the computer.
She's beside me right now. So it's just *in* them, to be really need for
people. Which is sorta cute if you're awake, not if you're asleep.

Preston
  #5  
Old July 16th 05, 03:28 PM
Preston Crawford
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Posts: n/a
Default

On 2005-07-16, jils wrote:
exactly what i was going to say.
hi, i'm new here, but a cat lover from way back.

isn't there another bedroom, or a bathroom, far enough from your own
bedroom, that you can enclose this cat in?
supply a litter tray, some bedding, water, etc. and lock him in there.


Not really. We have a two bedroom apartment. My fear is if we lock him
in the only other bedroom (which happens to be right next to our bedroom
and contains the litter box) that...

#1 - We'd have to move the litter box
#2 - We'd have to lock ALL the cats in that room.

So the best case scenario would be that we lock one or all the cats in
said room and that they don't scratch on the wall or mew loudly or
something.

i'd go mad without sleep.


I think we are going mad without sleep. We already both have insomnia.
Which may be why we've put up with it for so long. But now we're getting
that a little under control, so this is a real buzz kill.

from a different perspective, why is this cat so lively at night?


He's like this all the time. Not lively so much as he just wants to be
in our precense whenever we're around. I don't know why. When we adopted
him, that's what the sheet said about his personality. "He'll hang out
and watch you do dishes", stuff like that. We just didn't realize how
far that went.

is he not stimulated enough during the day? is there a way to tire him more?
most cats seem happy to sleep about 18 hours a day!
if you see him sleeping during the day, wake him up to play!


BC wrote:


Do you have another room you can lock him in? One further from your
bedroom? A kitchen perhaps? Does he always have access to food? Maybe
a radio left on would soothe him or cover up the noises for you! Has he
always been like this or just more recently?


Yeah, I don't see it. We both work, so we'd have to be playing with him
every waking our of our off time. Which isn't much. It's not an energy
thing. It's a determination to be with his people thing.

Preston
  #6  
Old July 16th 05, 10:41 PM
jils
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Posts: n/a
Default

you can't shut him in the bathroom?
you can't buy another litter tray?

when you're at work, is he indoors? if so, he surely sleeps all that time.
indoors in an apartment would be pretty boring!
get some of those toys that you can put kibble inside, that would give
him more to do, work for his food.

does he have a climbing/scratching pole for exercise & entertainment?

it seems a shame to make him stay away, when he's so loyal and needs you
so much.

Preston Crawford wrote:

Not really. We have a two bedroom apartment. My fear is if we lock him
in the only other bedroom (which happens to be right next to our bedroom
and contains the litter box) that...

#1 - We'd have to move the litter box
#2 - We'd have to lock ALL the cats in that room.

Yeah, I don't see it. We both work, so we'd have to be playing with him
every waking our of our off time. Which isn't much. It's not an energy
thing. It's a determination to be with his people thing.

Preston

  #7  
Old July 17th 05, 12:27 AM
Preston Crawford
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Posts: n/a
Default

On 2005-07-16, jils wrote:
you can't shut him in the bathroom?
you can't buy another litter tray?


We can do both of those things, but we're in a two bedroom apartment.
There's only so much space for all the cat houses, litter boxen, etc. We
live pretty spartan as it is. Setting up yet another cat domicile would
not make this easier.

when you're at work, is he indoors? if so, he surely sleeps all that time.
indoors in an apartment would be pretty boring!
get some of those toys that you can put kibble inside, that would give
him more to do, work for his food.


He has plenty of toys. And he's indoors because we live in the city and
that's what the shelter people wanted. They don't like having to
re-adopt out lost kitties.

does he have a climbing/scratching pole for exercise & entertainment?


Yes.

it seems a shame to make him stay away, when he's so loyal and needs you
so much.


Well, he is loyal and we love him. But if we don't sleep, he doesn't eat
(nor do we). I mean, we have to sleep, when did that become optional
because you have a pet?

Preston
  #8  
Old July 17th 05, 12:29 AM
jils
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Posts: n/a
Default

as a last resort, have you considered asking a vet for sleeping pills?
if you could break the cycle, say for a couple of weeks, his behaviour
might change.
and you'd be rested and more able to cope!

