Category: Animal House
Okay guys, this is my first time posting here, but i need some serious help! My cat Shadow, a male, is depriving me of sleep! He loves to sleep with me and cuddle, but for the last 6 months or more, he's taking to getting up, and down, meowing like crazy, jumping on and off things, stepping on my hair, and pawing at my face to wake me up, and I can't take anymore! If I lock him out, he claws and paws the door, meowing loudly wanting back in! I can't where ear plugs all night, because they hurt my ears! I love this cat dearly, and don't want to get rid of him, can someone please help?
Thanks.
Bridgette.
Give him more play time during the day. Get him some toys or try using a lazor toy. They love chasing it. You could use a spray bottle to get him to leave you alone to... LOL
Hmmmm, a lazor toy? I've never seen one. He has lots of toys, but he doesn't want to play. LOL. He's just a big spoiled Baby, who wants to be held 24 hours a day, and I even tried to hold him more in the day, but nothing seems to really work.
I think buy a laser toy they mean a laser pointer.
Yeah that's what I meant.
http://www.petco.com/product/100253/Mews-Ments-5-in-1-Laser-Pet-Toy-and-Exerciser.aspx
Is there any way you could put him in a separate room at night? perhaps you could move the litter box and food in as well. I haven't been around cats all that much though, so I don't know if moving the litter box will have bad repercussions. Good luck!
haha, I think moving the litter box is a really bad idea, ahha. My sister has a cat and she hates it when you move her litter box. I know, because I did it before and she went crazy on me, ahha. BUt hmm Bridgette, I think using a spray bottle is a good ide too. Although after the shock of that wears off, he'll probably come back and bother you even more. But yeah, maybe lock him in a separate room or something. That usually works, lol.
LOL, I would use a spray bottle, but there's too many electronics around. That wouldn't mix well with water, and water doesn't faise him. I've tried locking him out, as iZI said, and he just claws, scratches the door, and meows at the top of his lungs.
Bridgette, I have had cats most of my life and have found one thing to be true. Cats go through phases in terms of particular toys they like to play with, how much attention they want, etc. Hopefully Shadow is just going through a phase. Smokey, my current cat, used to want lots of attention at night, and if I tried to ignore him, he would literally attack me and bite me. I just kept hitting him with my pillow and knocking him off my bed, and after several attempts he would eventually get tired of what he obviously perceived to be a game. Now he is going through a phase where he rarely comes to my room at night. So other than knocking him off your bed every time he is bothering you, I don't really have any advice except to wait until this phase is over. Maybe your vet will have some suggestions?
I agree with Becky. Ask your vet about this. Maybe they would have ideas for you. Also, be wary of laser pointers. It is quite fun to watch cats chase them, but if you accidentally shine that thing right in their eyes, it can hurt them.
I agree with Alicia here. I don't think laser pointers are a good thing for a blind person to use with an animal because you can't tell where you are shining it, and you can do damage to their eyes.
You haven't said whether your bedroom is on the second floor. One thing I do is keep some pingpong balls and other small toys in my room. If I don't feel like playing games when Smokey is in one of those moods, I take a ball and leave my room. Of course he follows me, and when I toss it down the steps, he runs down after it. I quickly go back in my room and close the door.
Okay guys, here's the thing here, I'm in a single floor apartment, with tile floors, and sound carries well. We have a lot of windows. What ever is driving him to this behavior has something to do with the windows, since he constantly jumps from one to another meowing like crazy. He is fixed, so him being in heat doesn't make sense. I have blinds up, and curtains, but that doesn't stop him. Anyhow, maybe I will call the vet, I don't know. LOL. I'm at a loss.
good luck with your cyco cat bridgette.
There may be something outside that is driving him crazy. Perhaps another cat or other animal. Good luck.
First, I don't think males can be in heat. Isn't that a female cat thing? and second, when they're fixed, does that stop them from noticing when another female is in heat? I mean, he'd be shooting blanks, as it were, but can a male cat still notice things like that even when they're neutered?
They are still interested if they see another cat outdoors, but it has nothing to do with sex. It's a territorial thing.
he might have discovered the chords on the blinds. My cat, Dixie used to go nuts like that for the chords. once i made it so they wouldn't dangle, she stopped. Also, as pp suggested, there may be an animal outside that's catching his eye.
hth
Hey guys, wel, for the last two nights, I've locked shadow and fluffy both out of my room. For some reason, he hasn't been as vocal, and he stopped clawing at my door. As far as males being in heat, I was told that males can have that sort of thing, during the time when females are in heat. I was told by my neighbor that a strange female cat, that was in heat, has been lerking around, but hasn't been here for a few days, so we shall see how things go. I don't understand, since we've always has cats around here, and he just started doing this in the last year. I guess time shall tell. Thanks Guys. I'll keep you all posted.
I think once you fix the male cat is uninterested in girl cats in heat. I have 2 boys that are fixed. Last year I got a new kitten that was a girl. When she went in heat my boys did not care at all. Of course all of them are fixed now. My youngest cat does the exact same thing your cat is doing at night. I actually started keeping a bag of treats by the bed, so when the cat comes to wake me up I give her a treat and she leaves me alone. Although...I kinda feel like the cat has trained ME to feed it at 4 in the morning.
I am glad my baby is a good girl and stops what ever she is doing when I tell her no. She listens verry well, and when she does get in to trubble I spank her. I pat her one the side of her hip and tell her no, and she's a bad girl, Then I make her lay in my lap untill I tell her what she did wrong and why I am angery. I know it sounds crazy, but she listens and does better. She does go off and cry when she gets in to trubble. I have seen the tears to know. And before letting her go I tell her I love her as well. I give her a kiss and a hug then she goes off for about five to fifteen minutes and then comes back and loves on me. I think my baby is smarter and more understanding then the average kitty. When I tell her no that she can't go outside she will nod her head then go do something ealse. I also tell her that it is bed time when its to late for her to go out at night, and she stops meowing. She's a good girl.
I only spank her when she decides to rip her claws threw someones face or some thing really bad like that. I don't really ever have to spank her. I mainly just say no if anything, Even then I really don't have to do that.
Niki, you are luck, beyond your user name.*smile*. Our cat, Advent, is very strong-willed. I've seen him push Perkins Braillers and phonebooks out of his way when he wants something. I think no means yes in his vocabulary.
To the orriginal post, if this happens again, you might try letting him have a blanket with your scent on it. It might help. Beyond that, I'm at a loss, and check with the vet.
Lou
Wow! Well guys, this has been a very interesting discusson to folow. It's rare for me to sit and read an entire board. Good luck with your cat, bridget. My cat, Devil F McTavish, also loves to be held twenty-four hours a day, so I hope he doesn't go through a similar phase. If he does, at least I'll have some things to try. Talk soon.
Trevyn Wolf