PeachyDoodle Posted January 5, 2017 Share Posted January 5, 2017 Our cat has gotten into an annoying habit of sitting in the hallway in the middle of the night and mewing. We have a ranch-style house, so it's audible in every bedroom and extremely annoying. He's done this since we got him as a kitten, off and on, but usually it was early in the morning (5 a.m. or so). Now it's throughout the night. Everything I've read suggests he's waking us up because he's hungry, but his litter box is cleaned and food and water refilled every night before bed and he always has food and water in his bowls in the morning. It's pretty obvious from the way he does it that he wants attention. Or really that he wants someone to be awake. The only way to hush him is for someone to get up and give him a nudge down the hall. Then he goes on his way, although he might come back later. Getting up just seems to fuel it though. Any ideas or suggestions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted January 5, 2017 Share Posted January 5, 2017 Is he lonely? Does he sleep with a family member, or is he shut out of the bedrooms? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storygirl Posted January 5, 2017 Share Posted January 5, 2017 This cat and the one before started waking people up in the middle of the night, either by meowing or having annoying behavior (walking on sleeping people, rattling things around the room in order to wake people up, etc.) Our solution in both cases has been to lock the cat in the basement at night. Our kitty has a bed, litter box, and food down there, so we know she has everything she needs for the night. She would prefer to sleep in beds with people, but we can't have her disturbing our sleep. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selkie Posted January 5, 2017 Share Posted January 5, 2017 You could get another kitty to keep him busy. Our cats play and tear around the house together all night. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah CB Posted January 5, 2017 Share Posted January 5, 2017 I'm mean. My cats do this in the morning when it's time to get up. They are lonely and want to come and hang out with me. If it's time to get up, I let them in my room. If it's too early, I say "pssst!" and throw a pillow at them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mschickie Posted January 5, 2017 Share Posted January 5, 2017 One suggestion I saw from Jackson Galaxy is to play with them right before you go to bed. This can tire them out so that they sleep through the night. Our cats have the option of sleeping with us which does not bother us (most nights). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted January 5, 2017 Share Posted January 5, 2017 I hate my cat. I haven't had a good night's sleep or pleasant morning wake up in I don't know how long. For the most part, I've resigned myself to letting him get as fat as he wants if extra food means my urge to throw him off the balcony is slightly less. He's physically more aggressive with dh (climbing on him in the middle of the night,) but dh is mostly able to sleep through the noise (as are the kids,) whereas I am not. There is no way he's getting a friend. Because, once this guy's life is over, the other one will need a friend. And so on, and so on.... Not happening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted January 5, 2017 Share Posted January 5, 2017 How old is he? Does he eat canned food? If so I'd leave him some out at night. Canned food has more protein than dry and it tends to fill cats up more. Sometimes a meal of canned food right before bed time (I'd just leave it out) will make a cat sleepy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PinkyandtheBrains. Posted January 5, 2017 Share Posted January 5, 2017 One of our cats was just "chatty" and loud at some point during the night, it wasn't for attention. Just like my kids, he makes noise. Another one is only really noisy when he needs something, often attention. Usually a small amount of attention is all that is required, and everyone can go back to sleep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Peregrine Posted January 5, 2017 Share Posted January 5, 2017 My cat is currently in heat so I'm ready to strangle her. Can the cat sleep with someone, preferably locked in a room? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted January 5, 2017 Share Posted January 5, 2017 Since her food/water/litter needs are being met, it seems clear that the nighttime meowing is a habit your kitty has developed. Probably the easiest way to break the habit is to let kitty sleep with someone. Is there anyone willing to let kitty sleep with them? It has taken a long time but our cat does respond to a firm 'no' or "Pickle, NO" (Yeah, his name is Pickle) So if he's crying, I can usually just say his name in the right tone and he stops. But it took a long time to train him to learn the word no. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeachyDoodle Posted January 5, 2017 Author Share Posted January 5, 2017 The bedrooms are open. We don't have a rule that he's not allowed to sleep with anyone, but he usually doesn't. He seems to prefer changing his sleeping spots every few weeks. I'm not sure why this is, but he does it routinely. For awhile he did sleep with dd (he's technically *her* cat) but then he just stopped. We don't shut him out of rooms because if he wants in or out, he will pick at the carpet until someone opens the door. He more or less has the run of the house, which isn't a problem, other than at night. Putting him in the basement might be an option. We don't have any other rooms that close off, except for ones that are in proximity to the bedrooms. We tried canned food, but he didn't seem to like it much. Maybe we should try a different kind. And I will see if dd can play with him more before bed. Maybe that will help. He is two years old. We have had him since he was 3-4 months old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted January 5, 2017 Share Posted January 5, 2017 Ours does that. During most of the year I will put her outside. Not in winter, though, sigh. It's like having a toddler. Shutting her in a room does not work with our floor plan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxbridgeacademy Posted January 5, 2017 Share Posted January 5, 2017 Miss Mabel does this for various reasons, usually she wants to go out, sometimes it's because DD forgot to fill her bowl the night before, often it's because she's bored. There's no locking her away in another room, she'd eventually scratch her way through the door I think. I have been known to keep a spray bottle beside the bed for such occasions (I leave my door open at night so a good spray bottle takes care of her at the doorway). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pegasus Posted January 6, 2017 Share Posted January 6, 2017 Ummm. . .no solution but you aren't alone. One of my cats will cry in the hallway at night just outside the bedroom doors. She wants in my DDs' rooms despite my door being open to her. I have to get up and verbally invite her into my room and then she will come in and settle down. . .usually. I love my cats but could do without this little routine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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