Preston Crawford wrote:

Well, he is loyal and we love him. But if we don't sleep, he doesn't eat
(nor do we). I mean, we have to sleep, when did that become optional
because you have a pet?

Preston

  #9  
Old July 17th 05, 03:14 AM
Jenna F via CatKB.com
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Default


There is a simple answer to your problem. If you live in a two-story house,
then you can keep your cat on the opposite floor and keep in a different room
with the door closed. Keep food, water, and a litterpan in the room and this
should end your problems. I hope that I've helped you and please let me know
if it all works out.

Preston Crawford wrote:
This has been like a 2 year oddessy. We have a very loving, adorable
black cat. Likes to be a lap cat. Takes very good care of his sister (we
adopted litter-mates) and is overall a great cat. There's one problem.
He's REALLY needy at night and he's made our nights hell for the last
two years.

From the start we've had a closed-door policy. Mostly because one of our
first cats would jump on us at 3am and given that my wife and I both
have insomnia that won't work. No problem with that cat. Door closed, he
goes and finds something else to do. Opus, however, begin incessantly
scratching on the door and waking us up. So we searched around places
like this and our first attempt at getting our nights back was to open
the door and let him in. The other cat had grown up enough that he was
happy to be at the foot of the bed or in the closet. So we thought we
had a solution. Opus, however, insisted on biting our fingers to play
and in my case (since I use a CPAP for apnea that blows out air) batting
at my head and scratching. So we sought help again. Someone said get a
squirt bottle. After like 3 weeks of squirting him and him not getting
the hint we closed the door again and tried the vacuum cleaner trick.

Well, that worked for all of 2 weeks until one day I found out from my
wife that she was waking up up to 5 times a night to plug the vacuum in.
Then someone at a pet store told us that baby gates were the way to go.
They can't be scratched and they're a barrier. So we bought two and
tried that. Now we're in an arms race with Opus. We put up a baby gate,
he jumps it. We put up two staggered, he jumps between them like an
acrobat. We STACK them going almost all the way to the ceiling and he
jumps on the bannister instead. We put a large laundry basket on the
bannister and he jumps into the laudry basket and slides onto the floor.
Last night my wife woke up twice because now, in spite of putting a towl
over the top of the baby gates, lest he scale them, he managed to jump
over the 6 feet worth of baby gates.

In other words the situation has gone from ridiculous to he's getting
locked in a closet soon. I don't want to lock him in a closet at night.
I don't want to give him away. But this is getting ridiculous. He's been
disturbing our already poor sleep for 2 years now. And he won't quit.
We've tried virtually everything you're supposed to try. We didn't even
list half of the things, like the "no scratch" spray on the door, stuff
like that. We don't know what to do. We're at a point now where we have
to barricade ourselves in our own bedroom with 6 feet of baby gates, a
towel draped over it and a giant hamper guarding the flank with the
bannister and he's still finding a way over. I have to give him credit
for tenacity, but it's getting really really really really really old.
We just want decent sleep. We already have sleep problems without Opus
making it worse. And at this point it's gone from a nuisance to "please
tell us, Opus, why we shouldn't find a new home for you?"

Please help give any advice possible. We don't want to give up on him,
but we need sleep.

Preston


--
"There is no snooze button on a hungry cat." Anonymous

Visit thelifeofcats.blogspot.com
Visit periodcornerjustforgirls.blogspot.com

Neither blog has a www.
  #10  
Old July 17th 05, 05:08 PM
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On Fri, 15 Jul 2005 09:03:44 -0500, Preston Crawford
wrote:

This has been like a 2 year oddessy. We have a very loving, adorable
black cat. Likes to be a lap cat. Takes very good care of his sister (we
adopted litter-mates) and is overall a great cat. There's one problem.
He's REALLY needy at night and he's made our nights hell for the last
two years.


Is it food he wants? Mine wakes up every morning with the sound of
the birds outside and wants to be fed. He will make as much noise as
possible until I wake up and feed him, including running over my legs
and knocking stuff off my night stand. As soon as I feed him, though,
he and I can both go back to sleep. I've thought about buying an auto
feeder for him so he won't feel the need to rely on me for food in the
morning. He has endless kibble, it's the canned breakfast he wants.
Habits are hard to break.

pepsi
 




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