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#1
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nighttime crazies
I have two cats: one male, one female, both under 3 years old, both fixed, both have claws. At around 4 am, they go bonkers chasing each other up and down our long, wood-floored hallway. This not only wakes us up, but I'm sure it can be heard below by our neighbors (they've never said anything specifically about this, but it's very loud). To remedy this, I have tried two things. First, I've given them a few squirts with the water bottle. This loses its effectiveness as soon as I return to bed. Second, I have put them in the laundry/bathroom. It's big enough for them to roam around, sit in the window, play, eat, drink, poop, etc., so I don't feel especially bad about it. However, since they sometimes start to cry or scratch on the door, I don't want to do it unless necessary. I thought that after several weeks of doing this, they might learn that "Noise at Night = Locked in laundry room," and therefore avoid making noise at night. I'm sure they understand "Noise at Night = Owners awake and give attention." Is it unreasonable to expect that they might alter their behavior? Should I just break down and toss them in there before even going to bed? I feel a little bad about that since we're often away until 7 or 8 o'clock at night, but perhaps as long as we give them their usual evening playtime, they won't care. Thanks for your advice, eric |
#3
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in article , Eric B. at
lid wrote on 9/5/04 6:21AM: I have two cats: one male, one female, both under 3 years old, both fixed, both have claws. At around 4 am, they go bonkers chasing each other up and down our long, wood-floored hallway. This not only wakes us up, but I'm sure it can be heard below by our neighbors (they've never said anything specifically about this, but it's very loud). To remedy this, I have tried two things. First, I've given them a few squirts with the water bottle. This loses its effectiveness as soon as I return to bed. Second, I have put them in the laundry/bathroom. It's big enough for them to roam around, sit in the window, play, eat, drink, poop, etc., so I don't feel especially bad about it. However, since they sometimes start to cry or scratch on the door, I don't want to do it unless necessary. I thought that after several weeks of doing this, they might learn that "Noise at Night = Locked in laundry room," and therefore avoid making noise at night. I'm sure they understand "Noise at Night = Owners awake and give attention." Is it unreasonable to expect that they might alter their behavior? Should I just break down and toss them in there before even going to bed? I feel a little bad about that since we're often away until 7 or 8 o'clock at night, but perhaps as long as we give them their usual evening playtime, they won't care. Thanks for your advice, eric One thing about cats. They love routine above all. I kind of doubt their routine will change. I guess if it is TOO bad you could put them in their room befor you go to bed. I wouldn't worry about the neighbors. If they haven't said anything, it must not be as bad as it seems to you. Can you close your door? Or do they then scratch at that. It just their playtime. My mom's two are like this. They tear around in the middle of the night. Mine used to do it, but they grew out of it and now sleep pretty much all night. Or, Grant will stare out the window a lot. I would guess yours will grow out of it someday, but probably not for a while. |
#4
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On Sun, 05 Sep 2004 07:21:59 -0400, "Eric B."
wrote: I have two cats: one male, one female, both under 3 years old, both fixed, both have claws. At around 4 am, they go bonkers chasing each other up and down our long, wood-floored hallway. This not only wakes us up, but I'm sure it can be heard below by our neighbors (they've never said anything specifically about this, but it's very loud). To remedy this, I have tried two things. First, I've given them a few squirts with the water bottle. This loses its effectiveness as soon as I return to bed. Second, I have put them in the laundry/bathroom. It's big enough for them to roam around, sit in the window, play, eat, drink, poop, etc., so I don't feel especially bad about it. However, since they sometimes start to cry or scratch on the door, I don't want to do it unless necessary. I thought that after several weeks of doing this, they might learn that "Noise at Night = Locked in laundry room," and therefore avoid making noise at night. I'm sure they understand "Noise at Night = Owners awake and give attention." Is it unreasonable to expect that they might alter their behavior? Should I just break down and toss them in there before even going to bed? I feel a little bad about that since we're often away until 7 or 8 o'clock at night, but perhaps as long as we give them their usual evening playtime, they won't care. Thanks for your advice, eric Ah yes, the midnight crazies. I have three boys that do this. They play King of the Furniture with each other. When I get ready to go to bed I try and get them engaged with a laser pointer or some other toys to tire them out so that when I go to bed they are not as active. |
#5
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On Sun, 05 Sep 2004 07:21:59 -0400, "Eric B."
wrote: I have two cats: one male, one female, both under 3 years old, both fixed, both have claws. At around 4 am, they go bonkers chasing each other up and down our long, wood-floored hallway. This not only wakes us up, but I'm sure it can be heard below by our neighbors (they've never said anything specifically about this, but it's very loud). To remedy this, I have tried two things. First, I've given them a few squirts with the water bottle. This loses its effectiveness as soon as I return to bed. Second, I have put them in the laundry/bathroom. It's big enough for them to roam around, sit in the window, play, eat, drink, poop, etc., so I don't feel especially bad about it. However, since they sometimes start to cry or scratch on the door, I don't want to do it unless necessary. I thought that after several weeks of doing this, they might learn that "Noise at Night = Locked in laundry room," and therefore avoid making noise at night. I'm sure they understand "Noise at Night = Owners awake and give attention." Is it unreasonable to expect that they might alter their behavior? Should I just break down and toss them in there before even going to bed? I feel a little bad about that since we're often away until 7 or 8 o'clock at night, but perhaps as long as we give them their usual evening playtime, they won't care. Thanks for your advice, eric Ah yes, the midnight crazies. I have three boys that do this. They play King of the Furniture with each other. When I get ready to go to bed I try and get them engaged with a laser pointer or some other toys to tire them out so that when I go to bed they are not as active. |
#6
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"Eric B." wrote in message ... I have two cats: one male, one female, both under 3 years old, both fixed, both have claws. At around 4 am, they go bonkers chasing each other up and down our long, wood-floored hallway. This not only wakes us up, but I'm sure it can be heard below by our neighbors (they've never said anything specifically about this, but it's very loud). To remedy this, I have tried two things. First, I've given them a few squirts with the water bottle. This loses its effectiveness as soon as I return to bed. Second, I have put them in the laundry/bathroom. It's big enough for them to roam around, sit in the window, play, eat, drink, poop, etc., so I don't feel especially bad about it. However, since they sometimes start to cry or scratch on the door, I don't want to do it unless necessary. I thought that after several weeks of doing this, they might learn that "Noise at Night = Locked in laundry room," and therefore avoid making noise at night. I'm sure they understand "Noise at Night = Owners awake and give attention." Is it unreasonable to expect that they might alter their behavior? Should I just break down and toss them in there before even going to bed? I feel a little bad about that since we're often away until 7 or 8 o'clock at night, but perhaps as long as we give them their usual evening playtime, they won't care. Thanks for your advice, eric All cats do this. Mine do it before I go to bed, but I go to bed really late. You have to have your sleep in order to function, so yes, I would go ahead and put them in the laundry room before you go to sleep. BUT--you might try initiating play say, four hours before you go to bed--with a lazer pointer, feather on a string, or crumpled up paper tossing--to see if you can tire them out. |
#7
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"Eric B." wrote in message ... I have two cats: one male, one female, both under 3 years old, both fixed, both have claws. At around 4 am, they go bonkers chasing each other up and down our long, wood-floored hallway. This not only wakes us up, but I'm sure it can be heard below by our neighbors (they've never said anything specifically about this, but it's very loud). To remedy this, I have tried two things. First, I've given them a few squirts with the water bottle. This loses its effectiveness as soon as I return to bed. Second, I have put them in the laundry/bathroom. It's big enough for them to roam around, sit in the window, play, eat, drink, poop, etc., so I don't feel especially bad about it. However, since they sometimes start to cry or scratch on the door, I don't want to do it unless necessary. I thought that after several weeks of doing this, they might learn that "Noise at Night = Locked in laundry room," and therefore avoid making noise at night. I'm sure they understand "Noise at Night = Owners awake and give attention." Is it unreasonable to expect that they might alter their behavior? Should I just break down and toss them in there before even going to bed? I feel a little bad about that since we're often away until 7 or 8 o'clock at night, but perhaps as long as we give them their usual evening playtime, they won't care. Thanks for your advice, eric All cats do this. Mine do it before I go to bed, but I go to bed really late. You have to have your sleep in order to function, so yes, I would go ahead and put them in the laundry room before you go to sleep. BUT--you might try initiating play say, four hours before you go to bed--with a lazer pointer, feather on a string, or crumpled up paper tossing--to see if you can tire them out. |
#8
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"Karen Chuplis" wrote in message ... in article , Eric B. at lid wrote on 9/5/04 6:21AM: eric One thing about cats. They love routine above all. This is so true. I think just like humans, ritual comforts them. I kind of doubt their routine will change. I guess if it is TOO bad you could put them in their room befor you go to bed. Everything else you say is true, too--but I wonder about introducing a new routine, such as energetic play with the laser pointer some hours before human bed time, so that maybe their energetic time would switch and they would be tired out? What do you think? |
#9
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"Karen Chuplis" wrote in message ... in article , Eric B. at lid wrote on 9/5/04 6:21AM: eric One thing about cats. They love routine above all. This is so true. I think just like humans, ritual comforts them. I kind of doubt their routine will change. I guess if it is TOO bad you could put them in their room befor you go to bed. Everything else you say is true, too--but I wonder about introducing a new routine, such as energetic play with the laser pointer some hours before human bed time, so that maybe their energetic time would switch and they would be tired out? What do you think? |
#10
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"Eric B." wrote in message ... I have two cats: one male, one female, both under 3 years old, both fixed, both have claws. At around 4 am, they go bonkers chasing each other up and down our long, wood-floored hallway. This not only wakes us up, but I'm sure it can be heard below by our neighbors (they've never said anything specifically about this, but it's very loud). My cats do this sometimes too. Not every night, but fairly often. I go to bed late and I'm usually awake when it starts so I don't care. Can you put a carepeted runner in the hallway, to cut down the noise they make on the wood floor? I have wood floors in my apartment and I know the claws can sound really loud when they're skittering across the wood. Since my downstairs neighbor likes to blast his TV late at night, it's another reason I don't care how much noise my cats make. To remedy this, I have tried two things. First, I've given them a few squirts with the water bottle. This loses its effectiveness as soon as I return to bed. Second, I have put them in the laundry/bathroom. It's big enough for them to roam around, sit in the window, play, eat, drink, poop, etc., so I don't feel especially bad about it. However, since they sometimes start to cry or scratch on the door, I don't want to do it unless necessary. I thought that after several weeks of doing this, they might learn that "Noise at Night = Locked in laundry room," and therefore avoid making noise at night. I'm sure they understand "Noise at Night = Owners awake and give attention." Is it unreasonable to expect that they might alter their behavior? Should I just break down and toss them in there before even going to bed? I feel a little bad about that since we're often away until 7 or 8 o'clock at night, but perhaps as long as we give them their usual evening playtime, they won't care. The few times my cats have started the crazies once I was already in bed, I'd get up and put one of them in my bedroom and shut the door. It really doesn't work, because the one inside keeps trying to get out and the one outside cries to get in. If I put them both in the bedroom with me, they may continue their activities on my bed, and it's really hard to get back to sleep with two cats jumping all over you. I've given up trying to stop them, since the really-late-night activities happen so rarely. -- Liz |
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